Exodus 20:18-26 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 20:18-26. Let’s go!
Exodus 20:18-21 (NIV)
18 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
19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
20 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.”
21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
On verses 18-21: After hearing the voice of God directly for the first time, together with thunder, lightning, a trumpet blast and a mountain on fire, the Israelites are freaking out in fear. They stay at a distance from God. They tell Moses that instead of hearing God’s voice directly they would prefer that Moses hear from God directly and then tell the Israelites what the LORD is saying. Moses reassures the Israelites that this encounter was a test (v20), so that they would fear God and not sin against Him.
This passage marked the first time in the Old Testament a large group of people got to hear the voice of God directly. In the New Testament, the first time a large group of people get to hear the voice of God directly, it’s when Jesus the Son of God is speaking to them. The contrast is stark: in Exodus 20:18-26, God comes with terrifying thunder. In the New Testament, God comes as a baby. In Exodus 20:18-26, God motivates with fear. In the New Testament, God motivates with love. It’s the same God, but Jesus Christ changes everything, extinguishing the wrath of God with his blood shed on the cross, emphasizing God’s love and compassion for sinners, and expressing the power of God with his resurrection. In Exodus 20:18-26, the atmosphere is dominated by overwhelming fear. In the New Testament and in heaven today, because of Jesus, the atmosphere is dominated by overwhelming love.
Hebrews 12:18-24 describes this contrast between what the Israelites experienced here in Exodus 20:18-26 with what we get to experience because Jesus Christ died and rose again. Take a look at Hebrews 12:18-24 and see it for yourself:
Hebrews 12:18-24 (NIV)
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;
19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,
20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Exodus 20:22-23 (NIV)
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:
23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
On verse 22-23: In Egypt the Israelites were used to all sorts of idols that the Egyptians worshiped. How small, insignificant and fake did those gods of Egypt seemed now compared to the living LORD who had spoken to them from heaven, not to mention performed so many miracles to show His power.
Exodus 20:24 (NIV)
24 “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.
On verse 24: Wherever God’s name is honoured, God’s blessing will also be there. Wherever you choose to honour God’s name (whether it’s your family, your church, your thought life, your work place, your school), God’s blessing to that place will follow.
Exodus 20:25 (NIV)
25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.
On verse 25: Why did the LORD insist the people build a relatively simple altar using stones that were not “dressed” (i.e. not cut or altered with any human tool)? Perhaps it was to communicate the idea that God’s altar was not built with anything man-made, in contrast to the idols that the Israelites saw being worshiped in Egypt, which were fashioned extensively with human tools. Perhaps it was also to communicate the importance of keep your worship pure and simple, not too complicated. Simple does not lazy, unintellectual, or thoughtless, but rather not complicated, not cluttered, not distracting. May your worship of God be pure and simple too.
Exodus 20:26 (NIV)
26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’
On verses 26: Given the clothing that the Israelites wore at that time, high steps going up to the altar could expose a person’s nakedness. To avoid that embarrassment and distraction, God tells the Israelites to find another way to go up the altar. What can we learn from this? Pay attention that the way you worship God does not become an unnecessary distraction for the majority of others who are worshiping with you. May the way you worship God encourage others to put their attention on God rather than diverting their attention away from God.
Heavenly Father, it would have been amazing to see You part the Red Sea, or provide manna from heaven, or express water from a rock, or speak from heaven while setting a mountain on fire. Still, I’m so thankful that instead I get to live in this day and age, when Jesus Christ has already died on the cross for our sins and already risen from the grave, and when the driving force is not fear, but Your perfect love. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
