The Mountain That Shook with Fire

Moses' arms had long stopped aching from the battle with Amalek when God's people came to Mount Sinai, three months after they marched out of Egypt. Moses left the camp at the bottom and climbed up to meet with God.

"Tell the people this," God said. "You saw what I did to Egypt. You saw how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. If you obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own treasure out of all the nations."

(A covenant is a promise that ties two sides together, like a wedding promise, only this one joined God and a whole nation.)

When Moses told them, the people shouted back, "We will do everything the LORD has said!"

Then God said, "Have them wash their clothes. Be ready by the third day, because on the third day I will come down on this mountain where everyone can see."

For two days the camp scrubbed. (A whole nation doing laundry in the desert at once. Every rock and tent rope must have had a robe drying on it.) Moses marked a line around the bottom of the mountain. "Do not go up," he warned. "Do not even touch the edge. Anyone who touches the mountain, person or animal, must be put to death." Shepherds kept their goats on short ropes.

On the morning of the third day, thunder cracked over Sinai. Lightning flashed through a thick black cloud, and a trumpet blast rang out so loud that everyone in the camp shook. (Nobody in the camp was blowing it.) The LORD came down in fire. Smoke poured up like smoke from a giant oven, and the whole mountain shook. The trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.

Then God spoke to all the people out of the fire.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. Have no other gods but me."

Nine more words came from the mountain. Do not make idols to bow down to. Do not use God's name carelessly. Rest on the seventh day. Honor your father and mother. Do not murder. Keep your promise to your husband or wife, and be faithful. Do not steal. Do not lie about your neighbor. Do not long for what belongs to someone else.

The people backed away, shaking. "You talk to us, Moses!" they begged. "We will listen to you. But do not let God speak to us, or we will die!"

"Do not be afraid," Moses said. "God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and not sin."

So the people stood far off behind the line, and Moses walked on alone, up into the thick darkness where God was.

But a line can only keep people back. It cannot make them good. They had shouted, "We will do everything!" Yet weeks later, with Moses back up the mountain, they were bowing to a calf made of gold.

Later God made a new promise through the prophet Jeremiah: "I will write my law on their hearts." Ten words cut into stone could tell people what was right. Only God could write them somewhere deeper. So the people waited, and the line stayed.

Then another teacher sat on another mountain and spoke God's words, and nobody ran away. A sick woman reached through the crowd and touched the edge of his coat, and instead of dying she was made well. He died for the people who had broken the ten words, and on the third day he came out of the tomb alive.

Because of Jesus, God's people can step over the line and come close.