Chapter 26: Moses Intercedes for the Israelites
Q1 - Why were the people so fearful of hearing the voice of God?
A1 - Back in Egypt, the Israelites had witnessed another terrifying display of thunder and lightning flashing back and forth when God sent the plague of hail upon the land (see Exodus 9:22–26). That storm proved to be disastrous, with the scriptures stating it was the worst storm in all of Egypt since it had become a nation (Exodus 9:24). Only the land of Goshen where the Israelites resided was spared.
Recall that the people’s knowledge of the one true God had been quite limited up until the time Moses had appeared on the scene and started performing miracles. Yahweh was unlike any of the so-called gods of the Egyptians, most of whom they would not have dared approach even if they could.
When God spoke to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the whole scene must have been terrifying. There was thunder and lightning, and the mountain was covered by a thick cloud and with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. Smoke billowed up like from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled. There was also the sound of a trumpet blasting, which grew louder and louder (see Exodus 19:16–19). Think how loud the voice of God had to have been for them to hear it against such a backdrop as this. All of this made for quite a memorable event. It’s no wonder the people were so afraid.
Q2 - How is approaching God different for us today? See Hebrews 12:18–24.
A2 - The Hebrew writer contrasts how differently approaching God is for us today than it was for the Israelites back at Mount Sinai. They approached a physical mountain and a terrifying sight.
Today, we instead approach a spiritual mountain. Hebrews 12:22–24 (NKJV) states: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
Jesus, by conquering death, has made all this possible for us. It’s still an awesome scene to contemplate, but we can do so with great joy and with eager anticipation for what awaits us in eternity.
Q3 - Why did the Israelite people need an intermediary? Why do we need one today?
A3 - The Israelite people could not approach God directly. We learn from God’s instructions concerning the physical mountain that they would have been killed for even touching the mountain where God presented Himself.
With the giving of the Law, God established a system of priests to go between Him and the people, to be intermediaries. The priests obeyed strict instructions concerning their cleanliness, their garments, their food, and almost every aspect of their lives. God is holy, and those who would approach God needed to be holy as well (to the extent that is possible for humans to be). The priests then offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. The sacrifices were necessary to make atonement for their sins.
When Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, He did so once and for all time. Because He did this, physical sacrifices are no longer needed. He also acts as our intermediary, and He does so from His place seated at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10 explains the sacrifice Christ made and contrasts how things were under the Old Law with how they are now under the New Covenant which Christ established.
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can now, in a spiritual sense, enter the Most Holy Place (see Hebrews 10:19–23). What was once forbidden for individuals and only accessed by the high priest once a year has been opened to us. We can now approach God directly. Jesus has made this possible, and He serves as our high priest and intermediary forever.