The Awesome And Dreadful Presence Of God – Part 2
THIS IS A SERIES OF MESSAGES, OF MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BIBLE – THAT HAD A SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE WITH GOD AND THE EFFECT THAT IT HAD ON THEM, AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS “AWESOME” OR “AWFUL”.
* THE DANGER OF A LACK OF PERSONAL HOLINESS, KEEPING YOU AWAY FROM TRULY BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
EXODUS 19:7 –“And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him”.
EXODUS 19:8 – “And all the people answered together, and said, ALL THAT THE LORD HATH SPOKEN WE WILL DO. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord”.
After Moses had a dialogue with God on Mount Sinai, all the people said that they would do what God had commanded them to do! The people responded positively to Moses’s dialogue with God, but in the near future, these people ( EXODUS 20) would have a slightly different opinion when they experience a “Close encounter of the God kind” and more precisely the verbal words of God – mixed with Supernatural special visual effects.
There was no danger of FALLING ASLEEP during the sermon by Moses. God had their attention. But the subsequent course shows that an emotional response to God’s revelations does not equate with the fear of Him, which causes one not to sin.
PROVERBS 16:6 – “ BY MERCY AND TRUTH INIQUITY (SIN) IS PURGED: AND BY THE FEAR OF THE LORD MEN DEPART FROM EVIL”.
EXODUS 19:9 – “And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever”.
EXODUS 19:10 – “And the Lord said unto Moses, go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes”,
EXODUS 19:11 – “And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai”.
EXODUS 19:12 – “And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever touches the mount shall be surely put to death”:
EXODUS 19:13 – “There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount”.
EXODUS 19:14 – “And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes”.
EXODUS 19:15 – “And he said unto the people, be ready against the third day: come not at your wives”.
EXODUS 19:16 – “And it came to pass on the THIRD DAY in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceedingly loud; so that all the people that were in the camp trembled”.
“Lightning” – the word is unusual and might be translated as “torches being “Lightning flashes” or “Fireballs”. This is the same word used for the symbol of God’s presence that Abraham sees, at the making of God’s covenant with him in GENESIS 15.
EXODUS 20 – GOD GIVES THE HEBREW PEOPLE THE “TEN COMMANDMENTS”
God spoke these words to the Hebrew people, as a whole, as they assembled together at the foot of Mount Sinai. There, God answered him (Moses) by audible voice (EXODUS 19:19), as Moses stood among the people, at the foot of Mount Sinai.
These commandments were all addressed to the ordinary Israelites, not to the religious elite of the day: they were expressed in strong, simple terms, understandable to all, and dealt with the temptations of the common man, not for the theologians.
After this (EXODUS 20:1-17), the people ask that God not speak with them directly, and that Moses be their “MESSENGER/ MEDIATOR) (EXODUS 20:18, 19). After this, Moses went back to the mountains to receive more revelation from God, to give to the people (EXODUS 20:21).
In reading and thinking about these commandments, it should always be remembered that the Hebrew people first heard these commandments spoken by God from Heaven in an AUDIBLE VOICE. This made the strongest, most authoritative impression upon the people, possible.
The “Ten Commandments” were not necessarily invented at Mount Sinai. A few aspects of the “Mosaic Law” show new revelation, but for the most part, it is simply and clearly laid out as God had written it, in “The hearts of man”, since the time of Adam.
EXODUS 20:18 – “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, THEY REMOVED, AND STOOD AFAR OFF”.
The mountain was “Smoking”, presumably because the mountain was burning with fire (DEUTERONOMY 5:23).
* I personally believe, but this is the beginning of the “Long spiritual spiral downward”, for the Hebrew people. In “Standing afar off” and not directly hearing the voice of God, over generations, the Hebrew people began to start “ADDING” (Interpreting) the Law of God, and in doing so, “WATERED DOWN/ DUMB DOWN”, THE WORD OF GOD, AND IT BECAME MORE ABOUT “GOOD WORKS”.
