Sinai Surprise

During a meeting with God, Moses was told to go down and have the people sanctify themselves for the next two days and be ready for the third day.  God was going to come down on the mountain in their sight.  So the people prepared themselves as instructed. On the morning of the third day they experienced a mighty visitation of God

Exodus 19:16-20 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. ¹⁸ And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. ²⁰ And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 

What an awesome experience that must have been!  They had never experienced anything like it.  I am sure during their days of preparation they had no idea that this is what they were about to experience.  Just like on the day of Pentecost as the people waited they had no idea what they were about to experience.  They were just waiting for “the promise of the Father.” 

The Israelites were terrified by the experience and pulled back from God, instead of being in awe of the power of this God and pursuing Him.  On the Day of Pentecost there were many that responded to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to the gospel message preached by Peter. But I would guess there were many that walked away thinking it was just too weird. 

The people pulled back but Moses went up into the top of the mountain.  What was it about Moses that made him able and willing to ascend the mountain, while others were kept back from touching the mountain and pulled back even further at the sight of  it? 

May we be drawn to God and pursue Him as a result of the manifestation of His power and glory.  In the coming days I believe God will be manifesting Himself in awesome ways.  May we not be put off by how He reveals Himself. 

The Promise of the Father

Acts 1:3-5 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ⁴ And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. ⁵ For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

John 16:7, 13 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you…… Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with His disciples sharing more with them concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus had told them before the crucifixion that He must go away so that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth that would teach of Him, would come. In  His final instructions to His disciples Jesus told them to go back to Jerusalem to “wait for the promise of the Father.”  Many of them were obedient to wait until the promise came.  Most likely there were more than that initially, but they got tired of waiting and went home. 

When they waited they worshiped, prayed, and brought petitions before the Father.  They even found a replacement for Judas Iscariot to fill the empty spot amongst the twelve. 

I do not think they really knew what it was that they were waiting for or how long it would be until the promise would come.  I do not think they knew what it was going to be like.  But when the Promise came, they recognized Him, and began to flow with what He was doing.  It was probably a pretty wild time. There had never seen anything like it before. 

In much the same way, we are waiting for a promise from the Father.  Many have felt a great expectancy of something from the Father coming in their lives or region.  We do not know exactly what it is going to be like, nor how soon we will see it.  But we faithfully wait and pray and position ourselves to partake of that which our Father is about to pour out.  We wait and pray and position ourselves to flow with Him in what He is about to do.  Today is a day of preparation.  It is a day of letting God strip off the things that can get in the way or obscure our view or distort our perception of things as they unfold. 

Just as on the Day of Pentecost they had to think outside the box, we are in a day when it is not going to be church as usual and we need to think outside our traditional religious boxes.  Even amongst Pentecostals/Charismatics, we have traditional religious boxes that we have developed over the years.  They must go to make room for the new thing, whatever that looks like.  Lord Jesus help us.