There are moments in the Christian life where you feel drawn in by God. You feel His kindness. His nearness. His grace. But then, almost in the same breath, you also feel the weight of His holiness. The gap between who He is and who you are becomes painfully clear. And it is easy to wonder how both of those things can be true at the same time. Exodus 19 is one of those moments. God brings His people close. He reminds them of His love. He invites them into something beautiful. But He also shows them His...
There are moments in the Christian life where you feel drawn in by God. You feel His kindness. His nearness. His grace. But then, almost in the same breath, you also feel the weight of His holiness. The gap between who He is and who you are becomes painfully clear. And it is easy to wonder how both of those things can be true at the same time. Exodus 19 is one of those moments. God brings His people close. He reminds them of His love. He invites them into something beautiful. But He also shows them His holiness in a way that leaves no doubt that He is not like us. And this is good for us to hear.
Exodus 19 (ESV)On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel, You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.
So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.
When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot. Whether beast or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.
So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people. And they washed their garments. And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day. Do not go near a woman.
On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them. And Moses said to the Lord, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it. And the Lord said to him, Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them. So Moses went down to the people and told them.
When God speaks to Israel at Sinai, He does something amazing. Before He gives a single command, before He lays out a single law, He reminds them of His love. You yourselves have seen what I did for you. You saw how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Before God calls His people to obey, He calls them to remember. Remember My goodness. Remember My rescue. Remember My kindness. Every act of obedience begins with the memory of grace.
And then God gives them a breathtaking promise. If they will walk with Him, they will be His treasured possession. A kingdom of priests. A holy nation. Think about that for a moment. God does not simply rescue Israel from slavery. He rescues them for something. He rescues them to belong to Him. To be a people who carry His name into the world. This is not a small thing. This is identity. This is purpose. This is dignity.
But then the tone shifts. God invites them near, but He also draws a boundary. Set limits for the people. Do not let them touch the mountain. If they do, they will perish. The message is unmistakable. God is near, but He is not common. He is good, but He is not tame. He loves His people, but He is holy. And holiness is not something to take lightly.
And the people feel this. The mountain shakes. Thunder rolls. Fire descends. The trumpet grows louder. The people tremble. And this too is right. There is something deeply healthy about recognising the sheer scale of God’s holiness. Something that corrects our casualness. Something that reminds us that God is not just an accessory to our lives, but the Creator of everything. The One who holds all things together. The One before whom every knee will bow.
And so we are left with this tension. God draws His people near, and yet He warns them to keep their distance. Come close, but not too close. Approach, but do not presume. And perhaps this explains so much of the Christian life. We live in this tension too. We have access to God through Jesus. We draw near to the throne of grace. But we also remember that the God we approach is holy. He is not small. He is not like us. And it is His holiness that makes His grace so astonishing.
Because here is the truth. What Israel could not do at Sinai, Jesus makes possible. Israel could not cross the boundary. Israel could not stand on the mountain without fear. But Jesus climbs the mountain for us. Jesus mediates for us. Jesus stands in the holy presence of God on our behalf. And because of His work, we are welcomed. Not just to the foot of the mountain, but into the very presence of God.
So what does this mean for you today. Maybe it is simply this. Remember the grace that drew you in. Remember the holiness that humbles you. And remember the Saviour who holds those two things together. Maybe your next step is to rediscover a sense of awe before the God who rescued you. To let His holiness correct you. To let His grace comfort you. To let His voice call you again to trust and obey.
PrayerFather, help us remember Your kindness in drawing us to Yourself. Give us hearts that tremble rightly before Your holiness. And teach us to find our confidence only in Jesus, the One who brings us near. Help us walk as Your treasured people today. In Jesus name, Amen.
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