Sat.’s Devo - God’s Presence

Read: Exodus 19:16-21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; Provers 7:1-5 When the third day came, there was thunder and lighting with no rain and a long blast was heard from a ram’s horn. The people came to the foot of the mountain to hear from God. The mountain was full of smoke and fire ascended from its top. The sound of the ram’s horn got louder and louder like a siren. God sent Moses back down to remind the people not to come near the mountain. Then the Lord spoke his commandments to the people. He explained who he was and what he required of them. The first four had to do with Him specifically and the others had to do with how to treat others. God didn’t have to worry about the people coming too near because they were scared to come close. They told Moses that they would rather he told them what God said rather than God speaking to them like this again. This was too scary. Moses explained that God came to them in this dramatic way so that they would be afraid to sin against him. Then God told them the type of altar they were to build and what they were to sacrifice. He gave them laws of slavery and how to treat another person under their authority. He told them how to treat their father and mother and their wives. In Matthew, Jesus came down on the religious leaders who worked so hard to look squeaky clean and holy but inside their hearts they were merciless and faithless sinners. Their hears were filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Jesus told them the most important aspects of the law, which they were ignoring were justice, mercy and faith. Their ancestors had killed the prophets that God sent them and they would do the same. They would be held responsible for all the murders of the innocent from Abel to Zechariah. They would also kill the Messiah, but one day their people will bless those that God sends. Lord, we look forward to the day when You will be honored in the earth as the only God and maker of us all. May we welcome your presence and boldly approach your throne.