Yesterday we began to look at the fact that we have a choice and that we must choose. If we do not choose then we are choosing Mt. Sinai, the bondwoman, for each of us was born by her and thus into slavery. We need a new Master that will free us from our past and break the binds that tie us. We need to come to Mt. Sinai so that we can have an encounter with God.

Mt. Sinai is the place that we must appear before in order to come into the Presence of our new Master, God. Mt. Sinai is a picture of the law, ever present, immovable, standing throughout the ages, looming, dark, foreboding, perilous, unforgiving. The law is something that we must deal with if we are to move forward in our journey.

for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death. Exodus 19: 11,12

Notice first that "the Lord will come down". We do not ascend the Law — it is insurmountable. You can not climb it for there is always some precipice, some gap, some stone that stands in your way. Only One has ever scaled her lofty heights and conquered her regimen of discipline. Only One has claimed a victory of her perfect requirements, He is Christ Jesus our Lord. No, the Lord will come down. He must come to you, you can not go to Him.

Notice next that Moses "set bounds unto the people, round about, saying, Take heed… that ye go not up… or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death". God lives above Mt. Sinai, above the Law. He is superior to the Law for it is but an expression of His perfect requirements for holiness. And complete holiness is the requirement to come into His Presence.

So the Law, Mt. Sinai is covered with thunderings, lightning, the noise of the trumpet, and great smoking. It is an awesome sight and experience that is meant to produce fear and trembling. Who can approach God by it? The Law is meant to show us our utter unworthiness to come to God, to cause us to cry out for mercy. We are all undone in the knowledge of the Law. We can not perform her perfect requirements and we must be perfect to come to God. This is where the heart begins to show itself.

Those who are sold on the strength of man and pride of effort will determine to make a deeper commitment, to try harder, to resist the temptation to bend the knee and admit defeat. They will redouble their effort, they will re-energize their thinking and will to keep the law. They will not see that they have already faulted at one point and are therefore guilty of all. They will press on to touch the mount and thereby die. They have no respect or fear of God and His loving border. They charge through with Self in the lead, headlong to their destruction.

Then there are those who will be devastated by their fear and not have the heart, nor strong desire to continue. They will be crushed by their fear, lacking faith to trust. They want to approach God but lack the faith and do not believe that they will be safe. They trust their emotions and therefore retreat.

But those who hear the Word of the Lord, believe He is loving and can be trusted, sanctify themselves by repentance and the blood that they may come boldly before the Throne.

This the purpose of the Law, of Mt. Sinai, to bring us to repentance. Not to cause us to try harder and apply more human effort. Not to run in fear and make God to be a cosmic bully who likes to scare us. But to balance the love of God with the fear of God and see our need for Him and recognize that we can only come to Him if we trust and obey (love and fear) Him.