Perhaps one of the most resplendent depictions of God as King in the Old Testament comes mere months after the events of the Exodus. God had just demonstrated His immense power by rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea. Three months of travel brought them to the foot of Mt. Sinai.
Here God called Moses to prepare the people to meet Him.
Here God called Moses to prepare the people to meet Him.
"(3)...tell the people of Israel, 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.... (9) Behold I am coming to you in a thick cloud... (10) go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, "Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death."'" (Exodus 19:3-12)
Sure enough, the people prepared to meet God. What they saw brought them to their knees. They were greeted with fire, smoke, trumpet sounds, lightning, and loud thunder. This was evidence of God; this was representative of God's majesty and glory. The power and grandeur of God was on display. God was unquestionably King of the Universe. The people's response seems appropriate:
"...when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.'" (Exodus 20:18-29)
The people saw the power of God - both in their rescue from Egypt and the display at Sinai. This was God. Understandably, they were struck with awe and fear. They knew they had no right to approach the King of the Universe with all His regal glory on display.
The writer of Hebrews draws our attention to this same story and how we approach God as King, but with a significant difference.
The writer of Hebrews draws our attention to this same story and how we approach God as King, but with a significant difference.
"...you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.... But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood...." (Hebrews 12:18-24)
We come to the same God, awesome in power and able to work miracles. However, God's people no longer come to a God on a mountain threatening to strike us down. Now we come "with confidence...to the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16). The difference is that we have a mediator who had signed a covenant of grace with His blood.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
- Where do you see depictions or evidence of God as King in these Bible passages?
- Imagine yourself standing at Mt Sinai with the Israelites. How would you have felt given what they saw? How does that impact your approach to God right now?
- How can you prayerfully express both awe and thanks to God as King?