Leviticus 26:13-14 I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

While exhortation is a New Testament word, I understand that God examples for us in the Old Testament His understanding. Here in the opening verse I have found what I consider a better understanding of exhortation by God.

“Walk with Me.” LPV

Vine’s definition of exhort G3870 is primarily, “to call to a person” (para, “to the side,” kaleo, “to call”), denotes (a) “to call on, entreat;”

Examples of exhortations were often accompanied with behavioral intent.

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

“Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.”

“Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.”

“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

For the essence of exhortation is walking with God and understanding that in His presence there is an expectation of faithful performance. Without that fearful understanding, how can we call another to our side to walk with us in doing good?