"The Message of Moses' Major

Mountain Encounters With the Lord"

Sermon on Exodus 19:16-19, 20:18-21

Saint Mark's, Watertown, WI

Pastor Karl Walther

February 25, 2001

Introduction: Transfiguration Sunday Applies To Our Lives

As the Scriptures say: The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Thank God for that! Amen.

Dear friends:

Today is Transfiguration Sunday. Our Gospel Reading reminded us that that's the day Jesus appeared in glory, and God the Father spoke out loud regarding his Son. On that day Peter, James, and John observed Jesus-- along with Moses and Elijah.

You know, the Transfiguration was not the first time Moses was on a mountain, surrounded in glory, meeting with God. One thousand five hundred years earlier it also happened. And by comparing the two events, we prepare for the day when we ourselves meet with God.

Theme: Moses' Major Mountain Encounters With the Lord

So, today we're going to consider * THE MESSAGE OF MOSES' MAJOR MOUNTAIN ENCOUNTERS WITH THE LORD. On the one hand, we'll see that (1) MOUNT SINAI TERRIFIES US FOR OUR SINS; on the other hand, we'll see that (2) THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION RELIEVES OUR FEARS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

Part One: Mount Sinai Terrified the Israelites For Their Sins

It was, as near as we can tell, May of the year Fourteen Forty-Six bc-- about three thousand five hundred years ago now. A month and a half earlier, God had freed his Old Testament people from Egypt. You remember the story. After the time of Joseph, the nation of Israel became enslaved to the Egyptians. God subsequently struck Egypt with ten powerful plagues. The Israelites fled the country, and God drowned Pharaoh's forces in the waters of the Red Sea.

Now the Israelites -- fed with manna, and refreshed with water from a rock -- had reached Mount Sinai. It lay a full hundred miles southeast of the edge of Egypt, and a full hundred miles south of the southernmost town in what would later be Israel. Mount Sinai was in the middle of a plenty dry desert-- thirty or forty miles from the sea on three sides. It was a jagged pillar of rock, towering more than seven thousand feet into the sky.

It was then, and it was there, that we read parts of Exodus chapters nineteen and twenty-- verses surrounding the giving of the Ten Commandments, and verses printed on the first inside page of your service folder....

On the morning of the third day -- literally: as it was getting to be morning, probably four-thirty or five am -- there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain. The picture is a severe and concentrated thunderstorm, with even more darkness, but no rain. And there was: a very loud trumpet blast. The sounding of this ram's horn makes it clear this was no mere thunderstorm-- but rather something supernatural.

It says: Everyone in the camp trembled-- six hundred thousand families, millions of people, quaking in fear. Then Moses led the people out of the camp -- which had to be five square miles worth of humanity. He led them out: to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

It says: Mount Sinai was covered with smoke -- picture it: a whole smoking mountain! -- because the LORD descended on it in fire -- like some huge heavenly blowtorch, blasting from above! The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace-- literally smoke from a kiln or smoke from a blast furnace. And: the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. And what did God say? -- I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.... You shall have no other gods before me.... You shall not make for yourself any idol.... You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God-- and all the rest of the Ten Commandments....

Now what do you suppose the reaction was to all of that? -- When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. And I guess we can understand that, can't we?!

Furthermore: They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." The people realized immediately that their sinfulness disqualified them from a place in the presence of God. They knew they needed a go-between, a mediator, between them and the Lord.

Then: Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." Moses was saying: "God wants to impress you with his fearful glory, to prevent you from trespassing against him."

And so: The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Application One: Mount Sinai Terrifies Us For Our Sins

Now, my friends: this section of Scripture practically begs us to consider the day when we also will meet with this very same God. One day: on the day of our death -- or one day: on the final great Day of Judgment -- one day: we are going to meet with God, the way Moses and the Israelites did.

On that day God has the right to ask us about our relationship to him. Suppose we say, "Well, God, you know I was just too busy working, or just too busy raising a family, or just to busy visiting others, or just too busy watching TV, to read or listen to your Word every day. And God, you know it's an effort to get to church, it's not as exciting as a ball game, and I really didn't have anyone to go with, which explains why I wasn't always in worship. And God, you didn't really expect me -- day by day, moment by moment -- to live for you: did you?" Now, will God really be satisfied with my sniveling excuses like that? -- Considering thunder and lightning we just read about, I think not!

