01/26/23 Fire on the Mountain

READING: Exodus 24-27

Wow. I am humbled today. The power of God is so evident in today’s reading that I am a bit overcome as I write. 

The Hebrew leaders were to worship God, but only at a distance. Only Moses was to come near to Him. Those who did see Him from a distance saw something far beyond their imagination—perhaps only some kind of brilliant pavement beneath His feet. So glorious was He that it was surprising those who “saw” Him survived that encounter. Then, when Moses ascended the mountain, “The appearance of the Lord’s glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop” (Exo 24:17). Wrote one commentator, “They [the people] had but to lift their eyes thither, and they saw his wonderful glory—showing like a huge fire—on the spot from which he had spoken to them (ch. 20:18).”*

Given who God is, it’s no wonder the people said more than once, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded” (see Exo 24:3, 7). They did not keep that commitment, of course—and perhaps that was because they would forget God or take Him for granted. Somehow, they would move beyond the consuming fire on the mountaintop and choose to live their own way.

Just like you and I do at times. 

PERSONAL REFLECTION: Do you “see” God in His holiness through His Word today? 

DAILY PRAYER: “God, humble me before You today.” 

TOMORROW’S READING: Exodus 28-30

* Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Exodus (Vol. 2, p. 236). Funk & Wagnalls Company.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.