What is the meaning of Exodus 20:20? “Do not be afraid” The people have just witnessed thunder, lightning, trumpet blasts, and a smoking mountain (Exodus 20:18–19). Their senses are overwhelmed, and terror grips them. Moses’ first words cut through the panic: “Do not be afraid.” • God often opens encounters with reassurance—“Do not fear, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10). • Jesus echoed the same heart: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). • The command is not a denial of danger but an invitation to trust. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). “Moses replied” Moses stands between a holy God and a trembling people. • He embodies mediation long before the priesthood is formally installed (cf. Deuteronomy 5:5). • His role foreshadows “the mediator of a new covenant—Jesus” (Hebrews 12:24). • God regularly sends a spokesperson so His people can hear without being consumed (Exodus 33:20). Moses’ answer carries divine authority as well as pastoral gentleness. “For God has come to test you” The spectacle is not to destroy but to prove. • “Remember how the LORD your God led you… to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart” (Deuteronomy 8:2). • Tests refine, never tempt to evil (James 1:13-14). • Like fire on precious metal, testing reveals genuine faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). • At Sinai, the test is whether Israel will respond with obedient reverence rather than shrinking back into unbelief. “So that the fear of Him may be before you” Two kinds of “fear” emerge: paralyzing dread (just addressed) and worshipful awe (now encouraged). • “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). • “Let all the earth fear the LORD… stand in awe of Him” (Psalm 33:8). • Holy fear keeps God’s presence vivid—“Serve the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). • When the early church “walked in the fear of the Lord,” it also “multiplied” (Acts 9:31). “To keep you from sinning” God’s purpose is moral, not merely emotional. • Awe becomes a guardrail: “By the fear of the LORD a man turns away from evil” (Proverbs 16:6). • The Ten Commandments, given moments earlier (Exodus 20:1-17), are safeguarded by this reverent fear. • “It is God’s will that you be holy” (1 Thessalonians 4:3); His testing and His presence both point toward that end. • Grace teaches “us to deny ungodliness… and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11-12). summary Exodus 20:20 shows that God’s dramatic appearance at Sinai was designed not to terrify but to train. Moses reassures the people, explains the divine test, and directs them toward a reverent awe that produces obedience. Healthy fear draws us near in worshipful respect and keeps us from sin, proving that God’s revelations always aim at our holiness and His glory. |
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