'l'aherah amoug the C'ompl:i.ining people (Num. xi. 1)-the openina e:uth nnd the d,•,·n111in~ fire nt. the time (>f the con8piracy of Korah (Num. xvi.)-what are all these hut pr<.>n!s of the ~N) of ~in11.i tr1wolling in all l_iis terror an_d glory along with Israel and ma_km~ ."h:trP Y1~1tat.Tons 111 the hour of w?rl<lhness, un~hef, and negligence? Thoso trame,I m idolatry may woll become sceptical and ond mutter unbelief, for they never eec anything in the way of subduing power eave the power of knavish priests over ~uperstitious devotees. There are great pretensions and professions, but never anything done corresponding with them. But here as Jehovah begins to specify his requirements, he first of all shows his power in the most impressive way. As an Israelite looked back on Sinai, whatever other feelings be might have, he could not deny the terrible reality that was there. And one very remarkable thing is, that through all this thunder and lightning, smoking and quaking, there was no actual destruction. If there had been such, it would certainly have been recorded. Dut so far from this being the case, there were special and very earnest directions in order to avert it (ver. 12, 13, 21, 24.) So long as they kept outside the Divinely appointed barrier and observed the cleansing regu- lations, neither life nor property was lost. Sinai, with all its undcscribed terrors, was not Vesuvius: the people beneath were not gathered in a doomed Herculaneum or Pompeii. The purpose of Jehovah was simply to manifest the reality, extent, and proximity of his destroying power. Men were made to feel w'nat it could do, if they were so presumptuous or negligent as to come within its rightful exercise.-Y. Vers. 7-25. The revelation of Jehovah. I. WHAT IS DEMANDED EBE THE REVELATION. CAN BE Illl'ARTED. 1. The will must be surrendered to God," All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" (ver. 8). 2. The filthiness of the past must be put aw~y; "Sanctify them" (ver. 10). There must be loathing of, and separation from, sin. 3. There must be a sense of the distance sin has put between the soul and God ; " Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it" ( vers. 12, 13). II. How THE BEVELA TION IS DIPABTED. 1. In the awful manifestation of his majesty (vers. 16-19). The first step is the recognition of the livingness and greatness and holiness of God. Hitherto he has been to the soul a name only; now the Creator, the Holy One, against whom and in whose sight all sin has been wrought, the Righteous Judge from whom there is no escape, from whose face death itself affords no covering. 2. In the glorifying of a Mediator, to whom he speaks, and who shall declare him to us. This is reflected in the Christian's experience--{l) Sinai, the knowledge of sin; (2) Calvary, peace through the blood of Jesus, acceptance in the Beloved.-U.
EXPOSITION. Vera. 16-20.-Tm: IUNIFBSTATION OP GoD of heatle7I, with darkness, clouds, and thick UPON SINAL All was ready. The fence had darknaa. And the Lord spoke llllto you out been made (ver. 28); the people had purified of the mi.dst of the fire : ye heard the voice of themselves-6t least so far as externals went. the words, but saw no similitnde ; only yo The third day was come--there was a breath- heard a voice." The phenomena were not a less hush of expectation. Then suddenly, in mere" storm of thllllder and lightning, where- the morning, the presence manifested it.self. of Moses took advantage to perauade the " There were thllllders and lightnings, and a people that they had heard God's voice "- thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of not "an earthquake with volcanic eruptions·" the trumpet exceeding loud " (ver. 16); "and -not even these two combined-but a real Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, be- theophany, in which amid the phenomena of cause the Lord descended upon it in fire; and storm and tempest, and fire and smoke, and the SlllOke thereof ascended as the smoke of a thick darkness, and heavings of the ground DB furna.co: and the whole mount quaked greatly" by an earthquake shock, first the loud blast of (ver. 18) Or, as the scene is elsewhere a trumpet sounded long commanding attention, (Deut. iv. 11, 12) daicribed by Moses-" Ye and then a clear penetrating voice, like that came near and stood llllder the mountain, and of a man, made itself heard in ilistinctly arti- i.he :w.0UI1t.ai.n 1,umed with fire u,ito the mid81 culated words, audible to the whole multitude, en. XIX. 16-20.J TIIE IlOOK OF EXODUS.