In Exodus 20, God gives the people of Israel the Ten Commandments. At the conclusion of that portion of scripture, the people begged Moses to be a representative for them before God. Here’s what it says:
“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.” - Exodus 20:18-20
I was sitting in church the other day when I came across these verses. It was during that time that God placed this question on my heart. How could Moses, who witnessed the same things as the people of Israel, approach the darkness where God was, while the people of Israel remained at a distance because of fear. Was Moses more worthy? As you read the verses before, it doesn’t appear that way. “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” In this part of the verse, Moses is encouraging them not to be afraid and to approach God. God is for everyone, but it is our concept or perception of Him that allows some us to draw near, while others stay at a distance. Remember, this is coming after God gives the people the Ten Commandments. Those laws and God’s presence created a fear in all the people except Moses. Why is that? Maybe because Moses knew God’s heart before the Ten Commandments. Maybe he viewed the Commandments as a gift from a loving Father, rather than rules from an angry Judge. What if the people defined God based on the Ten Commandments and the lightning and thunder, and Moses defined the Ten Commandments based on the heart of God? Is that why he could approach God and others couldn’t? Think about it, the Creator of the Universe gives the Ten Commands to His people that revolve around loving God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and loving their neighbor as their self. What if those Commands were given to help restore rest and peace to a broken world? What if God knows that the best existence we can experience is one where we submit to our intended design. A design where we Love the Lord our God with all that we have, and one where we love the people around us, instead of hurting them. What if that is what God wanted for us, His original design? So out of His great love, He told us how to experience Life through His design. It’s living in line with the Father’s Will. When we begin to do that, that is when we begin to experience His Kingdom. Jesus referenced the Command about the Sabbath in the New Testament. He rebuked the Pharisees saying, the Sabbath was for Man, not Man for the Sabbath. What if all Ten Commandments are for the best of Mankind, coming from a loving Father who sees the big picture? If that is true, I think more then just Moses would approach the darkness where God was.
God Bless,
Andrew
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