Exodus 19:15
“He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.””
What does Exodus 19:15 mean?
Moses is preparing the Israelites for a profound encounter with God at Mount Sinai, and he's calling them to set themselves apart through ritual purity. In ancient Jewish practice, sexual relations were considered something that made a person ritually unclean temporarily, requiring washing and time to restore their readiness for worship or sacred moments. This wasn't about sex being shameful or wrong, but about approaching God with intentionality and focus, much like how we might prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually before something really important. The three-day waiting period created space for the people to shift their attention away from ordinary life and toward the presence of God they were about to experience. Moses wanted them to come with undivided hearts and minds, ready to receive what God was about to do among them. If you're in a season where you need to reset your spiritual focus or prepare yourself for something significant, this verse reminds us that sometimes stepping back from normal routines, even good things, can help us show up more fully.