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Exodus 20:18–21
“When all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die’ ” (Ex. 20:18–19).
Exodus 20:1–17 features the record of the Ten Commandments or the Decalogue, which constitutes the foundational regulations of the law of God. The Lord would deliver yet more regulations to the Israelites, but first, Moses provides a narrative interlude to describe the people’s initial response to the revelation.
In Exodus 19, Moses told us about the smoke, cloud, fire, and lightning that marked God’s descent to meet with His people at Sinai. Today’s passage refers to this phenomenon again (20:18), demonstrating that while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, the terrifying manifestation of the divine presence continued. What we might miss if we are not careful, however, is that the people witnessed more than the natural phenomena that attended the Lord’s meeting with Moses and Israel. Along with such things, the people actually heard the voice of God as He gave the Ten Commandments. Moses says this explicitly in Deuteronomy 4:11–12, and it is implicit in Exodus 20:19. The divine voice, we see in verses 18–19, inspired great terror in the Israelites. This does not surprise us. Scripture routinely describes God’s voice as deafening in its loudness and destructive in its power (e.g., Deut. 5:22; Ps. 18:13–15). The Israelites just could not bear to hear the Lord directly. No doubt this was due to the vast difference between Creator and creature. God is so much greater than His creatures that of course His voice would be thunderous and frightening to our ears. When we consider also the reality of our sin and separation from divine blessing, it is even easier to see why Israel was so afraid. So the people begged for God to speak to them directly no longer, pleading with Moses to be their mediator who would receive the Lord’s words and then speak His revelation to the Israelites (Ex. 20:19).
Israel’s belief that they would die if they continued to hear God directly was no overstatement; as sinners, they could not stand in the presence of a holy God (v. 19). But as they had not yet died despite hearing God’s voice, the Lord evidently was showing them grace. Moses agreed to be their mediator, but not before telling them that they had heard the Lord’s voice so that they would not sin (vv. 20–21). A sinner himself, Moses would be sustained by God’s mercy while receiving the law, but knowing the sound of the Lord’s voice would help Israel understand the devastating consequences of sin and warn them not to fall into transgression.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Our great and holy God shows grace to His redeemed people, and that is why we are not destroyed when we enter His presence. That does not mean, however, that we should ever enter His presence flippantly or think that we can forget His majesty. Indeed, remembering the great power and glory of God can help us think twice before we sin and thereby enable us to grow in our sanctification even further.
For Further Study
- Isaiah 30:30
- Jeremiah 10:12–13
- John 12:27–36
- Revelation 1:9–18