Exodus 19:3-6, 16-19
3 Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder.
When we began this study of Exodus, I mentioned the fact that Exodus was the Old Testament Parallel to Easter. Today, on Pentecost Sunday, we see the encounter between the Israelites and God – and if anything, it is even more dramatic.
But as dramatic as it is, it sets up an issue that I believe we can see all the way to today. Even when God shows up in person, people don’t change. If I were to create a theme title for this lesson, I would call it, “Don’t touch the mountain!”
Do you remember the parable Jesus told of Lazarus and the rich man? (Luke 16:19-31) The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers that they might be warned of the future if they did not change their ways. And Abraham told him that if they didn’t listen to the prophets, even if someone came back from the dead they would not believe. That pretty much describes us.
To recap the story since we saw the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, God has continued to provide for the Israelites.
First, they were hungry. God provided quail in the evening followed by manna in the morning. So they could now see God’s provision every single morning.
Second, they were thirsty, and God provided water for them out of a rock.
Then they encountered the Amelekites, and God helped to defeat them.
And now, they are at the mountain, and God wants to speak with them. He wants them to see that they are a holy people, set aside for him. And the first response of the Israelites (which we didn’t read this morning) was that they would do everything that God called them to do. Simple, right?
So, God gives them two simple commands. First, take a bath and wash your clothes. Second, don’t touch the mountain. Simple, right?
God descends upon the mountain and Moses goes back up. And what is the first thing God tells him? Go back down the mountain and tell the people not to touch the mountain.
Moses has been up and down the mountain several times now, so it isn’t surprising that he reminds God, “Don’t worry. We already told them not to touch the mountain.”
I can almost see Moses looking down the trail he had just climbed up, tired and thirsty. But God sends him back down, this time suggesting he bring Aaron with him.
So, if God had already told the Israelites not to touch the mountain, why did he send Moses back down?
To understand, we need to talk about kids and behaviors.
When I was a child, my parents read an article in the paper that talked about some child getting a jelly bean stuck in their nose. Since we had jelly beans for Easter that year, they told us not to stick a jelly bean in our nose. Now, until that moment in time, I had never even considered what would happen if I stuck one in my nose. But from that moment on, every time I saw a jelly bean, I couldn’t help but wonder. What would happen if I stuck it up my nose.
I am certain that God saw that temptation in the minds of the Israelites.
Our human nature is such that we often do what we are told not to, in fact sometimes we do something only because we have been told not to do it!
We can fast forward on the Israelites and see how this will play out.
In the next few chapters, God will outline a list of commandments for the people to follow – the chief and most important, repeated again and again “You shall only worship me.” It is clear these commands have been given to the people.
But, when Moses takes too long up on the mountain, what happens? The people turn from God (who is still sending them manna every morning) make an idol and worship it.
We are, indeed, a perverse people. We always want to touch the mountain.
Because this is Pentecost Sunday, I want to talk about that day when the Holy Spirit came and rested upon all of the disciples. Suddenly, everyone could understand what the disciples were saying, each heard them in their own language.
So, Peter takes advantage and tells the crowds that have gathered the story of Jesus. (Acts 2:38-41) 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
And we have the first revival. Everything starts off wonderful … which goes on for a whole two chapters. Until Ananias and Sapphira show up and lie about what they have given. A couple of chapters later, we find these converts now fighting over who has received enough food.
We find the new converts “touching the mountain.”
While it isn’t a Presbyterian thing, there are still a lot of revivals that go on, trying to reach new communities and people for God. We had an annual event at the church Gary and I used to go to, there was actually an endowment set up specifically set up for them to have an outside speaker come in and create a renewal among God’s people.
And, those times were good. Of course, being Presbyterian, we didn’t have an alter call.
Over the years, I have been to three Billy Graham crusades, and my brothers used to enjoy and attend a summer crusade held every year in Orange County. It was as exciting as the events of Acts, with hundreds of people going forward, committing their lives for Christ.
When I first came here to the Midwest, I got to experience the kind of revival we have here. I wondered if it was something we should cooperate with, bringing all of our churches together to create a unified focus.
Except for a few minor details.
First of all, the Billy Graham Crusades did reach some people, but they did something very important. Every person who had given their life to Christ received a complete Bible Study taking them through the book of John. Counselors contacted them and connected them to a local church. Even so, there were very few changed lives.
When I spoke to someone about revivals in this part of the country, which didn’t have that same follow up, I discovered that very often it was the same people who kept going, year after year, and repenting. Their lives were not permanently changed.
You see, once we have touched the mountain, we are forever more tempted.
So, if even a confrontation with God in person doesn’t change us, what does?
I love the instructions that are given by God to the Israelites. They are to wash themselves and their clothing.
Until we are willing to wash off our past, enslaved to our sins, we will never change. We will always want to do what we are told not to do.
From the beginning of the Gospels, we see Baptism as the symbolism for doing this, much as the Israelites washed themselves. But baptism itself is only an outward sign of something that needs to happen deep inside of ourselves. And anyone can say they have changed their ways, but unless it happens inside of us, it is as helpful as taking a bath. We will only get dirty again.
Back in the 60’s, when it was popular to be a “born again Christian,” there were a lot of materials out there addressing this issue. My Favorite, by far, was a booklet based on a sermon called “My Heart Christ’s Home.” The parable was told by Robert Boyd Munger.
It tells of a new Christian, inviting Jesus to live in his heart. Each room is explored, and he discovers all of the changes that need to be made in his life in order to have a relationship with Jesus. But in the end, Jesus informs him he has to leave. Because there is a closet that stinks. He knows he cannot clean the closet, and he knows he wants Jesus in his life.
So, in the end, he turns the keys to his heart over to Jesus, and then, in complete ownership, Jesus cleans out the closet that is impossible for him.
You see, that is the difference between trying to live as a Christian and letting Jesus live in us. It is impossible to live up to the standards, even the standards of the ten commandments. We will always fail. We will always try to touch the mountain.
When we give ownership of our entire life over to Jesus, He is responsible. By following him, fully and whole heartedly, we no longer need to be responsible, we can simply cling to his hand.
Until you have done so, until you have placed your life in his hands, you will never discover the joy of belonging, a joy so powerful it is greater than the temptation to touch the mountain.
I invite each of you today, not just to say you are a Christian, but to put your full life in His hands for all time.
I can’t promise you life will be easy. It doesn’t happen that way. But I can promise you that life will be worth it and you will never be the same.
Let us pray:
Jesus, we confess, like the Israelites, sometimes the slavery of our past seems easier than the battles of the present. We forget all that you provide day after day. Today we give you the keys to our heart, to our life.
Let us belong fully to you, forever yours, forever safe from the disobedience that tempts us.
In Jesus Name Amen
