And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
Moses went up into Mount Sinai with Joshua his minister, after charging the elders to wait and leaving Aaron and Hur to guide the people, and a thick cloud marking the special presence and glory of the Lord covered the mount with burning fire. For six days the glory remained without further word while Moses waited and prepared himself by self-examination, meditation, prayer and sanctification, and on the seventh day God called him from within the cloud and he entered it in the sight of the people to remain forty days and forty nights in converse with God. There as Israel's representative he beheld God's glory and received His Word, law and commandments, including the Ten Commandments with instructions for service and the tabernacle, given by Christ Himself in the cloud to cherish in all relations of life and to form a people fit for God's family. While he was hidden with God the people were left alone and tested, and though the cloud still marked God's continuing presence they grew impatient, lost faith and awe, and turned toward an image to lead them back to Egypt. Coming up into the mount is the pattern for all entrusted with God's work to seek His presence in prayer, behold His glory, and receive heavenly wisdom, which keeps believers calm above accusation and shock and makes their words fit for consecrated use.
Ascent and Covering Cloud
Moses went up into the mount of God with his minister Joshua after charging the elders to wait until he returned and directing that any matters arising be taken to Aaron and Hur, who were left to guide the people. A thick cloud covered the mount, marking the Lord's special presence and glory, while the summit burned with fire. It was the same cloud that had led Israel, now resting on Sinai and no longer directing their route through the wilderness.
For six days the cloud and the glory remained without further revelation, and Moses waited for God's summons. On the seventh day the Lord called him from within the cloud. Even Moses could not go at once into God's immediate presence and endure the exhibition of His glory. He spent the six days in preparation, putting away common thoughts and feelings and devoting himself to God through self-examination, meditation, prayer, and sanctification until prepared to converse with God.
Moses then entered the cloud in the sight of the people and remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights in converse with God, away from the people. God concealed His great glory in the cloud as a veil so it would not extinguish mortal Moses. He strengthened Moses as a partaker of the divine nature to behold as much as he could endure and to hear in the cloud, that he might then give the whole substance to the encampment.
Law Given on the Mount
Exodus 24:15 places Moses on the mount to speak with God and receive as Israel's representative His Word, law and commandments. There in communion with Him Moses beheld His glory before receiving the law, and the ascent under the covering cloud belongs to God's giving of His law on Sinai to be taught and obeyed. What he received included the Ten Commandments with instructions for Israel's service and obligations, and the specifications for building the tabernacle. His time in the cloud there lasted forty days and forty nights.
Christ Himself was the Teacher present in the cloud giving those directions and laws to Moses. The directions given there state the same principles of His government afterward presented in His own teaching in human flesh and repeated by the apostles to counter the sophistries of Satan. Their full meaning will be unfolded in the future life.
That truth was plainly specified to be cherished in all the relations of life, with laws written in a book to guard against doing injustice and to guide dealings with one another. It was given to the vast multitude brought out of slavery and exalted as His people so they would form characters enabling them to compose God's family in the heavenly courts. As God designed Israel established in Canaan to be a sample to all nations, they were to represent Christ in all works, practice and teaching, untouched and separate from the world's perverse, lax, corrupting sentiments. Paul repeated chapter after chapter of Exodus 24-27 to his fellow workers while making tents with his hands, for his own benefit and theirs, to teach that supreme honor is to be given to God and to educate believers in diligence, thoroughness and unity.
Testing and Pattern for Believers
While Moses was on the mountain with God the people were left alone to be tested whether they could be trusted, and the cloud and glory still visible on the mount marked God's continuing presence during his absence. During that absence they should have meditated on God's commands, taught the covenant to their children, searched their hearts, humbled themselves, and feared God. But when Moses did not return as soon as expected they grew impatient and murmured, lost faith and failed to keep the covenant, and let memory of the covenant and awe at Sinai fade into jealousy and envy.
Feeling without a guide, the watchers insisted Moses had been slain by the burning flame and would never return. Wanting something they could look upon to resemble God, they turned in mind to the gods of Egypt and were tempted to make an image to acknowledge as god and to bear before them back into Egypt. Their failure revealed weakness and disloyalty in treating God's covenant, which required faithfulness, obedience, and humble dependence, as grounds for self-importance. Such great light and privilege in communing with God and dwelling in His glory does not excuse later sin but calls for holiness and zealous obedience.
Coming up into the mount means seeking God's presence, beholding His glory and the dignity of heavenly beings, and drawing near in prayer to receive heavenly wisdom and a pattern for the work. Those responsible for God's work should likewise seek Him and follow the pattern shown on the mount. Going up into the mount to be with God is what trusting in God means. Those who so come into the mount with God are kept by the power of God calm and composed above boisterous accusations and shocks, so that nothing sways them from right principles as they make the Word their guide, and in earnest prayer have their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
God calls His people into the mount to talk with Him as Moses did, and when by faith they behold Him who is invisible their words cease to be cheap and common and become fit for consecrated writing and speech. The instruction in Exodus 19-24 is needed now just as verily as by Israel in the days of Moses. It is to be studied and presented before the people in jots and tittles, to end all contention and to produce love as brethren with softened and subdued hearts.
