Breaking Through
Exodus 19:20 – The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 – The LORD said to Moses, “Go down and solemnly warn the people, lest they force their way through to the LORD to look, and many of them perish.
verse 22 – Let the priests also, who approach the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break through against them.” 23 – Moses said to the LORD, “The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, because you solemnly warned us, ‘Set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart.'” 24 – The LORD said to him, “Go, get down, and come up, and Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people force their way through to come up to the LORD, lest he break through against them.” 25 – So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
God was guarding against the folly of reckless curiosity -The curiosity of wanting to see just for the sake of seeing. God seemed extremely sensitive that no one force their way beyond the set boundaries to see Him because if they did God would break through against them and they would die.
It was under these conditions that Moses passed on to the people the words he received from God – the words we have come to know as the 10 commandments. The people heard God speaking to Moses, kept a safe distance from God’s presence and then Moses spoke to the people the words God had spoken to him. This was a solemn time when one thoughtless move would carry eternal consequences. There was a tremendous fear and respect for God among the multitude of Israelites as they were called near to the one true God who saved them from the Egyptians; the one true God who wanted to dwell with them and at the same time secure their safety.
This is the same Jesus whom we sometimes pray to without a second thought as to whom we’re addressing. As we seek the Lord in prayer today – let’s take a second thought to realize the privilege we have of approaching our Savior in prayer, praise and petition.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” – Hebrews 10:19-22.
Jesus wants more than just to satisfy our curiosity. He wants to satisfy our hunger and thirst for Him. He wants to satisfy our need for forgiveness and freedom. He wants to satisfy our need for salvation! In times past we were warned about breaking through to God’s presence in careless unbelief, but today we are encouraged to break through by faith and overcome unbelief. “Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” – Hebrews 4:16.
Where two are gathered 