Think of the people of Israel...they got comfortable in Egypt even though they were slaves! They longed to be free but once they got out in the desert...freedom was a bit uncomfortable. In Egypt, their slave masters fed and provided for them, but in the desert they would have to depend on an invisible God to provide for their every need.
God led them out of Egypt, through the bottom of the Red Sea, and into freedom in the wilderness. They were all smiles until the reality of life in the desert set in...and yet I think God wanted to speak to them in their discomfort. They were away from what they knew, what they had always depended on, what had been reality for many generations.
Their hearts were turned towards God because of their deliverance from slavery and the Egyptiian army, but God wanted more. So he leads them to the foot of Mt. Sinai in order to deliver the 10 commandments to his people.
Moses led the people up to the mountain to hear from God...
Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. Exodus 19:17-18 NIV
It was a game changing moment. God brought them all the way out in the desert to be able to speak a new work into their hearts. This is one of the pivotal moments in the Old Testament. We still live by the commandments He spoke to the people in their place of discomfort. God took his relationship with His people to a whole different level. He gave them more of Himself.
What would it look like in my life and your life if God was to take us to a place that is no longer comfortable for us? How would we respond? Would we be longing for more of God?
Do we want more?
This passage is more proof that God digs rock n roll concerts. Fire, smoke, and things trembling violently.
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