READING: Exodus 16-18, Matthew 20:17-21:11
God is a holy God. He sends thunder and lightning. He speaks from clouds that surround mountains. He sounds the trumpet so loudly that people shudder in fear. When He displayed His glory this way as He gave His people the Ten Commandments, the people “trembled and stood at a distance” (Exo. 20:18). Fear captured them, and they wanted to hear from Moses on God’s behalf—not from God directly. Moses’ response to them was, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not sin” (Exo. 20:20). The people nevertheless remained standing some distance from where Moses approached God.
God displayed His glory to the people so they might see His power – and out of reverence and awe for who He is, they would honor Him and choose not to sin against Him. Rightly understood, worshipful fear keeps us from crossing the line into sin. It reminds us of our fallenness and drives us to our faces seeking mercy and grace.
If I have a fear today, though, it is that we too seldom consider the power and glory of God. We have reduced Him to our “buddy” and have assumed that His love grants us some level of permission to sin once in a while. In that sense, we have failed the test that God placed before the Israelites in Moses’ day.
May God help us as His disciples to bow before Him in wonder – and consequently walk away from sin.
PRAYER: “God, let me see Your power and majesty through Your Word and Your people. Cause sin to lose its lure for me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Exodus 22-23, Matthew 21:33-22:14