As depicted in Exodus 19, the children of Israel encountered God at Mount Sinai. The morning was filled with lightening flashes and roaring thunder emanating from a thick cloud. Fire produced abundant smoke which ascended as from a furnace. The mountain shook violently and the trumpet heralded forth with crescendo. The utterances from God threatened their wellbeing.

All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.  Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”

Exodus 20:18-19

The people of Israel were set apart, called to be a holy nation (Ex 19:2), and to worship Him as the only true God. Spoken with sovereign authority, He called them to whole hearted devotion. In response to the words of the LORD, the people pledged their obedience to all that He had communicated. Asking Moses to speak on behalf of the LORD, they trembled sensing that the manifestation of pure holiness would destroy them. So overwhelming was the experience that even Moses, the one who had been granted admission to God’s presence, cried out, “I am full of fear and trembling” (Heb 12:21).

And what of our posture before God in the 21st century? An honest assessment for many would reveal failure to know God in this way. We lack the Mount Sinai response; rather, we stand with an arrogant tone, unaware of His holy presence which should cause silence in our heart. We speak with a boldness which reveals significant ignorance concerning the very character of God. In a fiery response to a question concerning the severity of God’s punishment given to Adam, R. C. Sproul pointed out that we don’t begin to understand the great chasm between God’s holiness and our sin infected souls.

“We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are!”

R.C. Sproul

The words of David in Psalm 4 declare to those in rebellion against the “King” to recognize their accountability in His presence. “Tremble and do not sin”. All you who stand in defiance, meditate on the character of God with your whole heart free from distractions as when lying on your bed. Only when we truly begin to grasp the purity and brilliance of God’s holy character can we properly assess our own flawed inner man blackened by the elements of indwelling sin. Only when turning from our rebellion and placing our full trust in God can we find relief that draws us to welcomed praise in the still moments.

Consider that all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ come before the throne with a better mediator than Moses – that of Christ Jesus. We can stand before the holy Mount Zion, unlike the Israelites at Mount Sinai, declared holy and righteous because of Christ the mediator of a new covenant (Heb 12:24). We have been imputed with His righteousness, adopted as God’s sons and daughters, and given an inheritance of ineffable worth. The measure of mercy and grace given as a gift should draw our hearts to respond with worship and praise. Our souls have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ Jesus, our King. The call to offer “sacrifices of righteousness”, and to trust in the LORD should be a privilege as one adopted into the family of God. Trembling with a reverent fear, meditating on the amazing character of God, and finding our hearts quieted before Him, we are called to walk in a manner worth of the Lord pleasing Him in all respects, trusting in His promises, to the praise of His glory. (Col 1:10-13). Standing in the presence of God with a reverent fear, a trembling spirit filled with joy and amazement, and with confidence in His sovereign reign, we can truly be still and know that He is the only true God. Rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice.