| Geneva Study Bible And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. Wesley's Notes 19:8 And they answered together; all that the Lord hath spoken we will do - Thus accepting the Lord to be to them a God, and giving up themselves to be to him a people. Scofield Reference Notes [1] we will do The Fifth Dispensation: Law. This dispensation extends from Sinai to Calvary--from Exodus to the Cross. The history of Israel in the wilderness and in the land is one long record of the violation of the law. The testing of the nation by law ended in the judgment of the Captivities, but the dispensation itself ended at the Cross. (1) Man's state at the beginning Ex 19:1-4. (2) His responsibility Ex 19:5,6 Rom 10:5. (3) His failure 2Ki 17:7-17,19 Acts 2:22,23. (4) The judgment 2Ki 17:1-6,20 25:1-11 Lk 21:20-24 See, for the other six dispensations: INNOCENCE (Ge 1.28); CONSCIENCE (Ge 3.23); HUMAN GOVERNMENT (Ge 8.20); PROMISE (Ge 12.1); GRACE (Jn 1.17); KINGDOM (Ep 1.10) See Scofield Note: "Gen 1:28". See Scofield Note: "Gen 3:23". See Scofield Note: "Gen 8:21". See Scofield Note: "Gen 12:1". See Scofield Note: "Jn 1:17". See Scofield Note: "Eph 1:10". Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 19:1-8 Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was granted out of God's own free grace. The covenant here mentioned was the national covenant, by which the Israelites were a people under the government of Jehovah. It was a type of the new covenant made with true believers in Christ Jesus; but, like other types, it was only a shadow of good things to come. As a nation they broke this covenant; therefore the Lord declared that he would make a new covenant with Israel, writing his law, not upon tables of stone, but in their hearts, Jer 31:33; Heb 8:7-10. The covenant spoken of in these places as ready to vanish away, is the national covenant with Israel, which they forfeited by their sins. Unless we carefully attend to this, we shall fall into mistakes while reading the Old Testament. We must not suppose that the nation of the Jews were under the covenant of works, which knows nothing of repentance, faith in a Mediator, forgiveness of sins, or grace; nor yet that the whole nation of Israel bore the character, and possessed the privileges of true believers, as being actually sharers in the covenant of grace. They were all under a dispensation of mercy; they had outward privileges and advantages for salvation; but, like professing Christians, most rested therein, and went no further. Israel consented to the conditions. They answered as one man, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. Oh that there had been such a heart in them! Moses, as a mediator, returned the words of the people to God. Thus Christ, the Mediator, as a Prophet, reveals God's will to us, his precepts and promises; and then, as a Priest, offers up to God our spiritual sacrifices, not only of prayer and praise, but of devout affections, and pious resolutions, the work of his own Spirit in us. | 
