God is Coming (A Prelude to Isaiah)

As the desert sun sets over the distant land of Egypt a people sit and wonder at what has happened to them, what will become of them. They are being led out of bondage by one who was once a great prince, but has fallen into disgrace--one of their own. They are Hebrew, descendants of Israel. They are returning home. The man who is leading them is Moses.

They have followed Moses thus far because Moses has come and announced their deliverance and the fulfillment of promises made by God to their fathers. Now God has sent Moses to them with more promises, a covenant, and a new name--YHWH. It is the name by which God has chosen to be known to them in covenant with them and it means I AM, or the Ever-living One, the Eternal Self-Existent One.

They have believed this announcement and these promises because these promises have been accompanied by many signs and wonders. God has given these as proofs, to demonstrate that he is, indeed, really who he says he is, that he can do what he says he will do, and that he is worthy of awe and wonder. These people have been delivered from bondage, from plagues, and from the sword. They have passed through fire and water. It has been three months now since they left Egypt.

The skies are darkening, though it is early yet in the day. Moses has gone up into the mountain to meet with God. A strange feeling permeates the air, a sense of foreboding almost. Men speak together in hushed tones and women keep their children close. The wind blows and the darkness grows. Many silently wonder if they will ever see Moses again. Minutes pass into hours. Someone points at something on the mountain and a speck can be seen moving back toward them, climbing slowly down. It is Moses.

When Moses returns he calls together a meeting of the tribal elders. He tells them what God has said. If they will obey God's voice, he will be their God and they will be his people. It is an offer of conditional covenant. The elders agree. The people agree. Moses returns to God on the mountain.

Now he comes back. This time he has another announcement to make, a more frightening one. "Prepare yourselves," he says. "God is coming."

There is fear. Moses follows his announcement with a set of instructions--the people are to prepare themselves to meet with God. They have today and tomorrow. On the third day God is coming.

So now the camp has been very busy. The people are consecrating themselves, washing their garments. Barriers have been set up all around the mountain so that no one, not even an animal, can get close enough to touch it. Anyone who does so will die. The tension builds. People are nervous. Men are not even allowed to touch their wives. The third day comes.

And with it comes a thick cloud enveloping the mountain, along with a thick smoke. There are thunderings and lightnings. The people stand back, afraid. Now comes a long trumpet blast. This is the signal for the people to approach. God calls Moses up to the top once again, tells him to go back, get Aaron, and warn the people for the second time not to touch the mountain. Moses does so.

Now God speaks. His voice comes at them from the rumblings of the thunder. He gives them the ten commandments. The people tremble in fear. Let's let Scripture take this up briefly and finish it from here. In Deuteronomy 5 Moses says:

“These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. And you said, ‘Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’"

They had heard God speak and it was terrible and they never wanted to hear it again. They say to Moses, "You go up. You speak to God. You come tell us what he said. But we don't want God speaking directly to us again. It is frightening." How did God respond to this? What did he say? Moses continues:

“And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken."

So God spoke directly only once to his people Israel. After that, he always spoke to them through proxies, through representatives--"holy men of old" Peter called them. The author of Hebrews wrote:

"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,"

What has all of this to do with Isaiah? Wait and see.