Exodus 24

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Exodus 24:15-18, When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

In this chapter, we see Moses accept the Lord's invitation to ratify the covenant with Him.  Only a certain number of Israelites were asked to ascend the mountain and Moses was the only one allowed to have any near proximity to God.  The people have agreed to live up to the covenant code with God and this ceremony essentially marks that agreement.

Our focus verses for today speak of the cloud covering the mountain.  If you recall, the cloud has symbolized God's presence and glory, both protective but also mysterious.  To those at the foot of the mountain, God's presence looked like fire. The fire certainly would signify God's guidance but also his holiness and power. 

We don't speak enough anymore of the holiness of God.  But as we get back into the book of Exodus, I think it's worth a brief discussion.  God's holiness is one of his defining characteristics. It refers to his power, his goodness, his purity, and how God is totally without sin.  His holiness clearly set God apart from the other pagan gods that were worshiped at the time. 

But God's holiness can be totally overwhelming for humans, as we can see in today's passage.  We know that Jesus Christ, God incarnate, was also holy and called us to be holy as well.  What does this mean for us as humans to be holy?  Is it even possible?  Well, we aren't going to be holy in exactly the same way God is holy, but we can have lives characterized by holiness.  This means we live "set apart" lives.  As believers, we should behave and be different from those who don't know Jesus.  This has nothing to do with what we wear or how we look on the outside (believers over the centuries have gotten this a bit wrong), it's all about what's going on in our heart.  If we blend so well into our culture that our friends and neighbors don't know we profess faith in Jesus, then there's a problem. 

Let's pray...Lord, help us be holy as you are holy.  Cleanse our hearts.  Help us reflect you in all we do and all we say.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.