What a site it must have been. Three months after the Israelites left Egypt they were camped at the foot of a mountain in the Sinai Desert. Through Moses the LORD told the Children of Israel that he was going to make a covenant—a solemn agreement—with them. He reminded them of the powerful miracles He performed to free them from Pharaoh’s control. If they would now obey Him fully and keep His covenant they would forever be His treasured people. To this the all the people responded with one voice, “We will do everything the LORD has said.”
For three days the Israelites prepared for their meeting with God when He was going to tell them what He expected of them. At this meeting the LORD put on a pyrotechnic, multimedia show unlike any the people had ever seen. We are told in Exodus that there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud hovering over the mountain. There was also a very loud trumpet blast. As the people stood at the base of Mount Sinai the LORD descended on it amidst fire and smoke. God caused the whole mountain trembled violently. In time the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. God gave Moses a few more warnings about any curious people attempting to climb the mountain. Like anyone was going to try that! Then God spoke the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday. He gave His people the Ten Commandments filling their eyes and ears with His holiness.
Obviously I have failed to recreate for you the awesome sights and sounds of the first giving of the LAW. The reaction I am seeing in you reflects that my description has fallen short of the real thing. This is how the Israelites reacted. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’” (Exodus 20:18-19) God’s holiness scared the people to death! Do you think the people of God might have wondered how in the world they were going to keep their promise to “do everything the LORD has said”? If they did begin to question their ability to do what God asked then the LAW was already beginning to do its work. It was serving as a shadow to point the people to their need for a Savior.
Although we are far removed by time and space from Mt. Sinai a look back at the shadow of Jesus found there will serve as a great blessing for us. Pray that the Holy Spirit would increase our faith and purify us from the sin that clings to us as we:
“SEE THE SHADOW AT MOUNT SINAI”
I. A shadow of the Savior we need
II. A shadow of the Savior we have
Of all the “shadows of the Savior” that we will view in our sermon series this Lenten season this one is the least direct. Yet it too leads us to Christ. God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Jacob’s dream of a stairway to heaven, and the bronze serpent may be more precisely connected to Christ. But the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai provides us with an essential view of our Savior’s work for our salvation.
I.
There is a legend told about the famous coach of Notre Dame, Knute Rockne. At that time a sports columnist in a South Bend, Indiana newspaper earned the reputation of being the meanest, most critical writer in the country. The anonymous writer, who knew Notre Dame well, wrote about the team’s weaknesses. He pointed out the mistakes of individual players. He told about those who were lazy, about those who broke training and didn’t discipline themselves. Of course, this column made the players roaring mad. The truth hurt and players complained to Rockne. He listened with sympathy but said he could not stop the writer. He advised that the only way the players could do so was to go out and play the game so well that they would prove him wrong. Later it became known that the writer of the column was Knute Rockne himself. As coach of the team he was best acquainted with their weaknesses. The critical column was his ingenuous device to develop a better team.
Sometimes the Scriptures speak so sharply about us it hurts. But God tells the truth because He loves us and wants to change us. He knows that we must see our need for a Savior to be remade in his image and to live a life that pleases him. Today he invites us to see our need for a Savior in the shadow we see at Mt. Sinai.
In our current adult Bible class series on the Ten Commandments we have again and again recalled the three uses of God’s LAW. We say the Commandments serve as “a curb, a mirror, and a guide.” They serve as a curb by keeping evil somewhat confined in a wildly wicked world. They serve as a guide for believers who desire to live lives that please God. As a mirror the Ten Commandments show us our sins and our need for a Savior. It is that use of the LAW that we will consider as we see the shadow at Mt. Sinai—a shadow of the Savior we need.
For a few minutes let’s stand with the Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai and listen to LORD. Even without the thunder and lightening, the fire and smoke, the earthquake and the trumpet blast God’s words are still powerful “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.’ ‘You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.’ ‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.’” We don’t have to go any farther than the Commandments dealing with our relationship to God to quickly see how desperately we need a Savior. That is the shadow we need to see at Mt. Sinai.
The LORD demanded that His people not worship other gods. In the times in which they lived there were hundreds or perhaps thousands of gods that people worshipped. From region to region, and people to people, and city to city the Israelites would be confronted with false gods of every sort. In our time and in our land there are no idols of wood or stone, or gold or silver, competing for our love and devotion. But there are houses made of wood and stone that may replace the LORD in our lives. The gold and silver that surrounds us may not be in the shape of an idol but they stand as symbols of material wealth that threatens to steal our hearts away from God. In addition to being the first priority in our life God also demands that we only use His Name to pray, praise, and give thanks. And although our Savior has satisfied all the Old Testament regulations regarding the Sabbath day we are still required to love God’s Word and worship Him with a pure heart.
As we stand at the foot of Mt. Sinai and hear God speak His LAW to us may we see the shadow of the Savior we need. Have we loved the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and mind? Has God’s Name only crossed our lips for worship and praise, or prayer and thanksgiving? Or have we called upon it thoughtlessly, carelessly, and to damn people and things? Do we always love God’s Word and eagerly study it and take it to heart? Or have we ignored it, challenged it, and doubted it? Is gathering to worship the LORD always our pleasure and never considered a pain or an inconvenience? Yes, friends, even trough the thunder and smoke on Mt. Sinai we see a shadow of the Savior we need. We need one who can and will fear and love God above all things as we have failed to do.
