"And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin” (Ex. 20:20).
Having witnessed the giving of the Law, the people of Israel backed away from the mountain, afraid of God, His thunderings, the flashes of lightning, and the sounding of heavenly trumpets. They were, in essence, afraid of God’s judgment. The sound of the trumpet, the flash of lightning and the eruption of fire from heaven all represent divine judgment. On the final day, the trumpet will sound, and the Lord will return to judge the earth. And the standard of that judgment will be the Law of God. All who have fallen short of that standard will be judged by the Lord and cast into everlasting torment.
The Israelites, after having come face to face with the holiness of God, after having looked into the Law and having seen their own lives empty of perfect holiness, drew back in fear. Mount Sinai meant judgment to them because it meant perfection, it meant holiness. This is the response of all men who are not bereft of conscience. They see their sin, they witness God’s holiness, and all they want to do is flee from God’s presence. Think of Peter when he witnessed the power of Christ. All he could say was, “Away from me, for I am a sinful man.”
In response to the people, Moses said, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” What a strange thing to say—do not fear, but fear. Moses was encouraging the people not to be held in bondage to fear of judgment, for they were God’s chosen people. There is a fear of God that can paralyze us and alienate us from God. We are not to have this kind of fear. Instead, we are to have the kind of fear that produces reverence and awe of God. We are to stand in awe of Him, and in doing so, we are to be motivated to obey Him, to “stand in awe, and sin not” (Ps. 4:4). A right fear of God will quicken us to our duty and help us to obey Christ’s commands.
It is significant that, as the people gazed at the smoking Mount Sinai, they turned to Moses to mediate for them. In light of God’s holiness and man’s sin, we need a mediator, one who bridges the gap between the two. That mediator is Jesus Christ, represented here in the person of Moses. Without Christ, we cannot draw near to God. But those who are covered by His righteousness have the confidence to approach God without any fear of judgment (Heb. 10:19–25).
Do you have a right fear of God? Are you afraid of God’s judgment because you do not have assurance that Christ is your Mediator? Do you struggle with being inordinately afraid of God? Do you fear Him as your King? What are the consequences in your life when you inappropriately fear God? Prayerfully examine your posture before God.