On the day we meet with God, he also has the right to ask us about our relationship to others. Suppose we say, "Well, God, it would have taken too much effort to keep in contact with Mom and Dad-- or to take care of them or visit them in their old age. And God, you know I never really got along the best with my brothers or sisters or cousins, so you couldn't expect me to spend much time with them. And God, you didn't really expect me to tell what Jesus has done for me to my neighbor, or friend, or coworker, or classmate-- did you?" Now, will God really overlook my shortfalls like that? -- Considering the smoke and fire we just read about, I don't think so!

And on the day we meet with God, he also has the right to ask us what we did with our lives. Suppose we say, "Well, God, you know I came from a bad and broken family background; so, you couldn't expect much from me, could you? And God, you know you didn't give me all the skills or all the money you gave some other people; so, that really limited the way I could serve you, didn't it? And God, I got tired at the end of my life; so, it was impossible for me to think about anybody but myself, wasn't it?" Will God really accept my stupid excuses like that? -- Well, considering the thunder and lightning and smoke and fire and earthquake and trumpet blast we just read about, I don't think so! In fact, there's no earthly reason I shouldn't be thrown right into the middle of all of that-- to suffer eternally in the fiery anger of God. And you can say the same!

Part Two: The Mount of Transfiguration Relieved

the Apostles' Fear Through Jesus Christ

So, is there any hope for us at all? Yeah.... And we find that hope on another mountain Moses visited some time later.

It was likely late in the summer of the year twenty-nine ad. It was less than a year before the end of the ministry of the Messiah. Again, God's people -- this time: Peter, James, and John -- were meeting with God on a mountain. This time it was a mountain some two hundred miles to the north, in the northernmost reaches of Israel, probably an even taller mountain, and lush with vegetation.

Again: Moses was there-- along with Elijah, talking to God. Again: God's appearance was marked with brightness and light. Again: a dense cloud enveloped the mountain. And: God himself spoke-- and God's people were terrified.

But this time one thing was different. This time we read: Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," Jesus said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Application Two: The Mount of Transfiguration Relieves

Our Fear Through Jesus Christ

My friends: there is coming a day when we will meet with God. On the day of our death and on the great Day of Judgment, we will face the Almighty himself.

And I'm not going to lie to you. The Lord is splendorous and glorious. He is not going to accept our shortfalls. He is not going to accept our excuses. God is not the Year Two Thousand One, hip hop, good time, rock and roll, party, party, party kind of God-- that we like to invent for ourselves. He hates sin. He detests my sin. He despises your sin. And he's got to punish our transgressions.

But my friend: Jesus has come. And Jesus has touched us. "Get up," Jesus says. "Don't be afraid." And when we look up, we see no one except Jesus. Jesus, our friend, accepts us into heaven. Jesus, our love, embraces us with his arms. Jesus, our Savior, guides us into glory.

And God sees only Jesus, too-- Jesus' perfection: availing for us, Jesus' holiness: counting for us, Jesus' righteousness: now our own. God looks up and sees no one except Jesus. And that's how heaven is ours!

Conclusion: Transfiguration Sunday Forgives Our Sins &

Helps Us Overcome Them

Now, let me ask you: If that's how Christ has loved you, don't you want to draw near to him? So, serve him, moment by moment-- as if his arm were around your shoulder. Listen to him, day by day-- as if he were reading his Word to you, although you'll need to read it for yourself. Worship him, week by week-- as if Jesus were really here. And he is!

If Christ has really blocked you from God's anger, don't you want to express that to others? Honor your father and mother, even if you now live outside their home. Love your brothers and sisters, even if they're awfully different from you. Tell everybody what Christ has done for you, whether they're drawn to trust him or not.

And if Christ will really conduct you into his heavenly happiness, don't you want to work for him? Make yourself the example to others that your leaders may never have been. Whatever is your passion, pitch in and use it for your Lord. Even if you're rapidly aging, live a model life -- and especially make yourself a model of prayer for others -- for the sake of Christ.

And do so knowing that, in only a few short years, you will share sunshine and brightness, and grace and blessedness, and eternity -- and eternity! -- with Christ. Amen.

As the Scriptures say: No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only -- Jesus Christ! -- who is at the Father's side, has made him known. Thank God for him! Amen.