Then, after the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, when the Hebrew people could no longer keep “The Law” (Couldn’t make the needed sacrifices in the Temple) and also because Jesus “FULFILLED THE LAW” – the Jewish “Faith” became more and more about “Good Works. Obviously, “Good works” can only be interpreted by the current cultural and religious values of the society, at that time.
* PHILIPPIANS 3: 6 – “Concerning zeal, PERSECUTING THE CHURCH; touching the righteous which is in the Law, BLAMELESS”.
* THIS WHY THE APOSTLE PAUL COULD SAY, THAT HE WAS “BLAMELESS” UNDER THE LAW AND AT THAT TIME, PERSECUTING AND KILLING CHRISTIANS – BECAUSE “THE LAW” (THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD) BECAME NO LONGER BASED ON: “THE MERCY OF GOD, GOD’S GRACE AND PERSONAL HOLINESS” BUT UPON “INTERPRETING THE LAW” – AS IT FITS THEIR “GOOD WORKS”!
*Sadly, this is true about today’s Christianity (“SIDE B CHRISTIANITY”) – Where we let “Sin” define us, and as long as we do not openly practice it! This is only one example, as Christianity, in the “United States”, continues to “WATER DOWN/ DUMB DOWN”, THE WORD OF GOD, IN THE CHURCHES TODAY!
GOD’S PEOPLE CALL MOSES TO BE THEIR MEDIATOR BETWEEN THEM AND GOD
* EXODUS 20:19 – “And they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear: BUT LET NOT GOD SPEAK TO US, LEAST WE DIE”.
“BUT LET NOT GOD SPEAK TO US, OR LEAST WE (WILL) DIE – God’s people were so afraid at this point – THAT THEY WANTED GOD TO STOP SPEAKING TO THEM THEM! They have mentioned “Dying” several times since coming out of Egypt, and here they mention it again. This exclamation by the people of God is because they were fearful of being in the presence of pure holiness, and the people perceived that there was such was a big “GAP” between them and their holy God, that they feared they were not fit to live in His presence. In one sense, of course, they were correct, but that was true even of Moses – WHO WAS ALSO A SINNER.
Many of us, in “The Body of Christ”, do not consciously disobey God; we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commandments, but we pay little attention to them, NOT because of our willful disobedience but BECAUSE we do not love Him and respect Him, as we should. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (JOHN 14:15). Then, once we realize that we have disrespected God, we are covered with shame and humiliation because we have not heeded Him or His Word!
We show how little we love God by PREFERRING TO LISTEN TO “HIS SERVANTS” ONLY! We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified that God should speak to us? Because we know that if God should speak to us, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him and His Word.
If it is only the “Servant’s voice” we hear, we may feel it is not IMPERATIVE TO LISTEN, and we can say, well, that is “Simply your own idea/ opinion/ interpretation” – and especially, if it’s something that we do not want to hear about ourselves – EVEN IF IT’S THE WORD OF GOD!
EXODUS 20:20 – “And Moses said unto the people, FEAR NOT: FOR GOD HAS COME TO PROVE YOU, and that HIS FEAR MAY BE BEFORE YOUR FACES, THAT YE SIN NOT”.
THE “PROVING” OF GOD
* “PROVE” – This is a Strong’s Hebrew word # 5254, “NASA”, and is found 36 times in the Old Testament Bible. The word means: “To test, try, prove, to assay (to assess), put to proof, or test”. In most Old Testament Scriptures, the use of this word has the idea of “Testing or proving the quality of someone or something and doing so often, in adversity or hardship”.
EXODUS 20:21 – “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near into the thick darkness where God was”.
Their first reaction was shaking in fear! The people began “To shake (sway to and fro) from fear. This was not a “Reverential fear”, but a “A shaking of fear and inner alarm. This reaction caused them to “Draw back” so that they kept their distance. The phrase “stood afar off” is somewhat SAD, because instead of the people drawing near to God, now they desired to draw away from God’s presence.
* WHAT THE HEBREW PEOPLE DREADED – MOSES COVETED (EXODUS 33:18)! However, lest we be too hard on the Hebrew, we do well to remember that some Godly men have become fearful in the presence of the Almighty, men like Isaiah, in ISAIAH 6:1-5, and the Apostle John, in REVELATION 1:17.
