Deuteronomy 5:23-33
23 “So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 And you said: ‘Surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives. 25 Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore, then we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 You go near and hear all that the LORD our God may say, and tell us all that the LORD our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’
28 “Then the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.’
32 “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
23 “So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 And you said: ‘Surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives. 25 Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore, then we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 You go near and hear all that the LORD our God may say, and tell us all that the LORD our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’
28 “Then the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.’
32 “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
Israel was reminded how the mountain was as on fire under thick clouds of darkness when they heard the Almighty’s voice. They ran to Moses for safety from His overwhelming glory and greatness on display, and were awestruck that they were not all struck down for hearing Him. They said that God speaks with man and yet he still lives, which seemed impossible because of His overwhelming presence (Exodus 33:20). They expected to die, burned up in the fire of His judgement most likely because they knew all were sinners deserving death (Romans 3:20-23, 6:23). Therefore, they sent Moses as an intercessor and intermediary to hear from God and report back what He said out of that fear of punishment of death. Hebrews 12:18, 24 and the verses in between remind that us as believers that we do not fear the punishment because we are in Christ under a new covenant, one where He has interceded once for all His people and in whom we are safe from the fear of eternal punishment for sin which we all are due (1 John 4:18). We can come boldly to that throne of grace and mercy because we are in Him. This desire for God as in verse 29 here shows God’s desire is for our hearts to fear Him in absolute awe and follow Him in fearless obedience out of the love given us in Jesus Christ our Lord. We are still to be diligent, therefore, to be doers of the word and followers of Him and the saints who have gone before us to live out examples of that God-pleasing life as we stand before His majestic person and power. We quake in awe, yet trust in His preservation of us in His good hands of grace as promised. Hebrews 12:28 reminds us, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” This is the confidence in which we stand!
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