God brought them to Sinai; He manifested His glory; He gave them His law, with the promise of great blessings on condition of obedience: "If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then . . . ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." Exodus 19:5, 6. The people did not realize 372 the sinfulness of their own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God's law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient." Exodus 24:7. They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant and shadowed forth in the sacrificial offerings. Now by faith and love they were bound to God as their deliverer from the bondage of sin. Now they were prepared to appreciate the blessings of the new covenant.

Gud førte dem til Sinaj, åbenbarede sin herlighed og gav dem sin lov med løfte om store velsignelser på betingelse af lydighed: "Hvis I nu vil lyde min røst og holde min pagt, så skal I blive mig et kongerige af præster og et helligt folk!" 2. Mos. 19, 5-6. Folket indså ikke deres eget hjertes syndighed, og at det var dem umuligt at holde Guds lov uden Kristus, og de indgik villigt pagten med Gud. De følte, at de var i stand til selv at tilvejebringe retfærdighed, og sagde: "Vi vil gøre alt, hvad Herren har talt, og lyde ham!" 2. Mos, 24, 7. De havde været vidne til lovens forkyndelse i ærefrygtindgydende majestæt og havde skælvet af rædsel foran bjerget, og dog brød de deres pagt med Gud nogle få uger efter og bøjede sig for et udskåret billede. De kunne ikke gøre sig håb om Guds nåde gennem en pagt, de havde brudt. Idet de nu indså deres syndighed og deres trang til tilgivelse, følte de, at de behøvede den frelser, der åbenbaredes i pagten med Abraham, og hvem ofringerne pegede hen til. Nu blev de ved tro og kærlighed knyttet til Gud som deres befrier fra syndens trældom. Nu var de beredte til at modtage den nye pagts velsignelser.