Exodus 19:20, commentary and pictures

The Lord came down upon the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses alone up a steep and rugged path into the cloud marking the place of His presence. He came down in fire on the third-day morning amid thunders and lightnings, thick cloud and smoke ascending as from a furnace, an exceeding loud trumpet waxing louder and louder, and the whole mount quaking greatly while the people trembled below. The One who descended was Christ, the Son of God, enshrouded in glory with a glorious retinue of angels appearing as flames of fire, His form hidden by thick cloud and darkness. His coming down and calling Moses was the immediate preparation for the great work of giving the Ten Commandments, which God spoke audibly to all the people and wrote with His own finger on tables of stone so they could not claim ignorance. This public display of awful grandeur as Ruler of the world was to impress profound veneration, display the holiness of God and the sacredness of His law, and show its importance for all ages till the close of time.

Descent Upon Mount Sinai

Soon after the encampment at Sinai Moses was called alone up into the mountain to meet with God, climbing the steep and rugged path to the cloud marking the place of Jehovah's presence. There Israel was to be taken into a close and peculiar relation to the Most High, to be incorporated as a church and a nation under the government of God.

On the third-day morning the Lord came down in fire upon the top of the mount amid thunders and lightnings, thick cloud, and smoke ascending as from a furnace. An exceeding loud trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder, and the whole mount quaked greatly while the people stood trembling at the nether part. Moses spoke and God answered him by voice. The descent took place with a glorious retinue of angels appearing as flames of fire, and God's glory rested on the mountain like devouring fire. Israel listened in solemn awe, prostrate before Him.

He came enshrouded in glory, His form hidden by thick cloud and darkness and veiled in mercy so the people could hear His voice throughout the camp without being destroyed by His presence. In awful majesty He spoke His law in the hearing of all the people, surrounded by His angels. God chose for this a high mountain in the barren desert, a temple of His own creation among His created works and surrounded by them rather than by human buildings and pride. There He revealed His majesty and made Himself known in awe-inspiring glory with an audible voice, to make the people feel their insignificance before the Almighty. His presence made the rocky mount sacred, and the mountain setting gave the giving of the law solemn grandeur.

Moses obeyed calmly and trustfully, going through smoke and flame and disappearing from the people's sight. He drew near and entered the thick darkness surrounding the cloud of glory without entering within it, standing between the Lord and the people. He was then sent back down to charge the people not to break through the set bounds to gaze lest the Lord break forth upon them and many perish, and to require the priests who come near to sanctify themselves. Aaron alone was to come up with him, and Moses later descended. The One who thus descended and called Moses was Christ, the Son of God, who proclaimed the law amid thunder and flame.

The descent came for a people newly delivered from Egyptian slavery, to give them evidence that He was God that they might gain a knowledge of God they had never before had. During long bondage they had largely lost knowledge of the law, which had been known at creation and preserved by Noah and Abraham but corrupted by intercourse with idolaters and bondage to the Egyptians, and their religious life was taking the shape of idolatrous practices. Though erring and disobedient and rebellious, they were still His chosen people, honored above all people on the earth not because they were more in number, for they were the fewest of all people, but because He loved them and would keep the oath sworn to their fathers. Having with upraised hand solemnly covenanted to do all He had spoken and accept Him as ruler, they became in a special sense subjects of His authority, His denominated people, a peculiar treasure above all people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Israel's beforehand washing of clothes impressed God's purity and His concern for their physical as well as moral well-being as they prepared to hear.

Law Proclaimed With Majesty

The coming down upon the top of the mount and the calling of Moses up was the immediate preparation for the great work of giving the Ten Commandments to Israel. God spoke those commandments audibly to all the people from the mountain so they could not claim ignorance or confuse His requirements with human traditions. He wrote them with His own finger on tables of stone, and their precepts came from God, not from Moses or any human mind. It was a wondrous communication from God to humanity.

The law so proclaimed included the fourth commandment and its Sabbath obligation. It calls for keeping holy the memorial of creation, the seventh day blessed and sanctified as rest after six days of creation work. That instruction regarding His requirements is to be pointed to in simple language even children can understand as the reason for observance of the seventh day.

The law given there was the covenant of ten commandments, given with wonderful promises if kept. Israel was to keep it and teach it to succeeding generations. Obedience to all the commandments is the highest source of education, teaching what human teachers who reject God's instruction cannot teach, and Israel's prosperity depended on obeying them.

The public display of divine majesty and awful grandeur as Ruler of the world gave every evidence that He was God. He made known that He is the only true and living God who will not bear iniquity, displaying the holiness of God and the sacredness of His law. It was to impress profound veneration, to cause the people to believe and know His will, and to lead them to fear transgressing and to fear and obey Him continually. Its impressions were to remain in memory, inspiring confidence in the Lawgiver.

This unique manifestation showed the law's importance for all ages and calls for obedience to God's commandments. Its instruction is of great importance and must be often repeated and sacredly observed and never lost sight of. The lessons taught while Israel abode at Mount Sinai were not for that time only but carry an influence not to be lost till the close of time. The mount remains a place to draw near to God, learn what He commands and obey His expressed will, with those lessons amid scenes of nature and the everlasting hills needful for the education of youth.

The teachings given to Moses there remain needed now, and Christ is the same Teacher who gave the directions on Sinai. God talking with the people through Moses wants all to understand what He was telling Israel there as He goes on to speak the words of Exodus 20:1.

The verse stands for the divine authority of the Lawgiver who demands obedience to His Word. Claiming sanctification while evading those requirements and substituting a self-made standard is spurious. When Satan uses every device to draw people from truth and righteousness, all who would stand on the Lord's side are called to obedience.

The descent reveals His great power acting for the children of Israel. It is the same power that parted the Red Sea and made a way through Jordan and that again struck the Philistines with a terrible storm that left the earth strewn with dead warriors.