Last time, we saw God’s presence and holiness as we looked at Exodus 19:16-25 and 20:18-21. 

‌Here’s the main idea that we are diving into: “The holy demands of God’s nearness with his people require a mediator as a means of his grace.”

Let’s continue further. He is a holy God, and his love is most clearly shown in choosing a mediator…

God’s Mediator

​Exodus 20:18–21 (ESV)

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

‌Moses was chosen for this role. He was a go-between.

‌Exodus 19:9 (ESV)

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” ‌

Exodus 19:19 (ESV)

19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.

‌Then the 10 Commandments were given to the people from the mountain. But they couldn’t bear the voice of God coming to them directly. Instead, they recognized the God-given role of Moses: he is mediator.

And like a good mediator, he mediated. He says “Do not fear, fear.” Another way to read it: “Don’t fear death, fear God. Death isn’t the driving factor here. God is.”

This is a good word. Why do we fear men and their thoughts of us so much that we behave differently around one set of people than another? Why do we assume ungracious thoughts are being harbored towards us? Why do we fall into peer pressure? Why do we value cultural influences? Why do we put prominence on wealth and prosperity?

We should fear God that we might not sin.

‌Psalm 119:11 (ESV)

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

And part of fearing God is recognizing that we can’t come to the mountain as we are. We can’t come to the mountain ourselves. We need a mediator, a go-between.

As a fellow pastor and I were talking about this, he said:

“It has been supposed that all religions are simply different paths up the mountain to God. There is only one problem with that. Christianity teaches us that the whole mountain is on fire.”

The people needed a mediator to go up on that fiery mountain on their behalf. And so do we. Moses is dead, but we still need a mediator. Where is our hope in this passage if Moses is dead?

In this case, we actually can see this passage being taught in the New Testament. And when the New Testament teaches on a passage in the Old Testament, we are kinda obligated to turn there and sit under its teaching.

Better Access 

‌Hebrews 12:18–24 (ESV)

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

God’s holiness and our nature has not changed, but what has changed is that Jesus, the Son of God, came to be born a man, lived a perfect life, died and was resurrected from the dead, paying for our sins and purchasing eternal life for us.

Just like the people trembled on the third day when God descended on the mountain, so too did the Roman soldiers tremble when on the third day Jesus rose from the grave.

The claim of sin on our lives is no more in Christ, Jesus has paid it all.

We don’t tremble at the foot of Mount Sinai, but we gather with all the angels to rejoice. In fact, this passage is referring to this gathering, the Sunday gathering of the believers.

Hebrews 12:28–29 (ESV)

28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

We have a better mediator than Moses. Jesus Christ, our mediator, has done what no ordinary go-between could do – he himself is bringing us into the presence of God before his throne. We aren’t commanded to simply stay back, we are called to

James 4:8 (ESV)

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

But the author of Hebrews issues a warning:

Hebrews 12:25 (ESV)

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

We are still called to obedience. We are still called to hear the Word of the Lord and follow him!

Because of the mediation of Christ, we are far more connected. There is no longer an outer and inner court of a temple. There is no more a veil that separates us from the presence of God. The death of Jesus tore that boundary and removed the walls. We are now indwelled by the Holy Spirit himself. God is with us!

Where is our joy? Where is our conviction of sin? Where is our zeal for the gospel?

Does your daily life lack joy? Do you lack regular conviction of sin? Do you lack zeal?

Always invited

One of the reasons that these struggles are faced, probably a very common reason, is because we do not intake the truths of what we have discussed. Our sinfulness, our salvation, the reality of the cross – they have all become too normal instead of the amazing reality that they are.

John Piper said it like this: “If I do not believe in my heart these awful truths—believe them so that they are real in my feelings—then the blessed love of God in Christ will scarcely shine at all. The sweetness of the air of redemption will be hardly detectable. The infinite marvel of my new life will be commonplace. The wonder that to me, a child of hell, all things are given for an inheritance will not strike me speechless with trembling humility and lowly gratitude. The whole affair of salvation will seem ho-hum, and my entrance into paradise will seem as a matter of course. When the heart no longer feels the truth of hell, the gospel passes from good news to simply news. The intensity of joy is blunted, and the heartspring of love is dried up.”

The good news of the Gospel is that you are always invited to come to Jesus and experience freedom in him.

Christian, keep coming and experience a growing joy in the repentance of your sins and sanctification of your life.

If you are reading this and the Lord has opened your ears and heart to his message of forgiveness and your need to turn from sin and turn to Jesus, then be saved today!