Thick Darkness

​Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-21
The Covenant
 
Moses and the Israelites finally made it to the mountain of God. God brought them out of Egypt and through the wilderness back to God. They camped at the base of the mountain, but the entire congregation could not go up the mountain. God calls out to Moses, and Moses goes up to meet God.
 
God tells Moses that he wants to come down to meet the people. God wants to enter into a covenant with them, making them God’s prized possession. But first, Moses has to prepare them to meet God. Moses must consecrate the people and have them ritually clean before entering the presence of God. Moses must also set limits as to who can go up the mountain and when. They must wait until the trumpet sounds when God calls them to come.
 
Although this scripture may sound like there were things they had to do before coming to God and there were limitations placed upon the people, I interpret it as God trying to establish reverence for the sacred. It might be similar today for an unchurched person who walks into a church. Without the teaching or understanding of who God is, it’s just a building. When someone who has learned or experienced the awe of God, one acts differently when entering a sacred space. It’s more than a building.
 
No one has ever seen God and lived, even Moses, so God was trying to prepare the people for this indescribable experience. God also knew the people were fickle, especially toward Moses, so God allowed the people to experience a taste of what Moses experienced with God, so they would not question Moses going forward.
 
The people agreed to do anything God said, and the time had come for them to meet God. This is how the experience was described in Exodus 19:16-20:
 
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now all of Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently.  As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 
 
Whoa. Now we know why God tried to warn the people. The limits placed upon them were for their protection. God’s presence is so overwhelming and earth-shattering that we must only receive small glimpses at a time. But it was important for God to reveal the divine in such a huge way, so that the people learn who God is and know that God is worthy of worship.
 
So, this is the backdrop to what happened before God gave Moses the covenant. When Moses went up the mountain to receive the covenant, the people stayed at a distance in fear. However, Moses “drew near to the thick darkness where God was” (v.21). I think I was drawn to that phrase “thick darkness” because we always assume that God is light. Scripture tells us God is light and Jesus refers to himself as the light of the world, but here scripture also says God is in the “thick darkness.”
 
The New Living Translation describes this phrase as a “dark cloud,” and The Message translation says, “thick cloud.” Both say that God was in the cloud. The most beautiful interpretation that spoke to me was from The Living Bible, which says, “Moses entered into the deep darkness where God was.” We all have to enter our own deep darkness in order to find God. And, God is there. Not sin or Satan, but God. The darkness that all humans contain come from God. Just as God created light from the darkness at creation, light comes out of the darkness we face. Seeds grow under the dark soil, and grow stronger when exposed to the light. We must enter the deep darkness where God is when we enter into a covenant with God.
 
Reflection questions:
God shows the people who God is before he enters into a covenant with them. That’s what the Ten Commandments are – a covenant that guides them into a loving relationship with God. Who is God to you?
 
The people prepare themselves to enter into this covenant as well when they meet God. How do you prepare yourself to enter into God’s presence?
 
Have you experienced God in the darkness? Explore that encounter.
Have you entered into a covenant with God? Perhaps write down a covenant that you vow to uphold to God.
 
Action: Do one thing this week that actively upholds this covenant. Perhaps do something that honors your father or mother, or shows your love for God or others. Instead of “not stealing or murdering,” do something that shows you don’t worship other gods or covet your neighbor’s possessions.