After leaving Rephidim the Israelites "came to the desert of Sinai. There they set up their camp at the foot of Mount Sinai, and Moses went up the mountain to meet with God. SRme 1.559
"The Lord called to. . .[Moses] from the mountain and told him to say to the Israelites, Jacob's descendants: 'You saw what I, the Lord, did to the Egyptians and how I carried you as an eagle carries her young on her wings, and brought you here to Me [the Lord]. "'Now, if you will obey Me and keep My covenant, you will be My own people. The whole earth is Mine, but you will be My chosen people, a people dedicated to Me alone, and you will serve Me as priests.' SRme 1.560
"So Moses went down and called the leaders of the people together and told them everything that the Lord had commanded him. Then all the people answered together, 'We will do everything that the Lord has said,' and Moses reported this to the Lord" (Ex. 19:2-8). SRme 1.561
At Sinai the Israelites entered into a sacred covenant with God. They promised to accept Him as their ruler. In this way the Israelites came under God's divine control as His special people. SRme 1.562
"The Lord said to Moses, 'I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will believe you from now on'" (Ex. 19:9). SRme 1.563
When the Israelites had problems during their travels, they blamed Moses and Aaron. The people accused their leaders of bringing them from Egypt to destroy them. God decided to honor Moses before the Israelites so that they would trust Moses' instructions. God wanted the Israelites to understand that He had put His Holy Spirit on Moses. SRme 1.564