Exodus 20 Selected Verses
18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
20 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.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was……..[The Lord said] In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.
The Lord had just given the Israelites the Ten Commandments. You might want to go and read the whole chapter to understand the story better. You’ll notice He did not call them the Ten Suggestions. After that, Moses came down to the people to share these commandments with the people. The people had seen His awesome power displayed and were terrified.
Why did God give us these Laws? Is it because He wanted to force us to live His way? There is a clue in the text. It says “In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.” The Lord’s name is recorded in these commandments. Therefore, since He is true to His word, we can know that there are blessings in these commandments since the Lord’s name is recorded there.
Jennifer Benson Schuldt said in Our Daily Bread “Because God is perfectly holy and we are desperately sinful, we cannot relate to Him. We need a go between, an Intercessor.” Romans 8:34 (NKJV) says34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Moses was the person who spoke for the Israelites. Jesus speaks for us now. We have an advocate who sits at the right hand of the Father and pleads our case. The Prosecutor is close to the Judge and the Prosecutor wants to help you and plead down the sentence. In fact, the Prosecutor is willing and has already paid the fine. You are forgiven. You are already justified. You are redeemed. You are blessed! Thanks be to God for His love of us! Go live as the Redeemed and see how you can lighten the load of another today. Will you share your story of redemption?
Thank You Lord for your intercession on our behalf. Thank You that You walk with us watching out for us at all times. Thank You that, wherever You record (or we speak) Your name that You will come and bless us! It is in Your name we pray! Amen!