Experience at Mount Sinai , Sermon on Exodus 19:3–25 | sermon by Father. Mungamuri Devadasu | Bible Mission

Prayer: Father! We praise You—the One who descended upon Mount Sinai with power and glory. If even this earth cannot bear the weight of Your majesty and glory, how can we, mere humans, withstand it? Yet, because of Your love, Your call, and Your preparation, You are having mercy on us. For that, we offer our gratitude. Just as You spoke with Moses to let him experience Your glorious presence, we also plead in Jesus’ name: speak with us and let us experience You. Amen.

Let us meditate today on the historic encounter that took place on Mount Sinai.

O believers who desire salvation! This story centers around Mount Sinai: a mountain with a summit, a boundary set around it, and nearly 600,000 people camped at its base. No man or beast was allowed to approach the mountain—only Moses could go up, for God would speak with him.

Scripture records the purpose for which Moses ascended the mountain: to meet God face to face. He separated himself from the congregation and went up. There, the Lord descended.

1.      God came down in fire.

2.     Moses entered into the cloud.

God did not descend with chariots or any other means, but in fire. The whole mountain trembled.
There were:

1.      Fire

2.     Smoke

3.     Earthquake

4.     Thunder

5.     Lightning

6.     Trumpet blasts.

The Israelites watched. But Moses was not consumed by the fire. Naturally, fire should burn—but Moses was unharmed. Despite these terrifying signs, Moses did not flee. The earth quaked, yet Moses stood on the mountain while the people remained below. God was in the fire. Those far away were afraid, but Moses—being in God's presence—was not afraid. Moses feared none of the above five manifestations, but the people at a distance did.

These were signs of God's presence. God spoke with Moses in an audible voice—something He had never done with anyone before. Prior to Moses, there was no congregation of believers. There were only individuals—Abel, Enosh, Noah, and others.

But after Moses, God began addressing the assembly (congregation) through him. He told Moses what the people must do: prepare their clothes, wash themselves, and get ready. Moses passed these instructions to the people. They prepared themselves. Moses went up to meet God, and God gave the Ten Commandments—and even more than that...

1.      He gave the Law for the congregation that existed then (the Mosaic Law for the Jews).

2.     He taught laws that would be needed by the future congregation (the moral law for the coming Church).

– The ceremonial law was for the Jews.
– The moral law was for the future Church.

1.      On Mount Sinai, Moses encountered God.

2.     On Mount Nebo, he went to be with God.

When Moses was on Mount Sinai, Joshua remained below. During his earthly life, Moses lived in Pharaoh’s palace, then in Midian, then suffered with his people in Egypt. But now, he ascended to God’s presence. He had undergone many trials. That’s how he was made ready to enter God’s presence.

We too must be prepared if we are to enter the presence of God.

What is this story truly about?

It reveals three key elements: (1) the congregation at the foot of the mountain, (2) Moses on the mountain, and (3) God who descended. Those living in the land of Palestine or Egypt do not understand this. It is revealed only to those who prepare themselves; worldly unbelievers do not grasp it. While Moses stood upon the mountain, God revealed to him the commandments that were in His heart. Because these commandments were given at that moment, we now have the Old Covenant.

A few months earlier, God had appeared to Moses in a burning bush. The bush was not consumed, though it burned. Fire was present on the mountain as well. This same divine glory—God spoke from within the bush, from within the fire—was now manifest again. In doing so, God was preparing Moses. Moses saw God’s fire on the mountain and heard His voice, which elevated him to a higher spiritual state. In the same way, believers too will be led into deeper spiritual heights through such preparation and experiences.

Just as Moses traveled from the burning bush to the wilderness, and from the wilderness to the summit of Mount Sinai, he climbed the summit of devotion. Believers likewise must ascend in their spiritual walk to higher levels of faith and holiness. Consider Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—they were inside the fire but did not die, whereas those outside the fire perished. Similarly, anyone who touched the mountain would die, but the One who dwelt upon the mountain did not.

