Surpassing Glory

This week’s parashah (Torah portion) includes the giving of the 10 commandments at Mt Sinai.  While I was reading it, I was really impressed by the immense glory and complete magnificence of God’s presence and the event of giving the Torah.  The imagery is especially vivid as I remember ascending and descending this same mountain as Moses did (well maybe not the exact same but close enough) this summer.  The glory of God was so great when He descended upon the mountain that all the people had to sanctify themselves and wash their clothing and they couldn’t touch the mountain or else they would die before the glory of God.  Then on the day of revelation, the people shook as they watched thunder and lightning crack around the mountain.  The shofar (ram's horn) blasts rang out louder and louder as God descended on the mountain and it was enveloped in smoke.  Moses climbs up and down the mountain (a long climb) to receive and relay God’s instruction to the people.  Then it happened.  God speaks to the nation of Israel: “I am HaShem your God, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery…”  It was overwhelming (even just reading it is mind blowing).  The midrash (Jewish commentary on the Torah) Shemot Rabbah (29:9) describes the scene as the whole universe going silent as God speaks into His world.

The thing that’s even more incredible to me is that the ministry of the Gospel is so much more glorious that Paul (renowned Torah scholar that he was) says that it’s as if this scene has no glory at all in comparison.  This is hard for me to fathom.  This story is sensational, powerful, life changing.  Yet I have the Spirit of this same God living in me and the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies by His Son Yeshua.  The same King of the universe who spoke the world into being, who parted the Red Sea, who gave the Torah at Mt Sinai.  He chose to become flesh and dwell among us in the person of Yeshua the Messiah.  And more than that make a new covenant in His own blood.  And we with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:18)  Why don't we live in this knowledge all the time?

Exodus 19-20

2 Corinthians 3:7-18