Êxodo 20

Êxodo 20

Trapp quipped “Fear not. And yet fear.” PURPOSE #1 FOR TESTING The English dictionary defines test as a procedure for critical evaluation; a means of determining the presence, quality, or truth of something. A series of questions, problems, or physical responses designed to determine knowledge, intelligence, or ability. A basis for evaluation or judgment. For God has come in order to test you - In order that introduces the first purpose of God's making a personal appearance Testing shows what someone is really like and generally involves difficulty or hardship. In Exodus 15:25,26 God tested the FAITH of Israel by letting them go without water (Ex 15:22+) but they grumbled. What was God testing now at Mount Horeb? He was testing whether they would be faithful to Him or not. They had these 10 commandments and the "test" was would they keep them or not? In Exodus 16:4+ God says gives the reason He is testing Israel - "that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction." We see a similar statement in Deuteronomy 8:2 where Moses records “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing (nacah/nasah) you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." So clearly the this was a test of their obedience, and specifically their affirmation "All that the LORD has spoken we will do!" Now they have just heard directly from the LORD, to the game was afoot so to speak. The test had begun with this clear summation of the Law.. Test (05254)(nacah/nasah) in most OT uses has idea of testing or proving quality of someone or something and doing so often through adversity or hardship. The Septuagint has peirazo is a morally neutral word simply meaning “to test”. Whether the test is for a good (as it is in this case because it is God Who is testing) or evil (as in Jesus' wilderness temptation in Mt 4:1+ "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil") depends on the intent of the one giving the test and on the response of the one tested. If Israel obeyed the commandments, they would "pass the test," but it they did not obey, they would not pass. Unfortunately, most of the time they failed!. Nacah/nasah is used Ge 22:1; Ex 15:25; Ex 16:4; Ex 17:2; Ex 17:7; Ex 20:20; Nu 14:22; Dt. 4:34; Dt. 6:16; Dt. 8:2; Dt. 8:16; Dt. 13:3; Dt. 28:56; Dt. 33:8 NET Note on purpose of the test - "The sense of "prove" fits this context best because the terrifying phenomena were intended to put the fear of God in their hearts so that they would obey. In other words, God was inspiring them to obey, not simply testing to see if they would." PURPOSE #2 FOR FEAR And in order that the fear of Him may remain with you - Again in order that introduces God's second purpose. Moses shifts from "bad" fear to "good" fear! God wanted the people to have a healthy fear, a reverential fear of Him and wanted this fear to be like a "long lasting cologne" (remain with you)! Godly fear is grounds for godly behavior. When one reveres and respects God, he is more likely to obey Him. God knew temptations would come, but He knew a holy fear would serve as an impediment to them committing sin. THOUGHT - The literal reading of the phrase may remain on you is much more picturesque = "His fear may be before your faces." It is as if there is a screen ever before our faces reminding us continually of holy fear of the LORD. If we "filtered" what we looked at, where we went, what we said, etc, through this imaginary screen, would it make any difference on whether we "missed the mark" (definition of sin) or stayed on the path of holiness and righteousness? The question is rhetorical so that we all might ponder, whether we have a healthy, holy fear of the Lord. I am reminded of Peter's words "If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, CONDUCT (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) yourselves in FEAR during the time of your stay on earth." (1 Peter 1:17+). This life is short. Holy fear of the LORD is of great value to us if we would seek to walk in a manner worthy of the LORD. In this particular context, this fear is associated with the hearing of the ten commandments from Jehovah. What difference would it make in our daily lives if we were to frequently mediate on the ten commandments, pondering them, praying through them, pleading with the Spirit to enable us to obey them, under grace, not law! Moses alludes to this event in Deut 4:9-11 where fear is something they might learn... “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. 10 “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ 11 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the very heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud and thick gloom. The Bible consistently shows that God gives us His commandments for our good, to bless us when we keep them. Moses tells Israel (Deut. 10:12–13) Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? God’s commands are like those of a loving father who tells his children, “Under no circumstances are you to go out on that busy street!” He’s not giving that command to take away their fun, but rather to protect them from danger and death. While reverential fear is a good attitude to motivate obedience, an even better attitude is love of God. John puts it this way... There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:18-19+) So that - Term of purpose. What is the purpose of the fear of the LORD? You may not sin - This is God's ultimate desire for personally presenting these ten precepts -- that Israel would not sin. I love the description in Job 1:1 "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil." Why did Job turn away from evil? Note the clear association between Job's fearing God and his turning away from evil. Several of Solomon's proverbs demonstrate a clear association between godly fear and godly behavior: Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (Pr 3:7). The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. (Pr 8:13) By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. (Pr 16:6) The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. (Pr 19:23) The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. (Pr 10:27) In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. (Pr 14:26) The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. (Pr 14:27) The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. (Pr 19:23) See article on The Fear of the LORD Sin (02398)(chata') means to miss the way, to fail; to err, to swerve from truth, to go wrong. The literal use describes an accurate shot by slingshot Jdg 20:16 - they could "not miss (chata')." Pr 19:2 conveys a related meaning of chata' in those versions that translate it as "miss the way." (Pr 19:2NIV) As Vine says "From this basic meaning comes the word’s chief usage to indicate moral failure toward both God and men, and certain results of such wrongs." When man sins