” ‘ “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.” 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.” ‘ 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. 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.” (v4-6,10b-12,16,18-20)
I’m trying to picture this spectacle in my mind – 2.4 million people at the base of a mountain, and the mountain is billowing smoke because it’s on fire with the presence of God. The mountain (and presumably the area around it) are shaking, there is thunder and lightening, a loud trumpet is blowing, and Moses begins to climb the mountain to meet with God at the top. My mind cannot fathom the intensity of the scene, nor can my words quite express the sense of awe the picture brings to mind. I was in BC recently and saw some mountains – the thought of one being on fire with the presence of God is quite overwhelming…
Sideline: One question I have is – who is blowing the trumpet? The context doesn’t indicate it’s an Israelite, so it must be some sort of holy trumpeter, an angel perhaps, or maybe there’s the trumpet sound without an actual trumpet player. Maybe there is a strong wind (which would make sense with the other weather conditions) and the wind sounds like a trumpet? The scriptures are not clear, but it’s an interesting thing to ponder.
Back on the main topic, the presence of God being represented by smoke/cloud and fire is symbolic of His radiance, holiness and glory, and is mentioned throughout scripture (especially the OT). A few examples include: the burning bush (Ex 3:2-3), the pillars of cloud/fire (Ex 13:21), His presence in Zion (Isa 4:5), His presence at the tabernacle (Num 9:15-16), a oven/torch to seal a covenant with Abram (Gen 15:17), a vision to Daniel (Dan 7:9), and of course Mount Sinai (v18, 24:17).
Believe it or not, there is one more example that’s far more powerful than a bush or mountain enveloped in smoke/fire – it’s found in Acts 2:1-4: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The very presence of the Holy Spirit, in what visually appeared to be tongues of fire, rests on each of the apostles as they receive the Spirit of God. It’s one thing to see a bush or mountain on fire, but to see a person “on fire with God’s presence” is truly something else. We can still see this today – perhaps we don’t have the visual of fire, but we still use the phrase “on fire for Jesus”. I want to count myself as one of those people – how about you?
Father God, we praise You for You are worthy of praise. You are holy, righteous, the one and only true God, the one who makes mountains tremble and burn with your presence. You are so powerful the people of Israel could not approach You without dying – only Moses and Aaron were allowed in proximity to Your presence, and You still had to withhold Your full glory or they’d do more than just glow… Father we ask to see a sampling of Your glory, even just a reflection of it, in each and every moment of each and every day – whether that’s in a brother/sister in Christ, or in a circumstance, we long to see Your presence in everything we encounter. Father we look forward to the day where we can experience Your full glory. We worship You with our mouths and actions until that day arrives. You are glorious Father, Jesus, Spirit, and we look for Your presence today, and we long to reflect Your presence in all that we say and do.
~ Conqueror in Training