Word of Encouragement (08/09/2022)

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” (Ex. 20:18-19)

This happened at Mount Sinai when the LORD descended upon it with thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud and a very loud trumpet blast and in fire and smoke (Ex. 19:16, 18). It was to ratify His covenant with Israel to officially adopt them as His people and establish Himself as their God. The people had to stand far off when “all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking.” It was a terrifying sight, and the people were trembling with fear. For the first time, and the last, the LORD spoke to the whole congregation of Israel in an audible voice when He gave them the Ten Commandments. When they heard God’s voice, they pleaded with Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

Isn’t it interesting? God and the people of Israel were being joined together by this covenant ratification at Mount Sinai. But everything that happened at this ratification ceremony seemed to contradict that idea. The LORD strictly forbade the people from approaching the mountain, on which He descended (Ex. 19:12-13). The terrifying spectacle of divine theophany (“appearance of God”) in lightnings and thunders and fire and smoke and loud trumpet blasts made the people stay away. And the voice of God, in which He spoke to His people, was such that they begged Moses to speak on God’s behalf and not let God speak to them directly, lest they die.

This shows what it’s like for sinners to encounter a holy God. Throughout the Bible, when people encountered God in various theophanic forms and realized that God had just appeared to them, their reaction was that of panic (in realizing that they had just met God) and relief (in realizing that they had not perished as they should). Jacob was struck with awe and fear when he awoke from his dream, in which he saw a ladder that reached heaven and heard God extending his father’s covenant to him. When Isaiah saw God in his famous vision, he responded, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). And when the LORD shall return to judge the world, the unrepentant sinners will behold Him and call to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb…” (Rev. 6:16)!

This reminds us that God is holy. When we pray, we are having an audience with a holy God. Even the angels in heaven must hide their faces and feet with their wings even though they are sinless and glorified. If so, how can we be careless and casual when we stand in His presence in our worship and prayer? Of course, when we approach God, we don’t have to stand in fear of condemnation and punishment because of the saving work of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! But we must keep in mind that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ did not make God less holy so that we can be cavalier in our attitude and demeanor. Jesus had to sacrifice Himself to satisfy the holy demand of God toward His people: God cannot compromise or sacrifice His holiness! Even though God extends His grace to us and deals with us in His kindness and patience, He is still a holy God. And it is only when we remember this truth that we can see the depth of God’s grace and appreciate it as we ought.

Because of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to stand far off from the presence of God. We have been brought near to God, into the Most Holy Place in His heavenly temple. But let us not forget that we are dealing with a holy God still. Let us humble ourselves before Him and walk carefully in His presence. This will increase our appreciation of His love all the more and prevent us from abusing His grace.

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