Sinai Testing
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The Fear Test
The Fear Test
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.
And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.
And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them.
So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
Set Up The Text
— 3 Days Out of Egypt they find no water and Hit Marah ()
— The people murmur against Moses because the water is bitter ()
— God shows Moses a Tree and Presents a Test to Israel ()
— God then led them to Elim, but Elim was not their Promised Land ()
— Then they hit the Manna Test ()
) -
— Then the Water flows from a Rock (:1-7)
— Their First Battle (Moses Hands Get Heavy but they win the battle) ()
— Given direction by Moses Father-in-law (Jethro), Moses appoints the first Judges ()
Main Text
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
“To Prove You”
Ex 20:20
What was the test?
1- God wanted to see if the people would follow through on their own promise.
And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
2 - If we zoom out for a second and look at this verse in context of the whole surrounding account, we will see where it is really A Topic of the Holiness of God and the Holiness of His People.
If we zoom out for a second and look at this verse in context of the whole surrounding account, we will see where it is really A Topic of the Holiness of God and the Holiness of His People.
Yes, to live a Holiness lifestyle can be used by GOD as a test and a testimony for those we come in contact with.
3 quick points we can find in relation to this text on the Topic of God’s Holiness and His People’s Sanctification:
1- Their Attire Was Altered for the Better (, )
2- Their Atmosphere Changed ()
3- Their Attitudes Were Humbled ()
We must understand that as a result of God’s Holiness, His people sanctified themselves.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
Holiness is threatened by impurity.
But this all sort of comes to a head in our main text of .
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Fear of death or injury helps people drive safely; fear of heart attacks helps people keep their cholesterol levels low; fear of academic failure helps people study and learn; fear of harming children helps keep marriages together. Fear is a basic motivator of human behavior, and attempts to deny that the Bible actually tells us that we should fear God are quite misplaced
Fear not now... but fear later.
Fear not now... but fear later.
God comes to Israel at Sinai to give them so vivid and unforgettable an experience of himself, including his own statement of his principles for life in relationship with him, that not only will they not forget, but they will follow his way as a first priority of life.
Elohim comes to Israel at Sinai to give them so vivid and unforgettable an experience of himself, including his own statement of his principles for life in relationship with him, that they will not only not forget but will follow his way as a first priority of life.
God comes to Israel at Sinai to give them so vivid and unforgettable an experience of himself, including his own statement of his principles for life in relationship with him, that not only will they not forget, but they will follow his way as a first priority of life.
3 - Will the People fear, honor and respect God enough to make Him their daily priority in every manner?
Should We Really Fear God?
Fear of death or injury helps people drive safely
Fear of heart attacks helps people keep their cholesterol levels low
Fear of academic failure helps people study and learn
Fear is a basic motivator of human behavior, and attempts to deny that the Bible actually tells us that we should fear God are misleading.
eX 20:20
Exodus, Part II (Chapters 19–40) (King James Version) L. The Purposes for the Law: Why God Gave the Ten Commandments and the Law, 20:18–26
A tormenting fear (yare): the fear that defeats a person, that keeps a person from acting and doing what he should
Here we see 2 types of fear:
V20 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you..”
1 - A tormenting fear (yare): the fear that defeats a person, that keeps a person from acting and doing what he should.
V20, “and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”
2 - we see here in the word for fear at the end of v20, is a word that paints the imagine of someone between a place of absolute fear and worship.
Respect may be a good way to think of this word.
Depending upon the situation of how we live our lives, one could worship God for His Great Lovingkindness and Mercy,
or one could fall into total fear because of His Great Holiness and separation from sin and uncleanliness.
Either way, it is a Fear that is motivated by the Awesomeness of God.
God wanted the people of Israel to catch a glimpse of His Holy Character that they may not easily sin against Him.
We have a tendency to think that because of Jesus and the NT we need not worry about the Holiness of God or the Sanctification of man.
Is that really the case?
Bringing it to the New Testament
New Testament
For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire.
Heb 12:18-29
AMP
For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm,
And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them.
For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.
In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear).
But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering,
And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,
And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].
So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes [us] from heaven?
Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens.
Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken—that is, of that which has been created—in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue.
Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe;
For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.
God has presented the test to humanity to see if we will TRUST HIM, LOVE HIM, AND RESPECT HIM by living lives that place Him and His Holiness in priority.