There is a great difference between worldly fire and divine fire. The fire of the world destroys. The fire of God, however, protects—but only those without sin can survive in it. The fire that came upon Moses symbolically foreshadowed the fire described in Daniel’s writings. Even though the Israelites had washed and prepared themselves, they would still die if they touched the mountain. Moses, on the other hand, was fully prepared and therefore could approach the divine presence.

Though both Moses and the people were prepared, there was a clear difference in the level of their preparation. Moses was prepared enough to ascend the mountain; the people were only prepared enough to remain at its base. There is a distinction between Moses’ spiritual preparation and the people’s.

This principle is echoed in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25. Among the ten virgins, only the first group entered, while the second could not. Why? Because there were differences between them—differences in faith, in devotion, in knowledge of God’s Word, in spiritual stature, and in experience. All were preparing, yet not all were equally ready.

After Moses crossed the boundary set around the mountain, if he had allowed even a single evil thought to enter his mind, he would have perished. Even when descending, if any unworthy thought had entered his heart, it would have led to destruction.

Concentration is incredibly difficult. To keep one’s eyes and ears continually fixed on God is not easy—it demands complete focus, devotion, and purity of thought.

When Moses was in the presence of God, had any evil thought entered his mind, he would have been consumed like a piece of cotton. Why didn’t the three Hebrew young men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—burn in the fire? It was because they were in the presence of God and were prepared for that experience; therefore, they did not perish. When Moses set up the Tabernacle, he had to be in the Most Holy Place along with God. The cloud of God’s presence would descend upon Moses in that Most Holy Place. No one was to touch that cloud. There was awe and fear.

When the Lord Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn. Now all can go into the presence of God. Moses was not destroyed because he had no evil thoughts in God's presence. That means his mental stillness (inner discipline) was perfect. Therefore, those who wish to enter the presence of God must also be like him. They must close their physical ears and eyes and open the eyes of their inner spirit.

Ask yourself:

1.      Have you rid yourself of all evil thoughts?

2.     Have you truly seen God?

3.     Do you have singleness of heart and mind like Moses?

We must examine ourselves in these three ways and live accordingly. Those who possess mental stillness and clarity are like the wise virgins in the first group of the parable in Matthew 25. Those without such stillness are like the foolish virgins in the second group. Can you not be mentally focused even for one hour?

Moses was in God's presence for forty days with such mental stillness. We too must have that kind of focused inner discipline. Moses even entered into the gospel scene—the Transfiguration (Matthew 17). Moses and Elijah, both of whom had spent forty days in God’s presence, appeared together. They spoke with the Lord Jesus and departed after a few hours. If we spend even one hour a day in God’s presence, our families will receive a blessing.

Can a person who fasts for one whole day and spends it in God’s presence be strengthened? Yes, their physical strength will actually be greater. When Moses came down from God’s presence, his face shone with radiant light. Though the brightness faded as he approached the Israelites, his body was not weakened.

Moses, Elijah, and the Lord Jesus each fasted for forty days. None of them became weak. Even Sadhu Sundar Singh became weak during such practices—but you should try to remain strong. It can be achieved through spiritual practice.

Moses could remain for forty days because God had called him. If one attempts such a thing by personal desire alone, weakness will result. This is written in the Bible. This discipline was established for those who desire deeper spirituality. Not everyone can follow this path—only a few can. I am not telling you that you must be the one. Nor am I saying go unless the Lord tells you to.

Mount Sinai is a holy mountain. Even now, there are Christian hermits (some from the military have witnessed them) dwelling on Mount Sinai. While still here on earth, we must learn all these things and prepare ourselves so we may ascend to the heavenly summit.

Fasting should not be done for outward display. There should be no physical weakness. As the Lord taught in Matthew 6:1, our acts of righteousness must be visible only to Him. In order to be made ready for glory, we must prepare our minds and hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Blessing: May the Bridegroom grant you the grace and blessedness during these forty days to practice here and now—to experience His glory and majesty—and like Moses, to be established in the summit experience. Amen.