Exodus 19:1-20:21

Have you ever thought about what it might be like to live at the base of the Mountain of God?  We often think about how we have such easy access to God: the way has been made by our Savior and we are not only allowed but welcomed into the Throne Room of God.  Not so here.  Israel is encamped at the base of what would become known as The Mountain of God because this is where God chose to dwell and to reveal Himself to Israel for a time.  God appeared in thunders and lightnings, billowing smoke and cloud, fire, and trumpet blasts.  But it's been made very clear that if anyone so much as touches the base of the mountain, they would be stoned.  What a contrast to today!  When I've heard people open prayer with, "Hey, God!"  We are allowed a level of intimacy with God that no one had known before Christ made us co-heirs.  But it does beg a question within me: have we gone too far the other way?  Have we accentuated God's love and familiarity at the expense of the fact that He is GOD.  God, immortal, infinite and holy, completely and totally sovereign.  GOD.  Have we allowed ourselves to forget (or ignore) the reverence with which we should hold our Savior and Creator?  I don't have the answer to that.  Or maybe the answer is, "Maybe."  Or, "It depends".  Perhaps every case is unique and special.  But reading this passage I was impressed with the fact that Israel got to see God's presence, something we long for today, and they weren't allowed to draw too near for fear of their lives (God held their lives as precious, too, or He would not have warned them).  We, today, who desperately wish we could see a tangible, even physical manifestation of God, are allowed the greatest intimacy ever granted to mankind since Adam and Eve lived in the Garden: we are welcomed, loved, adopted.  Quite the paradox, isn't it?

Notice, though, that after this is the Ten Commandments.  Again, coincidence?  I think not!  God has already been hinting at the covenant He would make with Israel.  Now they begin to see both His power and awesomeness, and also begin to learn what the requirements of the Law will be, all summed up in the Ten Commandments.  Here we see the beginnings of the Law, the Law on which everything either hinges or takes its shape.  Oooh, these are exciting times (or rather, passages)!

Tomorrow's Reading: Exodus 20:22-21:36