In this brief passage from Exodus we see Moses. Just prior to this passage, Moses had received the 10 Commandments. Now the Lord God is summoning him to climb to the summit of Mt. Sinai to receive further laws, and particularly instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, its furnishings and contents. The Tabernacle was particularly important because this was where the Glory of the Lord would dwell among His people. It was such a holy and sacred place that no one could approach it except the High Priest, and him only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
Throughout the Bible we never see a physical description of God Himself. More often we read of His surroundings - the glory of His throne and majesty, or the thunderings and lightning that often surround Him, or as is here in verses 16-17, clouds and a consuming fire. The other gods, such as the Greek and Roman gods, all looked like humans, though generally quite handsome, but there is no such description of the one, true God. When reading such scenes as is here, the holy awesomeness and fear of His great majesty become very apparent. It makes one compelled to fall on your knees, bowing down in humble worship. No walking up to Him with a high-five, and a “Yo, God!”
Being on this mountain top at this moment would have been special, but also fear-inspiring, with the clouds and fire descending and surrounding it. This wasn’t just a typical volcano, though that would have been a fearful thing, as well. I don’t picture typical clouds, either, as if it was just another cloudy day in the mountains. These were the clouds that surrounded the majesty of the God of the Universe, Creator of all. It was into this that God called Moses to ascend and remain for the next 40 days and nights.
The number 40 in the Bible often has special significance. It rained 40 days at the time of Noah and the Ark. Moses was here with God for 40 days. The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The spies searched out the land of Canaan for 40 days. Jonah preached to Nineveh for 40 days. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days. And after His resurrection, Jesus gave His final teachings to the disciples for 40 days before His Ascension. 40 days or years often symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation. This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which in many church denominations starts the period of Lent, 40 days prior to Easter. Let us, like Moses did in our passage today, draw closer to God and learn from Him during this time of Lent. Like the disciples did following His resurrection, let us stay close to Him and see what He might be saying, and wishing to teach us.
Another beautiful meditation, Sarah. And a reminder that Lent is upon us. When I was a kid my friends would gather and talk about the things we gave up, like candy and such. Now I like to think in terms of more mature subject matter. What if we gave up those things that cause us to stumble like judging others and our "me first" attitudes. What if, instead of giving something up, we focused more on taking on some new thing like loving those who stumble us. I'm going to try that this year.
ReplyDeleteJerry, when I was a child, I also was brought up to give something up for Lent, like desserts, a favorite TV show, or something else. It wasn’t until much, much later that I ever heard a pastor speak about, instead of giving something up, to do something to help others. I like that so much better, as it shows Jesus more to the lost and hurting in the world. Thank you for reading my blog and for your comments.
DeleteSarah, thanks for sharing your insights into today's scriptures.
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