Wanderings and Wonders "Rules in Relationship" - Exodus 19 & 20 - Tim Nay

Rules in Relationship

Exodus 19 & 20
Tim Nay

Part of Wanderings & WondersLessons from the Wilderness

July 27, 2025

1 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain. —Exodus 19:1-2 

31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. —Exodus 14:31 

Rules without Relationship = Rebellion 

Preparing Our Hearts for Rules in Relationships:

• Have a WILLINGNESS to obey/SUBMIT.

 —Exodus 19:3-6 

Preparing Our Hearts for Rules in Relationships:

• Have a willingness to obey/submit. 
• Be sensitive enough to LISTEN. 

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” —Exodus 19:9 

Preparing Our Hearts for Rules in Relationships:

• Have a willingness to obey/submit. 
• Be sensitive enough to listen. 
• Do YOUR part to PREPARE and PROTECT. 

 —Exodus 19:10-14 

Consecration = “the separation of oneself from things that are unclean, specially anything that would contaminate one’s relationship with a perfect God.” 

9 “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.” —I Corinthians 5:9-11 

Preparing Our Hearts for Rules in Relationships: 
• Have a willingness to obey/submit. 
• Be sensitive enough to listen. 
• Do your part to prepare and protect. 
• Be RESPECTFUL of God’s PRESENCE. 

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’ —Exodus 19:21-23 

Learning the Ten Commandments 
Memory by Numbers 
Exodus 20

What Rules Cannot Do: 
• Rules cannot fix ATTITUDE.

 —Amos 5:21-24 

8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” —Matthew 15:8-9 

What Rules Cannot Do: 
• Rules cannot fix attitude. 
• Rules cannot be the SUBSTITUTE for HUMAN interaction. 

What Rules Cannot Do: 
• Rules cannot fix attitude. 
• Rules cannot be the substitute for human interaction. 
• Rules cannot KEEP people from SINNING. 

” —Colossians 2:20-23 

What Rules Cannot Do: 
• Rules cannot fix attitude 
• Rules cannot be the substitute for human interactions 
• Rules cannot keep people from sinning. 
• Rules cannot cover EVERY situation. 

WHY RULES? They are to be a BENEFIT to relationships. 

TAKEAWAY: The Law of God LEADS us to our NEED for a Savior.