On the morning of
the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick
cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the
people who were in the camp trembled.1
Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God.2
They took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
Now Mount Sinai was
wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the
smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain
shook violently.3
As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would
speak and God would answer him in thunder.4
When the Lord
descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the Lord
summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Then
the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break
through to the Lord to look; otherwise many of them will perish.5
Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves or
the Lord will break out against them.
Moses said to the
Lord, “The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai; for
you yourself warned us, saying, 'Set limits around the mountain and
keep it holy.'”6
The Lord said to
him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let
either the priests or the people break through to come up to the
Lord; otherwise he will break out against them.”7
So Moses went down to the people and told them.
1
A fantastic representation of natural forces, or an apocalyptic
metaphor for the enormous event between God and man that was about
to occur?
2
A fascinating phrase. It's almost as if the people hadn't met God
before – after all they knew he had done for them, this was
finally the real introduction.
3
More fantastic imagery. What does it mean for God to descend upon
the mountain? Was he not already there? Is such a display a sign
for the people, or does it mean something more unusual about God's
presence at this particular time and place?
4
Another amazing image.
5
Why would God do this? Or is it just a natural consequence of
approaching God in such a way?
6
Moses ensures God that he's been paying attention.
7
God again emphasizes how he will oppose the people if they so much
as approach him.
Take-home: An incredible display of God's power and glory leads into the recitation of the ten commandments and the rest of the law. All the people other than Moses cannot even approach the terror of God. The enormity of the situation is clear. However, when reading the text of the law, it is difficult to imagine it coming in such a setting. Is that my limitation, or a fact of the text?
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