On the Mountain (2)

b. Talking about mountain, the Bible mentions it 367 times. In the history we see from Genesis through Exodus the patriarchs were so connected to mountains, ex. Noah and Mt. Ararat, Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah, Jacob offered a sacrifice on a mountain, Moses, Israel and Mt. Sinai. We see that mountain has a significance.

c. (Pic.) In fact, the ancient Near East culture, people built a sacred temple known as Ziggurats and it looks like a mountain. They believed that gods dwelt on the top of high mountain. It is not surprising because before they existed, the Bible has recorded.

d. (theme) Mountains talk about a place where the communication with a divine became possible, the dwelling place of God, in which God Himself be enthroned on it, and there is a beautiful presence of God.

e. (Pic.) Exodus 19:20, Moses was invited to go to the top of the Mount Sinai, to enter the presence of God and this is the invitation for all of Christians, to go to the place where God is there, this is the calling for all of Christian to enter His presence, this is the calling for you and I to come closer to God. (Pray)

II. Content

a. Context of this passage, Israel just came out of Egypt and they had spent 46 days in the wilderness, they arrived on the Mount Sinai after crazy 46 days if we read the previous chapters they had been through crazy things already. They were chased by Egyptian army, walking on the dry land in the midst of Red sea, they were grumbling because they were thirsty and hungry, God performed miracle, they had the first war against Amalek. It was crazy days.

b. Exodus 19:2 “When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain.” Now they need to rest . In that moment God called Moses to the top of the mount and he had conversation with Him.

c. Exodus 19:3-6 “Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons 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 then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the 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 sons of Israel.”

God made a covenant with Israelites and this event led Israel to be a nation. It was marked by God gave them the law. This moment not only an event where Israel became a nation but simultaneously, they became bride of Yahweh.

d. (Pic.) Exodus 19:8 “All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.”

Israel said yes to the God’s covenant. Exodus 19:16, “So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.”

it was Pentecost day when God visited Israel on Mt. Sinai. but 40 days after they broke the covenant by committing adultery with the golden calf. However, Moses went up again and brought down the new law signifies that Israel as Yahweh’s wife was supposed to be divorced but Yahweh remarried her.

e. Long story short, Moses descended, brough the new tablets, and set up the tabernacle so that God’s presence can be in the middle of His people.

f. From all what we see here God’s desire is He wants to be close with His people. He wants Israel to enjoy His presence. However, for years Israel couldn’t be faithful. Until they were exiled to Babylon.

g. One day in the exile Jeremiah prophesied in Jer. 31:31-34 ““Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Jeremiah’s consciousness was invaded by God and God spoke through him that there will be a new Covenant that God makes with his, and this prophecy points to Jesus.

h. How Jesus fulfilled this prophecy?

i. He came down from His throne and lived among His people. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” He dwelt, or He tabernacled among us.

ii. He fulfilled the law. Matt. 5:1-2, “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,” 17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

iii. He made a new covenant by His sacrifice. Matt. 26:26-28 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

i. (Pic.)Jesus made a new covenant meaning that what happened on Mt. Sinai, He restored again. Parallel of Acts 2 and Exodus 19

Exodus 19

Acts 2

Pentecost day

12 tribes of Israel

12 Apostle as new Israel

Thunder, lighting, cloud, and trumpet sound

From heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind

The LORD descended upon it in fire

Tongues as of fire

The law is written on the tablets

The law is written in the heart

j. Now the invitation to enter His presence is available for everyone.

k. (Pic.) How to respond to God’s presence?

i. We need to be consecrated Ex. 19:10 “The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments;”

Why? Because this fits well with the notion of Israel being a “holy nation” meaning that they have to be set apart. In fact, the Hebrew word consecrate and holy are derived from the same root. (Illustration of a cow).

Lev. 11:44 “‘For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.”

God wants us to be Holy. The sacrifice of Jesus consecrates us Heb. 9:11-14 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

God’s presence comes by grace because of the blood, not because of our effort. The whole idea of being set apart simply to show us that we belong to God. Perhaps there is some stuff that we cannot do because we belong to God, perhaps we cannot listen to some music because we belong to God, perhaps we cannot watch some movies because we belong, because what normal for this world is the opposite of God’s standard. Approaching God is a serious matter. This is why it must be done only on God’s way. Talking about the presence of God, it is connected to the Ark of Covenant, when David moved the Ark from Philistine to Jerusalem, he put the ark on the cart this is how the way of Philistine and David treat the presence of God like Philistine and Uzzah touch the ark because it was sliding and Uzzah died. The presence of God is not to be afraid of but it’s meant to be feared because it is holy in reference and awe.

ii. We come boldly to the presence. When Moses brought Israel to meet with God in Sinai, Israel was trembled they closed their ears and said stop we don’t want to hear Yahweh’s voice let Moses go and talk to Him. After all what they have seen, miracle after miracle they reject Yahweh already. It seems understandable to react like Israel in the middle of thunderstorm, lightning, and loud trumpet but the problem is they have seen the miracles they were saved and now the time to see their savior, they forgot God’s goodness how God brought them out from the Egypt. One easy way to enter the presence of God is to remind ourselves of God’s goodness. Heb. 12:18-24 “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”

We boldly come to the presence of God because Jesus makes the way. Heb. 6:19-20 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Jesus as the high priest entered the Most Holy place in heaven and as the high priest, he has the anchor that is tied to us. So that we can come boldly to the presence of God, because there is one of us is already in Heaven and one day, we will enjoy the fulness of the presence of God.

l. (Pic.) What is the benefit being in the presence of God.

i. To see the beauty of His glory. Ex. 33:18-23 “Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Moses saw the glory of God. Moses was processed by God behind the mountain in the hiding place, nobody sees him, only him and God. Perhaps you are in God’s process right now, whether it’s a sickness, problems, suffers. Go to the hiding place and spend time with God in his presence. David in his life has been through so many problems but Ps. 27:4-5 “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.”

ii. There is blessing in God’s presence. 2 Sam. 6:12 “Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.”

After the death of Uzzah, David put the ark of Covenant in Obed-Edom’s house and the Bible says that Obed-Edom’s house has been blessed by God because there is the presence of God. Obed-Edom invites God to be involved in his life. The presence of God should be involved in every aspect of live. Do we involve him in our family, relationship, finance?

iii. The presence of God itself. Because the presence of God that make us different. Ex. 33:1-2 “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ “I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.” 13-16 “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. “For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

Moses understands that without God’s presence they can do nothing. Let this prayer becomes our daily prayer if God is not with me do ask me to go! He is faithful God, Matt. 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

He is Immanuel God with us, how? When the day of Pentecost the Spirit comes and when the Spirit is in you, Jesus and Father are in you, and you are in them. His presence will guide us, we will hear his voice Ex. 25:22 “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”

God talks from the ark of covenant.

III. Conclusion

a. God calls to Moses come up, the invitation is personal. God calls you by your name to enter his presence.

b. You are washed by the blood, you are judge righteous on calvary when the Father see you He does not see you but He sees the sacrifice of Jesus and because of that we can come boldly to his presence.

c. Enter the presence of God, enjoy his glory, enjoy blessing, and enjoy his presence. You can talk to him, you can pour out your heart!

d. This is the invitation to come up to the mountain! Perhaps you don’t feel his presence but keep coming, keep climbing until you forget that you are on the top of the mountain, until you forget that you sunk in his presence!

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