17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
-The whole point of this story is intimacy but the people failed of it as we see...
18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.
19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.
20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
-God who is a consuming, Holy fire is the Holy Spirit now. the Same God wants to cleanse our hearts and lives. the gospel's proclamation must get louder and louder. God will speak to us in His intimate mighty presence. will we ascend and press into where He is?
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish.
-God was not pleased with the spiritual condition of the people,
22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”
-The priests were not yet concecrated, seperated from sin at this point. God saw this, in his mercy warned of judgement.
23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’
-An excuse, they earlier said they would do all, but now when the glory appeared they fond themselves stubborn and hard. they flipped between being casual and callous and rebellious and distant. they had no heart to revere God or to draw close to Him - God's original intention was to have the people experience what Moses Himself experienced - Intimacy with God but they refused it.
” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
-The sad ending to the story - God would have judged them for thier callousness and rebellion and indifference. but refrained in His mercy.
-The lord would have had baptized them in His glory and presence and fire but they would not. Would we welcome the Holy Spirit's purging influence in our day?
Isaiah 33:14-16
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
16 he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
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