Deuteronomy 5:26
For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
After God spoke from the mount out of fire, cloud and thick darkness with a great voice and wrote His words on two tables of stone, the heads of the tribes and elders marveled that any mortal had heard the voice of the living God from the midst of the fire and lived. They confessed that He had shown His glory and greatness and proved that He talks with man and man lives, yet they feared the great fire would consume them and that hearing Him again would cause them to die. Therefore they asked Moses to go near and hear all God would say and speak it to them, promising to hear and do it. God heard and commended their words as well spoken, longing that such a heart to fear Him and keep all His commandments always would remain in them for the good of them and their children forever, though their shrinking from hearing Him directly also revealed unbelief. That longing reaches to all who live till the close of time, so the commandments repeated in those chapters are to be studied and obeyed now with sanctified mind, soul and body, treasured above human teachings and taught to children to govern all conduct in preparation for the final judgment.
Voice From Sinai Fire
The words were spoken by the heads of the tribes and elders to Moses after God spoke in the mount out of fire, cloud and thick darkness with a great voice and wrote the words on two tables of stone. They spoke after hearing the voice out of darkness while the mountain burned with fire, the voice coming out of the midst of the darkness. They confessed that God had shown His glory and greatness and proved that God talks with man and man lives. They marveled that any flesh had heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as they had and lived, an extraordinary and overwhelming experience to hear God speak directly and live. That survival displayed the extraordinary holiness and power of God's presence, His glory, greatness and power.
Though they had lived, they feared that this great fire would consume them and that hearing the voice of God again would cause them to die. No human being, they felt, could hear the living God speaking from the fire and survive, so they asked Moses to go near and hear all God would say and speak it to them. They promised to hear it and do it. God heard their words and said they had spoken well, adding His desire that such a heart would remain in them to fear Him and keep all His commandments always, so that it would be well with them and their children forever.
Their request also showed unbelief, because God wanted them to hear His voice, but hearing thrilled them so they asked not to hear God directly. The same people afterward worshiped a calf made by man instead of giving sincere devotion to the living God. That calf was powerless, made by human hands, in contrast to the glory, greatness and power of the living God they had heard from the fire. The broken tables of stone showed that they had thus broken the covenant they had so recently made with God.
God's Law for Today
The verse is part of God's commandment repeated a second time, recalled by Moses to the people before they entered Canaan, recording their extraordinary experience of hearing the living God speak from the midst of the fire and remaining alive. It belongs to Deuteronomy 4-8, which shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people unto Himself. Their asking not to hear God's words directly, because hearing thrilled them so, shows unbelief. The chapter containing the verse is the basis for the Sabbath commandment to keep the seventh day holy, affirming that God's creation week consisted of six days of twenty-four hours followed by rest on the seventh.
Those chapters are to be studied and read with profit now because the world is nearing God's great final review when all must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds. The present is the time of investigation when every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity. That instruction is to have special force today, requiring sanctification of mind, soul, and body, perfect obedience to His will, and no excuse for disobedience to His commandments.
The words spoken from the mount are godly instructions and precepts of His law to be taught to children, treasured, and allowed to govern all conduct. Obeying the law in home and business life prepares a people to regain Paradise lost through disobedience. God heard Israel's words and said they had spoken well, for He takes no pleasure in punishing the transgressor but must maintain the honor of His throne when His righteous laws are trampled, and He delights to bestow blessing. His longing for a heart in them to fear Him and keep all His commandments always, so that it might be well with them and their children forever, extends beyond that generation to all who live on earth till the close of time under the mediation of Jesus Christ, so that the prosperity of all depends on obedience to God's requirements. The steadfast heart will treasure His law more as the masses disregard and despise it, in contrast to human teachings that promote a false sabbath and threaten with punishment those who refuse to honor it.