Israel Lost Their Fear of God
February 28, 2020
Commentary
In this passage we find Israel acknowledging that they are unable to deal with God directly and needed a mediator which was Moses (vv. 18-21). The people that gathered before the mountain were full of fear and awe (Exodus 19:16). They wanted to hear from God through Moses and not directly for fear that God would destroy them. Fear of Him would help to curb their disobedience. Sad to say, Israel soon lost their fear of Him (Exodus 32), which has been a frequent occurrence throughout her history, and has proven to be tragic for them.
God gives the nation of Israel regulations about their worship and the building of an altar (vv. 22-26). On this altar the people were to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings which would result in His name being honored and their lives being blessed. This altar was to be a simple structure of earth or un hewn stone. This was in marked contrast from the “gods of silver” and the “gods of Gold” (v. 23) made by the heathen. This points to the fact that all attempts by the sinner to win the notice and merit the respect of God by his efforts at self-improvement are useless and vain. What God wants is for us to come to Him empty handed and receive His undeserved mercy.
Application
I want to always have a fear and holy awe of God and never think that I know so much about Him that I don’t need Him and can do things in my own strength and in my own way.
Exodus 20:18– 26 (NET)
18 All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking—and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance. 19 They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin.” 21 The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
22 The Lord said to Moses, “Thus you will tell the Israelites: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven. 23 You must not make gods of silver alongside me, nor make gods of gold for yourselves.
24 “‘You must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you. 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it of stones shaped with tools, for if you use your tool on it you have defiled it. 26 And you must not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed.’