Exodus 20:18 – 21 “When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. “Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”
“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”
God was calling Israel to be a holy people, a nation of priests dedicated to Him. Remember that these were the same people whose ancestors had spent 400 years in Egypt, getting used to the multitude of Egyptian gods. Even though God had sent ten plagues on Egypt, including killing all of the first born humans and animals, even though God had taken the Israelites across the Red Sea on dry land, and even though God had been leading the Israelites through the wilderness by appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, even despite all these miracles, the Israelites STILL didn’t understand the greatness of God or His majesty and sovereignty. Putting it bluntly, God had done incredible miracles for the Israelites and they were still totally clueless. Worse and more of it, these people really didn’t want a clue either!
The thunder and lightning, the noise of the ram’s horn, and the billowing clouds of smoke encircling the mountain frightened the Israelites but did not move them to worship God or even just to bow before Him in silence.
“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” The Israelites didn’t want a God – sized God; they wanted a man – sized god, one they could choose to listen to or to ignore as they wished. (After all, how are you going to argue with somebody who speaks with thunder and lightning and clouds of smoke?)
APPLICATION: “God has come to test you…” What is the purpose of divine testing? God is omniscient, meaning He is all – knowing. God already knows our hearts and minds; we are the ones who have little or no insight into what we actually feel and think. God tests us so that we will become aware of our need for Him to clean us up and to make us holy. We cannot clean ourselves up, but God cannot help us unless and until we give Him permission to do so. The whole universe tilts on the axis of free will’; we are free to choose to receive God or to reject Him.
1 Samuel 2:2 says, “There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.” Hebrews 12:13 – 15 says, “Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.” While God is the One who has to make us holy, we must choose to allow Him to do so and we must focus on holiness. Why is holiness so important?
”…so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” In the midst of all that thunder and lightning and fire and smoke, God was fully aware of every charm, every fetish, every household god the Israelites had hidden in their baggage back at the camp. Later on when the nations of Israel and Judah rejected God, God described all the heathen practices they were following in grim detail. God’s aim was for the Israelites to see His power and His majesty and His glory and to worship Him. You can’t worship someone with whom you have a casual relationship. Here God wants the Israelites to fear and respect Him so that when they are tempted to sin, that knowledge will help them turn away from the temptation.
DO WE FEAR GOD??? There is a Gospel song that starts out, ‘I have made you too small in my eyes. O Lord, forgive me! I have believed in a lie that You were unable to help me.” (“Be Magnified” by Don Moen) To fear God means that we are always conscious that God sees everything we do, every thought we think, every intention of our hearts, and therefore that we should think and do those things that please God. Most of us live to please ourselves. May God forgive us and change our hearts so that we too will fear Him!
PRAYER: “Be magnified, O Lord! You are highly exalted. And there is nothing You can’t do. O Lord, my eyes are on You! Be magnified! O Lord, be magnified!” (Borrowed from Don Moen, “Be Magnified.”)
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