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Mount Sinai from Phinehas’ perspective (based on Exodus 19-20)

Phinehas had been dreaming about the time the Amalekites were fighting them with trumpets blaring and Moses standing on the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur holding up his arms.  Suddenly he awoke with a start.  As his senses slowly left the world of dreams and became tuned to reality, the sound of the trumpet did not fade.  It was still dark when he sat up and rubbed his eyes.  Who is blowing a trumpet?  Why don’t they stop for breath?  He made his way groggily to the opening of the tent and started to smell smoke.  Now with speed, he divided the outer curtain and saw a number of other people staring with open mouths at something behind him.  He knew from the bizarre look in their eyes that it was like nothing any of them had ever seen. 

Just then, the ground began trembling.  Phinehas darted out from his tent to get a view of what everyone was gaping at.  The mountain!  Of course, Moses had told us that today we would meet our God.  We had all been consecrating ourselves for three days now, but this, this was unbelievable.  As his eyes moved upward from the jerry-rigged fence at the base of the mountain, he was immediately drawn to the thick cloud at the top of the Sinai.  Why was the top of the mountain of God covered by a cloud?  That wasn’t there last night.  There are no other clouds in the early morning sky.

Suddenly lightening flashed and thunder boomed!  Then he heard the familiar stuttering voice of the leader of the people saying, “Everyone out of your tents, today you will meet your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt.”  Phinehas whirled around to see his family standing at the entrance to the tent looking at him.  He said, “Let’s go, today is a day we will never forget.”  The family joined the column of families making their way to the base of the mountain.  The trumpet sound grew louder.  The flashes of lightening were brighter the closer they got.  The earth was jiggling as if it wasn’t even solid.

Phinehas looked around himself at the base of the mountain.  He was near the fence prohibiting any person or animal from going up.  He saw fear in the faces of the people mixed with curiosity.  No one had ever experienced anything like this.  The Egyptian gods never made the earth quiver, or the sky boom…

Straight away, an incredible fire descended upon the top of the mountain.  This must be Yahweh descending just like Moses had said, “be ready for the third day, you will meet God.”  He could feel the heat of the raging inferno at the top of the mountain on his face now.  Then Moses lifted up his voice and said something to which the thunder answered him.  Just then, Moses climbed over the fence surrounding the mountain and began climbing to the top.  He disappeared into the thick cloud and fire.  Several long minutes passed while everyone stood riveted on the spot where Moses had disappeared.

Then Moses’ figure reappeared, he was coming back down.  When he got closer he warned the people, “do not break through this barrier, nor let your animals come through, even if you are a priest, no one is to come up hear except Aaron.”  Phinehas looked over to see Aaron with incredible braveness climb the fence and walk towards Moses. 

A peal of thunder boomed, a flare shot out from the top of the mountain, and the earth shook violently, as a voice like the sound of many waters bellowed, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep my commandments…”

From the corner of his eye, Phinehas saw someone turn and run back towards the camp.  Then another, and another.  Everyone was becoming overwhelmed because of the voice; this voice was too much to bear.  Phinehas noticed it now.  The voice penetrated to his depths and shook his insides even more than the earth shook beneath him.  He must get out of here.  By now, there was a stampede as all of the people dashed for the tents. 

Once everyone was removed a good distance, Moses came to them, and they said to him, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”  “Do not be afraid,” responded Moses with confidence, “for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain in you, so that you may not sin.”  So the people stayed there at a distance and Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

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God is Holy.  He is incredibly powerful.  When He intersects with our world, people run and fall to their faces.  He is awesome.  When He speaks people fear Him (not just respect or reverence or awe kind of fear) but the run away because you think that you are going to die kind of fear.  The fear of God should remain within us so that we will not sin.  For our God is a consuming fire.