Oh, the people of Israel and their unsettled, uncommitted minds. These people (this specific group) I have spoke about before, and will do so again. They had seen the might, the Majesty, the Power of God and they turned time and again from Him.
In Exodus 19 God has Moses prepare the people for a very special visit from Him personally, He is coming to speak with Israel in His own voice and they will see the Majesty of God for themselves, He gave very specific instructions to Moses to protect the people from getting to close.
Such is the Might and awesomeness of His very Presence. They faced very certain death had they, at any time, not obeyed these conditions and safeguards. Such is our God, Mighty and Awesome, Pure and Holy, Righteous and Just. His very presence will make you tremble in respect and unworthiness.
O How we so very lightly and flippantly speak of Him and enter His presence on our own Worth. How foolish we are. We do not fear the Lord God and His Presence. We do not respect the Awesomeness of His Throne and approach with respect and awe and reverence!
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
Exo 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Exo 19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
Exo 19:22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
Exo 19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
Exo 19:24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
Exo 19:25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
God is so very protective of His people, He knows they can not stand in His presence. His very voice shook the mountains.
Exodus 20 Describes God speaking the 10 Commandments to the people. Yes you heard me right, God personally spoke the 10 Commandments to the people.
Exo 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exodus 20, God spoke the 10 Commandments to the people of Israel. How much weight do you think we should give the 10 now? Knowing He personally spoke the commandments to Moses, Aaron and the people?
God gave it so much importance that He Himself delivered this Law directly to the people Himself.
Yes I know we are in the Age of Grace, not under the Law, but the fact remains God thought it important enough that He personally spoke it.
God spoke, and the people were scared. They stood afar off. They were afraid of His voice and presence and they stood afar off. They told Moses to go up and not to make them go up and hear the voice of the Lord. They chose Moses to be their mediator between them and God, for the very Voice of God scared them. His presence terrified them.
Exo 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Exo 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Exo 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
Side note, how often do we ask God to come to us and reveal Himself to us not fully understanding what that might mean? God's presence is not a thing to be asked for lightly or flippantly, it is a thing to be prepared for, sanctified for, and to ready yourself to hear and see the Very Lord God of Creation.
After the 10 Commands were delivered God put a little addendum in there.
Exo 20:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
Exo 20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
God specifically spoke about graven images again, reinforcing His point that He is a jealous God. He is a Righteous God, He delivered a law unto them from His very own lips and now He is reinforcing certain aspects.
The very next part is quite interesting in my opinion. God is speaking to them of altars.
Exo 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
Exo 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Exo 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Do you get the full implication here? He wants altars to Him, However; He wants altars made of what He created. Earth and stone, With no - NO - "improvements" or shaping by man. Earth and Stone altars made of the very material He used to make all of Creation. If they were to make one of stone it was to be made of stone untouched, unaltered by man.
That is very profound in it's simplicity.
God wants what He made pure and good used to sacrifice to Him. Unsullied by man's alterations, intent, or imagination. A simple Altar of Earth or Stone pure and just, made of the material of Creation untainted by the sinful, fallen man.
The Blood of Christ covers us and allows us to enter His presence in prayer, Pure and Holy only through Him.
This chapter, this revelation of God, This visit by the Most Holy: the planning and preparation for it, should awaken you to the very Majesty of Him.
This should be a perspective changing read.
God is Great.
God is Awesome.
God is Pure.
God is Just.
He wants only Pure and Just People in His presence or they will be truly and totally destroyed.
The Blood of the Very God, shed on Calvary, is all that allows us to enter into His presence without being consumed by His Majesty.
The Blood of God shed on Calvary, the Perfect Sacrifice is all we have that will allow us to enter into His Throne Room.
He provided us with access to Him in the Garden, we messed that up.
He provided us with the Perfect sinless sacrifice that we might again come into His presence.
He has done so much for us, His sacrifice, His Love, His very regard for us who do not deserve it is so very compelling.
How can we not grovel unworthy? Yes we have the blood of Christ to cover us, but that still should make us even more humble going into His presence for We have done nothing to deserve it, We can do nothing, to gain that access.
The next time you think God owes you an explanation, a visit or a vocal clarification remember these things.
God personally delivered the 10 Commandments to the Israelites and it terrified them.
God's voice and presence is not a thing to be desired of lightly. It is a thing to be respected, reverenced.
God is an Awesome God, approach Him with the fear and trembling that comes from a humble heart knowing we are not worthy.
Approach Him in humility understanding that anything He does for us beyond salvation is a bonus.
How much He has done for an ungrateful, fickle people.
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