Introduction to the Prophets, Part 4

Now, recall the context of this passage. God’s people have just been delivered from slavery in fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem a people to Himself, thus partially restoring the communion which had been lost through the fall. And so Moses brought God’s people to Mount Sinai to fellowship with the Lord; yet he gave them a stern warning: whatever you do, don’t violate the holiness of God!

We know the rest of the story. God’s people were brought to the Mountain. On account of His awesome character, the mountain was quaking, shaking, with smoke, thunder, and lightning. Fearing for their lives, Israel made the desperate plea for Moses to intervene between God and them such that Moses could receive God’s word and relate it to God’s people. This pleased the Lord such that He instituted an office which would NOT simply convey the words of God, BUT would in fact be the medium by which God conveyed His word…