Day 5 - Exodus 20:20

“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, 

“for God has come in this way to test you, 

and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning!”

The first thing we notice about this verse is that it is a response to something that the Israelites have said before. And what was that?

Well…in verse 19, they said this to Moses, “You tell us what God says, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us. If He does, we will die!” They were in the presence of the Almighty God, and they were afraid for their lives…with pretty good reason.

In Chapter 19, God told Moses He was coming to Mount Sinai (Horeb), and He said that Moses was to draw a boundary line around the area to keep the Israelites from crossing it. If they did, because it was so close to where God Himself would be, they would die (or, at the very least, if they didn’t die when they crossed the line, they were supposed to be killed after crossing the line). Just another reminder that God’s holiness can’t stand to be around man’s sinfulness, but thank God for our Lord Jesus Christ who allows us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Hebrews 4:16).

Then they saw the glory of the Lord descending on the mountain in a violent storm of thunder and lightning with a dense dark cloud swallowing up the mountain…And there were loud “trumpet” sounds from a ram’s horn. Oh, and let’s not forget the fire!

Now this, as far as I’m concerned, is one of the scariest scenes in the Bible. I think, if I had been there at the time, I would’ve been at least a little afraid. But look at what Moses tells the Israelites, “Don’t be afraid.” Yes, God is holy, and yes, if you see Him, you will die…but He loves you, and He’s chosen you as his people. So fear Him, but don’t be afraid of Him.

The use of “fear” and “afraid” here, by the way, mean slightly different things. They’re based on the same root Hebrew word, but the implication isn’t the same. “Afraid” is used to describe how you would feel if an intruder was invading your house with a gun or a machete or something, intent on harming you. “Fear of Him” implies reverential awe. This means that we are to respect God for who He is and what He has done. We need to respect His power, grace, and love. If we truly respect Him and His gifts, we will not be so ready to commit the sins that damage our relationship with Him and keep us from freely enjoying Him.

Are you afraid of God, or do you fear Him? Do you truly honor and respect who He is and what He has done in your life? Take some time to thank Him and confess anything that might hold you back from serving Him completely.