No One Is Allowed On The Sacred Mountain
In Exodus, the people approach God and God forbids them and says no one is allowed on the sacred mountain.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
Then the third day comes:
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain[a] trembled violently.
Why did our God of love treat his people, the Israelites, so coldly?
Then, they built the ark of the covenant at God’s command, and only the high priest, and only on the day of atonement could he alone go to where God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies. Further, if they touched the ark, they must die.
Why was God so far away? How is he now?
No One is Allowed On the Sacred Mountain, What?
Did God change? In God’s values and essence, he clearly did not change. So, why thundering on the mountain and making the people afraid?
Matthew, Mark and Luke all mention that when Jesus died in the temple, the curtain separating the people from where God lived in the Holy of Holies was torn and fell away. Something earth shattering happened at the cross, and I do not mean the earthquake.
The whole relationship between God and his people was revolutionized when Jesus died for us. It is clearly the fulcrum of history. Suddenly, our Creator God’s anger at our sin was totally assuaged, and He was ready to draw near to us and not push us away with thunder on the mountain.
Moses had to take his shoes off; God is with us now night and day. God loves us who chose to believe in him and also Jesus act of atonement to solve the past and all future.How could anyone not be deeply thankful for this deep deep gift to make us able to come before our holy God. It is the main thing.
Let us spread the good news. People are blind and lost and defensive as well, but they need friendship and understanding like what God has given us. God died that all humanity might be saved. God not only loves us but saved us personally from our own sins against him. It is shockingly good news that the world needs. There is no thunder on the mountain now.