WHAT WAS PRODUCED FROM THE VISIT FROM GOD AND IN HIS DIVINE “PRESENCE OF THE GOD KIND”?
(1). THEY WERE APPALLED – They removed and stood a far off, EXODUS 20:18. This was all the nearest that their “Good works” could bring them to.
* “WHO IS ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THE HOLY LORD GOD AND TO WHOM SHALL HE GO UP FROM US “? – NONE WITHOUT A MEDIATOR. “NO MAN CAN COME UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME” (JOHN 14:6). GOD SAYS, TO APPROACH GOD APART FROM “THE CROSS OF REDEMPTION”, IS TO COME UNTO “FIRE AND TO BLACKNESS AND DARKNESS AND TEMPEST” (HEBREWS 12:18).
(2). THEY DESIRED A MEDIATOR – They said unto Moses, “Speak thou with us, and let not God speak with us at least we die” (EXODUS 20:19). The need of a “Mediator” is felt, WHEN SIN IS KNOWN (JOB 9:30-33). THE TERRORS OF “MOUNT SINAI” REVEAL THE NEED OF “MOUNT CALVARY”!
* HERE IS A “MOUNT” – “MOUNT CALVARY” – THAT WE MUST “TOUCH OR DIE” – “THERE IS ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN JESUS (1 TIMOTHY 2:5)!
EXODUS 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 you.
EXODUS 20:25 – “And if that will 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”.
EXODUS 20:26 – “Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy NAKEDNESS be discovered thereon”.
“An altar thou make,… And I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee” (EXODUS 20:24). Two kinds of sacrifices are named: “Burn Offerings” and “Peace Offerings”. CHRIST JESUS IS BOTH DUE AND THROUGH, “THE ALTAR OF HIS CROSS”! CHRIST JESUS OFFERED HIMSELF UNTO GOD AS A WHOLE “BURN OFFERING” AND THAT HE MIGHT MAKE A “PEACE OFFERING”, THROUGH THE BLOOD THAT WAS SHED ON THE CROSS!
God is in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world unto Himself. There, I will meet you, and I will bless you. Jesus said, “I am the way” (JOHN 14:6). God’s eyes and heart are on His “House, perpetually (1 KINGS 9:3). By the “Deeds (Good Works) of the Law shall no man be justified,” but “BY GRACE ARE YOU SAVED”!
“THAT YOUR NAKEDNESS BE DISCOVERED” – The “Canaanite priests” of that area directed worship, while in the nude. God was telling the Hebrew people, that even though they were currently BLESSED BY GOD, THAT THE NAKEDNESS OF THEIR SINS, WOULD BE EXPOSED TO EVERYONE AND THEY WOULD BE LOOKED UPON BY GOD, AS THE PAGAN CAANANITES!
* Christ Jesus says these words, to the people of the city of “Capernaum”: “Thou art exalted unto Heaven” (MATTHEW 11:23), which is a “Hebrewism”, for the fact, that God had blessed this city with “GREAT PROSPERITY”, AND this is where JESUS HAD HIS “HEADQUARTERS”, for the three and a half years, in His earthly ministry and this is the PEOPLE, that saw the miracles that Jesus performed and heard, many of the words that He taught but unfortunately, as a whole, IT DID NOT TRANSLATE TO A “SPIRITUAL AWAKENING”, AMOUNGST THE PEOPLE, OF THE CITY OF CAPERNAUM – BUT JESUS PROMISED JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION UPON THE CITY. JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY, LIKE “SODOM”, IN THE BIBLE – THAT DID NOT SEE, “THE MOVE OF GOD”, IN THEIR CITY!
MATTHEW 11:24 – “But I say unto you, that it shall be more TOLERABLE for the land of SODOM IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, THEN FOR THEE”.
MATTHEW 11:25 – “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the WISE AND PRUDENT, and hast revealed them unto BABES”.
MATTHEW 11:26 – “Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight”.
