Exodus 20:22
And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
The Lord charged Moses to tell Israel that they themselves had seen and heard Him speak with them from heaven, and Moses passed God's directions on to the people. They witnessed that speaking amid thunder and lightning, smoke and fire, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, and trembled with fear and reverence so that they stood afar off while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. The divine Teacher who spoke there is Christ Jesus, with both the Father and the Son present when the commandments were spoken from heaven. That speaking was the first public proclamation of God's holy law, not its beginning, for it repeated the commandments first given in Eden. God spoke in awe-inspiring majesty and wrote the law with His own finger to confirm its sacred authority, revealing His will and government as an eternal standard of right that remains in force and will stand in the judgment, where obedience is joined to life and disobedience to death. Because God Himself talked from heaven His words are binding, forbidding gods of silver and gold, requiring the seventh-day Sabbath as the memorial of creation and the whole duty of loving God fully and neighbor as self, and calling all to heed and obey as the highest education.
Heavenly Voice at Sinai
The Lord charged Moses to say to the children of Israel that they themselves had seen and heard Him talk with them from heaven, and Moses then passed God's directions on to the people. This charge reminded them that they had personally witnessed the speaking, and made that witnessed hearing the ground of what He required of them. Israel witnessed this speaking amid thunder and lightning, smoke and fire, the blast of a trumpet, and the smoking mountain. The display filled them with trembling fear and reverence for God's majesty, so that they stood afar off while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was, even asking Moses to speak with them instead.
The same divine Teacher who spoke at Sinai is Christ Jesus. Both the Father and the Son were present on Sinai's holy mount when the Lord came down and spoke the commandments from heaven. This speaking from heaven was the first public proclamation of God's holy law, not the institution or beginning of it. It repeated the commandments first given in Eden, for it is the holy law given from the beginning.
Law's Authority and Content
God came down in awe-inspiring grandeur to proclaim His law to Israel, speaking His word from heaven in majesty and glory. That manner of speaking confirms the sacredness and authority of the law, which He wrote with His own finger on stone so it would not be forgotten or corrupted. It is the holy law given from the beginning.
The law made known in this chapter reveals His will and the principles of His government. It is an eternal standard of right-doing that remains in force forever. It will stand as the standard by which people are judged, with obedience connected to life and disobedience to death.
Because God Himself talked with Israel from heaven, His words are valid and binding. Its first four commandments outline duty to the Maker. The whole is summed in loving God with all heart, soul, strength, and mind and loving neighbor as self, and its commandments are important to keep. Faithfulness to God leads to faithfulness to others, while pride and self-love oppose the sanctifying work of the gospel upon the soul.
On the ground of this witnessed heavenly speaking, where Israel saw that He talked with them from heaven, He forbids making gods of silver and gold. This direct encounter was meant to establish His authority as He gave requirements for Israel to obey, including that prohibition and instructions for worship. He directs simple altar worship, with the promise to come and bless.
The instruction in this chapter is important instruction to be carefully observed, including keeping the seventh day holy as the memorial of creation. That means remembering the seventh day to keep it holy, laboring six days and keeping the seventh as the Sabbath of the Lord, because in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, rested the seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it. The Lord is the only true God, and His people must obey His Word, including keeping the Sabbath as a holy memorial. The Sabbath command is not replaced by first-day observance, for the law given at Sinai remains in force forever and includes the Sabbath commandment. Setting aside one of the commandments of the Ruler of the world and substituting a day without divine sanctity usurps His authority, and human laws that conflict with His laws do not bear His approval.
Call to Heed and Obey
The speaking from heaven was a direct encounter meant to establish divine authority for requirements Israel must obey, and that same divine Teacher is Christ Jesus. The law given there is education from the highest source, the voice of God itself, and obedience to all His commandments is the highest education for humanity. That speaking requires everyone to heed the word of the Lord, and heeding means following on to know the Lord, whose going forth is prepared as the morning, which means everything.
God talks from heaven to press the importance of keeping His commandments in verity and truth, warning against mocking God and selling souls for gold and silver when keeping them brings an eternity of bliss. Obedience is given so people may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust. God made this possible by giving His only begotten Son to come as the example of sinless humanity so humanity might grasp the divinity in Christ. Every sinner coming to God through Christ may believe His arm will encircle them to care for and protect them and give them a helper in trials and difficulties who drives them close to the Saviour.
The verse calls people to consider whether they are prepared to meet God's requirements and to obey them. Making gods of silver and gold is done today by gathering together and hiding gold and silver while withholding the means needed for men and women to have the light of truth. It also rebukes filling houses with things for sightseeing and amusement and enriching home after home while souls are perishing in the cities, pressing the question of what will bring people out to obey.
The Lord will talk with His people from heaven in a great many ways if they will cultivate the grace of humility and practice it in all their dealings inside their churches and outside them.