The Lord Visits Sinai

Exodus 19:14–25
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Moses told the people to wash their clothes and make themselves acceptable to worship God in three days (vv. 14-15). While the people waited at the foot of the mountain a thick cloud covered it and there came a tremendous sound of the trumpet from heaven accompanied by thunder and lightening as all the people in the camp trembled (vv. 16-17). It looked as if the whole mountain was ablaze with fire and smoke as God descended upon it (v. 18). Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder (v. 19).

Then God spoke calling Moses and Aaron to climb up the mountain while the priests and people were to stay below (vv. 20-21). If they in curiosity saw the Lord they would perish. Moses made three trips to the mountaintop and back delivering messages from the Lord (vv. 22-25). After Moses had gone back down, he told the people what the Lord had said. The Lord told Moses to go down and bring Aaron back but the priests and people must not try to push there way through, or I will rush at them like a flood.

It seems that God’s message to the people was that they needed to learn to respect Him and to reverence, obey and worship Him.

Application

I must  never forget that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is one and the same. He is a God into whose hands it is a fearful thing to fall. Therefore I should be careful to approach Him with great reverence and respect.