Exodus 20 – Mount Sinai
Billows of smoke, thunder, lightning, a loud voice, approaching death, and trumpets. Sounds like the scene of a good movie. Yet this is not a movie set, this is a real historical event. This is the power and holiness of God on Mount Sinai when Moses goes up the mountain to speak with God. The Israelites were terrified of what they saw and if we were there at the base of the mountain like the rest of the Israelites, I am certain we would be just as terrified as they were.
Along with all the events through Exodus, this moment was to draw a line in the sand. The Israelis had grown up in Egypt. They had seen the idolatry of making gods out of wood and stone. So, it is not surprising that God wants to solidify his image in their hearts and minds that separates his image from idol worship.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. ” starts the passage before God speaks the ten commandments. He is not just the only true God, but He is also their Lord and master. God wanted to make sure this was a paradigm shift from this moment on. A shift from worshiping false gods and imitating the Egyptians to worshiping and obeying the one true God.
In all this, God seems angry and unbending, but by nature God is more loving than he is angry or jealous throughout the Old Testament. Despite his punishments, he always yearns for the Jews to have a deep relationship with Him. Yet, here at this moment, the ten commandments were very important and God wanted to substantiate with this demonstration of power. Moses knows this when in verse 20 he tells them to not be afraid, God is only testing them.
Out of all the commands throughout Exodus, these were the greatest. So God puts on a show so the people could see and hear, remember, and pass down to generations. The people did remember and pass down this event. But as we see by the time the Old Testament wraps up, they rebelled against God to the point that they were eventually wiped out by the Assyrians and Babylonians. The forefathers failed to stress the importance of following God as they passed down these images of might and power. As the people became complacent, the tales of God’s people became a distant memory and inapplicable to their lives now.
We should remember God’s love and his grace in our lives, but we should also remember his greatness that deserves respect and admiration. In this we should not take lightly, that a high and mighty God can have a close personal relationship with us. A fearful love in us that is truly perfect. We should not let our salvation, or God’s blessings in our lives, become a distant memory. If we do, we will be in jeopardy of losing our faith. Remembering not just the character of God but also to truly follow him in our hearts. This is the key to an everlasting substantial and solid relationship.
One response
Great post