Moses went up into Mount Sinai with Joshua his minister, after charging the elders to wait and leaving Aaron and Hur to guide the people, and a thick cloud marking the special presence and glory of the Lord covered the mount with burning fire. For six days the glory remained without further word while Moses waited and prepared himself by self-examination, meditation, prayer and sanctification, and on the seventh day God called him from within the cloud and he entered it in the sight of the people to remain forty days and forty nights in converse with God. There as Israel's representative he beheld God's glory and received His Word, law and commandments, including the Ten Commandments with instructions for service and the tabernacle, given by Christ Himself in the cloud to cherish in all relations of life and to form a people fit for God's family. While he was hidden with God the people were left alone and tested, and though the cloud still marked God's continuing presence they grew impatient, lost faith and awe, and turned toward an image to lead them back to Egypt. Coming up into the mount is the pattern for all entrusted with God's work to seek His presence in prayer, behold His glory, and receive heavenly wisdom, which keeps believers calm above accusation and shock and makes their words fit for consecrated use.
Ascent and Covering Cloud
Moses went up into the mount of God with his minister Joshua after charging the elders to wait until he returned and directing that any matters arising be taken to Aaron and Hur, who were left to guide the people. A thick cloud covered the mount, marking the Lord's special presence and glory, while the summit burned with fire. It was the same cloud that had led Israel, now resting on Sinai and no longer directing their route through the wilderness.
For six days the cloud and the glory remained without further revelation, and Moses waited for God's summons. On the seventh day the Lord called him from within the cloud. Even Moses could not go at once into God's immediate presence and endure the exhibition of His glory. He spent the six days in preparation, putting away common thoughts and feelings and devoting himself to God through self-examination, meditation, prayer, and sanctification until prepared to converse with God.
Moses then entered the cloud in the sight of the people and remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights in converse with God, away from the people. God concealed His great glory in the cloud as a veil so it would not extinguish mortal Moses. He strengthened Moses as a partaker of the divine nature to behold as much as he could endure and to hear in the cloud, that he might then give the whole substance to the encampment.
Law Given on the Mount
Exodus 24:15 places Moses on the mount to speak with God and receive as Israel's representative His Word, law and commandments. There in communion with Him Moses beheld His glory before receiving the law, and the ascent under the covering cloud belongs to God's giving of His law on Sinai to be taught and obeyed. What he received included the Ten Commandments with instructions for Israel's service and obligations, and the specifications for building the tabernacle. His time in the cloud there lasted forty days and forty nights.
Christ Himself was the Teacher present in the cloud giving those directions and laws to Moses. The directions given there state the same principles of His government afterward presented in His own teaching in human flesh and repeated by the apostles to counter the sophistries of Satan. Their full meaning will be unfolded in the future life.
That truth was plainly specified to be cherished in all the relations of life, with laws written in a book to guard against doing injustice and to guide dealings with one another. It was given to the vast multitude brought out of slavery and exalted as His people so they would form characters enabling them to compose God's family in the heavenly courts. As God designed Israel established in Canaan to be a sample to all nations, they were to represent Christ in all works, practice and teaching, untouched and separate from the world's perverse, lax, corrupting sentiments. Paul repeated chapter after chapter of Exodus 24-27 to his fellow workers while making tents with his hands, for his own benefit and theirs, to teach that supreme honor is to be given to God and to educate believers in diligence, thoroughness and unity.
Testing and Pattern for Believers
While Moses was on the mountain with God the people were left alone to be tested whether they could be trusted, and the cloud and glory still visible on the mount marked God's continuing presence during his absence. During that absence they should have meditated on God's commands, taught the covenant to their children, searched their hearts, humbled themselves, and feared God. But when Moses did not return as soon as expected they grew impatient and murmured, lost faith and failed to keep the covenant, and let memory of the covenant and awe at Sinai fade into jealousy and envy.
Feeling without a guide, the watchers insisted Moses had been slain by the burning flame and would never return. Wanting something they could look upon to resemble God, they turned in mind to the gods of Egypt and were tempted to make an image to acknowledge as god and to bear before them back into Egypt. Their failure revealed weakness and disloyalty in treating God's covenant, which required faithfulness, obedience, and humble dependence, as grounds for self-importance. Such great light and privilege in communing with God and dwelling in His glory does not excuse later sin but calls for holiness and zealous obedience.
Coming up into the mount means seeking God's presence, beholding His glory and the dignity of heavenly beings, and drawing near in prayer to receive heavenly wisdom and a pattern for the work. Those responsible for God's work should likewise seek Him and follow the pattern shown on the mount. Going up into the mount to be with God is what trusting in God means. Those who so come into the mount with God are kept by the power of God calm and composed above boisterous accusations and shocks, so that nothing sways them from right principles as they make the Word their guide, and in earnest prayer have their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
God calls His people into the mount to talk with Him as Moses did, and when by faith they behold Him who is invisible their words cease to be cheap and common and become fit for consecrated writing and speech. The instruction in Exodus 19-24 is needed now just as verily as by Israel in the days of Moses. It is to be studied and presented before the people in jots and tittles, to end all contention and to produce love as brethren with softened and subdued hearts.