he has missed the mark, the goal, or the way that God has set as standard. The Septuagint (Lxx) translates chata' (which is imperfect tense = over and over) with the verb hamartano in the present tense which could be rendered "that you do not continually sin," or live habitually in sin. Exodus 20:21 So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. NET Exodus 20:21 The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. NLT Exodus 20:21 As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was. ESV Exodus 20:21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. LXE Exodus 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses went into the darkness where God was. KJV Exodus 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. NIV Exodus 20:21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. ASV Exodus 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. CSB Exodus 20:21 And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. NKJ Exodus 20:21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. NRS Exodus 20:21 Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. YLT Exodus 20:21 And the people stand afar off, and Moses hath drawn nigh unto the thick darkness where God is. NAB Exodus 20:21 Still the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the cloud where God was. NJB Exodus 20:21 So the people kept their distance while Moses approached the dark cloud where God was. GWN Exodus 20:21 The people kept their distance while Moses went closer to the dark cloud where God was. the people - Ex 19:16,17 De 5:5 thick - 1Ki 8:12 2Ch 6:1 Ps 18:9,12 97:2 104:2 1Ti 6:16 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES ASSUMES HIS ROLE AS MEDIATOR So the people stood at a distance - I like the NET version which says "The people kept their distance." One can picture them shrinking back from the supernatarual sights on Sinai. While Moses approached the thick cloud where God was - This is a striking contrast. While the sons of Israel drew back from God, Moses drew near to God. Here we see Moses between the people and God, so he is functioning essentially as a "mediator." Approached the thick cloud pictures Moses going into (the Septuagint uses eis = preposition of motion,of motion into any place or thing) the thick darkness where God was. Approached (drew near)(05066)(nagash) root signifies coming into very near proximity to the object. Nagash most commonly denotes the act of approaching in ambulatory fashion as in this passage. NET Note - It will not be hard to expound the passage on the Ten Commandments once their place in scripture has been determined. They, for the most part, are reiterated in the NT, in one way or another, usually with a much higher standard that requires attention to the spirit of the laws. Thus, these laws reveal God's standard of righteousness by revealing sin. No wonder the Israelites were afraid when they saw the manifestation of God and heard his laws. When the whole covenant is considered, preamble and all, then it becomes clear that the motivation for obeying the commands is the person and the work of the covenant God – the one who redeemed his people. Obedience then becomes a response of devotion and adoration to the Redeemer who set them free. It becomes loyal service, not enslavement to laws. The point could be worded this way: God requires that his covenant people, whom he has redeemed, and to whom he has revealed himself, give their absolute allegiance and obedience to him. This means they will worship and serve him and safeguard the well-being of each other. John Currid - In our natural state, we all stand quaking at the foot of Mount Sinai. Although we were not there with the Israelites (and we need to be careful not to allegorize), the fact is that each of us stands condemned of living and being in disobedience to the Creator. In our unregenerate state we stand guilty as charged. That is the verdict: ‘Guilty, guilty, guilty!’ And that ought to make us tremble and fear for our lives. However, those who have new life in Christ do not approach Mount Sinai and its condemnation, but they come to Mount Zion and the blood of Jesus. The Messiah took his people’s debt in the law and he nailed it to the cross (Heb. 12:18–24). (Ibid) Guinness - How wonderfully life loses all fear to the soul that has been called apart, alone, into some darkness and has found God. there. “Morning dawns from His face,” and what light is like the light that rises upon those who touch God’s right hand in the darkness and are lifted up and strengthened? Streams in the Desert - “Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” (Exod. 20:21.) GOD has still His hidden secrets, hidden from the wise and prudent. Do not fear them; be content to accept things that you cannot understand; wait patiently. Presently He will reveal to you the treasures of darkness, the riches of the glory of the mystery. Mystery is only the veil of God’s face. Do not be afraid to enter the cloud that is settling down on your life. God is in it. The other side is radiant with His glory. “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” When you seem loneliest and most forsaken, God is nigh. He is in the dark cloud. Plunge into the blackness of its darkness without flinching; under the shrouding curtain of His pavilion you will find God awaiting you.—Selected. “Hast thou a cloud? Something that is dark and full of dread; A messenger of tempest overhead? A something that is darkening the sky; A something growing darker bye and bye; A something that thou fear’st will burst at last; A cloud that doth a deep, long shadow cast, God cometh in that cloud. Hast thou a cloud? It is Jehovah’s triumph car: in this He rideth to thee, o’er the wide abyss. It is the robe in which He wraps His form; For He doth gird Him with the flashing storm. It is the veil in which He hides the light Of His fair face, too dazzling for thy sight. God cometh in that cloud. Hast thou a cloud? A trial that is terrible to thee? A black temptation threatening to see? A loss of some dear one long thine own? A mist, a veiling, bringing the unknown? A mystery that unsubstantial seems: A cloud between thee and the sun’s bright beams? God cometh in that cloud. Hast thou a cloud? A sickness—weak old age—distress and death? These clouds will scatter at thy last faint breath. Fear not the clouds that hover o’er thy barque, Making the harbour’s entrance dire and dark; The cloud of death, though misty, chill and cold, Will yet grow radiant with a fringe of gold. GOD cometh in that cloud.” As Dr. C. stood on a high peak of the Rocky Mountains watching a storm raging below him, an eagle came up through the clouds, and soared away towards the sun and the water upon him glistened in the sunlight like diamonds. Had it not been for the storm he might have remained in the valley. The sorrows of life cause us to rise towards God. F B