It doesn’t get any better when we turn to the rest of the Commandments. The LORD addressed his people’s relationship with each other. “‘Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.’ ‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.’ ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’” God was serious—dead serious about His people keeping these commandments. In all their interaction with other people they were to be perfectly holy in their actions, words, and thoughts.
What shadow do we see on Mt. Sinai in these commands requiring us to love others as we love ourselves? Again we see a shadow of the Savior we need. God still requires this obedience from us. We must never dishonor or anger our parents or others in authority. We must hold the gift of human life as a sacred trust from God. That means watching out for the physical welfare of others. We must lead a pure and decent life in words and actions and if we are married love and honor our spouse. We also must protect the property and means of income of others. We must defend the name and reputation of others. We must never have a sinful desire for any person, place, or thing.
Although we have only given the Ten Commandments a quick glance this morning through the thunder, fire, and smoke covering Mt. Sinai we see the shadow of the Savior we need. We need one who can live a holy life in our place. He must love God above all things and love others perfectly. He must never break any of the Commandments.
II.
But if this shadow on Mt. Sinai is going to do anything more than scare us we must look at the person on whom it falls. When we look at this shadow we not only see the Savior we need but also the Savior we have. The Apostle Paul wrote about this in Galatians 3:24, “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” The Ten Commandments serve their purpose when they convince us that we need a Savior. The GOSPEL can then lead us to receive Jesus as our Savior and to benefit from what he has done. Galatians 4:4-5 reminds us, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” The shadow cast from Mt. Sinai fell on Jesus. He lived under the Ten Commandments in our place to serve as our Savior. Jesus himself spoke of this when he said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) Jesus didn’t come so that we could ignore the Commandments. No. He came to live as God intended us to live.
So let’s look at the Savior we have in light of the words God spoke from Mt. Sinai. Did Jesus love his heavenly Father with all his heart, soul, and mind? The record of Jesus’ life is a testimony to the fact that he did. Think of the occasions when the Father said that his Son was doing all that is demanded of us. At Jesus’ baptism and His transfiguration the Father gave His approval of what Jesus was doing. Even in death Jesus always said, “Your will be done,” to his Father. Jesus never misused his Father’s Name but was engaged in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving at all times. We are told in the Scriptures that our Savior also perfectly obeyed all the laws and requirements surrounding the Sabbath. At the age of twelve he began his lifelong love for the study of the Scriptures. He made it his practice to attend the synagogue wherever he was for worship and Bible study.
Of course Jesus was just as perfect in his keeping of the commandments dealing with other people. He obeyed his parents and never resented their authority. He honored and obeyed the corrupt government and religious authorities of his day. Although he was tempted by hatred and revenge he always forgave others. He conquered lust and coveting of every kind. He defended the property and reputation of others.
An old fable that has been passed down for generations tells about an elderly man who was traveling with a boy and a donkey. As they walked through a village, the man was leading the donkey and the boy was walking behind. The townspeople said the old man was a fool for not riding, so to please them he climbed up on the animal’s back. When they came to the next village, the people said the old man was cruel to let the child walk while he enjoyed the ride. So, to please them, he got off and set the boy on the animal’s back and continued on his way. In the third village, people accused the child of being lazy for making the old man walk, and the suggestion was made that they both ride. So the man climbed on and they set off again. In the fourth village, the townspeople were indignant at the cruelty to the donkey because he was made to carry two people. The frustrated man was last seen carrying the donkey down the road.
We smile, but this story makes a good point. People have all kinds of ideas and suggestions about how to live life. But if we listen to all of them we quickly become confused and frustrated. Some say that all we need to do is the best we can and we will be all right with God. Others say that we should just do enough good things to make up for our sins. Still others will say, “Since God is forgiving, do whatever you want and don’t worry about the Commandments.” In the end we are left carrying a heavy load.
But God has provided a better way. In Jesus we have the Savior that we need. Romans 10:4 says it so well, “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Through faith in Jesus we have perfect obedience to all the Commandments. The Apostle Paul declared in Acts 13:38-39, “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” Through faith in the Savior we have we are declared not guilty of all our sins against the Commandments.
The sights and sounds at Mt. Sinai served God’s purpose when He gave His LAW to His people. He wanted them to see and feel His holiness. As Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God [respect and honor for God] will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Exodus 20:20) But there was also a subtler message coming from God that day. There was a shadow at Mt. Sinai showing the people their need for Savior.
Today we are privileged to see that shadow more clearly. We not only see our need for a Savior we see that Savior in Jesus. Through faith in Him we have obeyed the Ten Commandments perfectly. There is nothing separating us from God’s holiness. That God news enables us and empowers us to respond to the Commandments as the Israelites responded. We say, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” Through Jesus we have done everything the LORD has said. Because of Jesus we gladly do everything the LORD has said. Amen.
