I thought about this story as I read the story of Moses on the mountain last week. Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and slavery and into the wilderness. Do you get frustrated with the people like I do as you read the story? God frees them, allows them to plunder Egypt on their way out, and the first obstacle they encounter, they beg God to let them go back. God parts the sea and allows them to cross on dry land. The next day they complain about water. God provides the best water theyâve ever tasted. The next day they complain about food. God provides bread in the morning and meat at night. The theme becomes, âWeâd have been better off back in Egypt!â But reality was they were so much better off in the wilderness. They just couldnât see it.
God brings them to Sinai and literally sets the mountain on fire. It rumbles and shakes under His weighty presence. He invites Moses to join Him on the mountain. God forbids the people from approaching the mountain, but He allows them to hear and see all of the happenings. And it was in the middle of that amazing miracle that the nation unraveled at the seams.
Before Moses can descend, Israel has made their own âgodâ to worship and thrown a huge party for him. Moses was so livid, he destroyed the tablets with Godâs own handwriting on them. God was so angry, He tossed around the idea of wiping them out and starting over. Only His amazing grace kept this from happening.
How do people stand in the presence of the awesome fire of God and ignore Him? The only answer I have is the slave mentality. This group of people was enslaved for so long, they could not shake the habits they learned in captivity. Rules in slavery are simple. 1. Trust no one, not even God. 2. Only believe what you can see. 3. Never think about the future. 4. Always do what feels best in the moment. 5. Only think about yourself.
Do any of these rules sound familiar? Do you think we may have some tendencies from captivity lingering in our culture or even in our own heads? The only way we can ignore the mighty fire of God when it is blazing right in front of us is if we have our eyes fixed on an entirely different reality. We like to shape our own realityâincluding the things we worshipâso we can maintain control of our lives. The only problem is, as the nation of Israel learned again and again, the realities we create are thin, frail copies of the real deal. We can sacrifice to lesser gods and end up empty in the end. We can build lives around money, careers, superficial relationships and cheap authority and watch the next storm or disease or breakup take it all away. Or we can operate according to the fire of God.
If you hear those short-sighted rules and immediately feel an affinity with them, you have a choice to make. Will you go on living as a slave to your own desires and the culture that feeds them, or will you submit to Godâs rule in your life? The thing is, there are many who have walked the dry sea bed, eaten the manna, seen the fire and turned away. Listen to me carefully. Those people die before they know whatâs happened to them. They live their lives in a whirlwind and wake up one day to find itâs all goneâŠand then theyâre gone, too. The Godly live a different life. Things slow down dramatically when you are faced with a wall of fire, especially when you know that seemingly dangerous fire is the presence of the Lord. Itâs not hard to adjust your values and dreams in the presence of One so mighty. How will you respond?
âYou have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: âIf even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.â The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, âI am trembling with fear.â But you have come toâŠthe city of the living GodâŠto the church of the firstbornâŠto God, the Judge of allâŠto Jesus the mediator of a new covenantâŠSee to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? ...for our âGod is a consuming fire.ââ (Hebrews 12:18-29)