On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him - Exodus 19:1-19
According to the timeline at the start of this chapter, we are only 90 days into this desert experiment and the Israelites have had doubts. When they first camped at Rephidim, there wasn't enough water for the flocks, there were dangerous people attacking them, the administration of the fledgling nation was a mess and the leadership (Moses) was having a crisis of confidence.
Now, they are preparing to head out from Rephidim toward Sinai. In many ways, the doubts that people were having were doubts in God. Grumbling was just a symptom that was given voice in their complaints. I think that it was particularly difficult because God was invisible. God talked to Moses and Moses talked to the people. But what if God wasn't really there? If it was all just a magic show and Moses was just making things up? How could the people have confidence, not just in Moses, but in God directly?
So before this next step, God brought the people to the mountain. There they saw lightning and the clouds and the smoke and they heard the thunder and the loud trumpet blasts. And they saw Most speak and God answer.
I think we have a similar problem with God. He is invisible. We don't talk to him like we talk to other people. We talk and then we have to read tea leaves to figure out what his answer was. How do we know that we are actually seeing God at work and not just misreading the muck at the bottom of the tea cup? How do we know that the people and circumstances that are purported to be "of God" are really "of God"? It is a tough problem.
But maybe God listens to our complaining the way he listened to the people's complaiing, realizing that we are weak and prone to doubts and he will take a few opportuninties - not a lot, a few - to speak in such a way as to me unmistakable - the lightning and thunder and trumpets of here and Hebrews 12 - to let us know that we are believing in the right direction. And then he expects us to remember that direction and not start doubting again. Let God lead, let God show you that he's leading and then follow without looking over their shoulder.
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