Read: Exodus 19:16-21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 7:1-5
Today we read about the first Pentecost. It had been seven weeks since they had left Egypt and God was going to show the people his glory and speak to them his laws. On this day, he was betrothing himself to Israel. He would be their promised bridegroom and they would be his promised bride. He gave them the law as his certificate of covenant.
On that day a thick cloud covered the mountain and they heard a very loud trumpet blast. The Lord descended in fire and the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people.
God shows his pictures in the Old Testament and Jesus fulfills them in the New. The fulfillment of this was when the disciples met in the upper room in Acts 2 and the Holy Spirit was given. He came as a roaring mighty wind and they became the mountain of the Lord as His presence filled them. They shook and had tongues of fire on their heads just like the mountain and God put his Word in their mouths and sent them out to the people to proclaim his words in their languages. This was when God betrothed himself to the Church and activated them for ministry.
God’s voice caused the people of Israel to be afraid and distance themselves from him. Moses told them not to be afraid but to reverence the Lord and do what he told them to do. Romans tells us that the law is spiritual so every word of it can be spiritualized and understood at a deeper level. For example: God told them not to built an altar with dressed or cut stones because if you do then you have polluted it. He also told them not to go up to the altar by steps or their nakedness would be discovered. He was trying to tell us not to approach God out of our man-made righteousness like the Pharisees and Sadducees did. They tried to dress the law with their tools and self-promoted themselves. Jesus came and exposed their nakedness and their sin.
We are to come to him as we are, totally transparent, hiding nothing. We are not to exalt ourselves as being anything or everyone will see us as the fraud we are. The only thing good in us is Christ and when we exalt him, he covers our sins with his blood.
In Matthew, Jesus explains this whole concept. He sums it up when he says, “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Lord, help us to pursue justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Help us to live your presence on the earth.
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