God purposed to make the occasion of speaking His law a scene of awful grandeur, in keeping with its exalted character. The people were to be impressed that everything connected with the service of God must be regarded with the greatest reverence. 304 The Lord said to Moses, "Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai." During these intervening days all were to occupy the time in solemn preparation to appear before God. Their person and their clothing must be freed from impurity. And as Moses should point out their sins, they were to devote themselves to humiliation, fasting, and prayer, that their hearts might be cleansed from iniquity.

Det var Guds hensigt at gøre lovgivningen til en storslået begivenhed, der svarede til lovens ophøjede natur. Folket skulle lære at betragte alt, hvad der havde forbindelse med gudstjenesten, med den allerstørste ærbødighed. Herren sagde til Moses: "Gå til folket og lad dem hellige sig i dag og i morgen og tvætte deres klæder og holde sig rede i overmorgen, thi i overmorgen vil Herren stige ned for alt folkets øjne på Sinaj bjerg." I de mellemliggende dage skulle de alle sammen højtideligt forberede sig til at træde frem for Gud. Deres legeme og deres tøj skulle være fuldstændig rent. Og idet Moses påpegede deres synder, skulle de ydmyge sig, faste og bede, for at deres hjerter kunne blive renset for urenhed.