The Radiating Revelation of God through People: 2. The Lawgiver

Next, God called the Lawgiver, Moses, who also had a unique relationship with God. In spite of Moses’ protests, God initiated a special relationship with him, revealing a greater depth of knowledge of God’s nature, name, and will (Ex. 3). Moses can be seen as a transition figure, being a kind of patriarch and a kind of prophet. But Moses is also the only Lawgiver (Jn. 1:13-14, Heb. 3).  After revealing himself through creation, and then in covenant with specific humans, God revealed himself one step further and deeper through the Exodus, the Mosaic Law, the Levitical code, and the new theocratic, covenant community, Israel. Moses, as the mediator between God and the faith community, was primarily called to lead God’s covenant people to listen to God’s Word.

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites" (Ex. 19:3-6 NIV).

The whole community was gathered before the mountain and waited for God’s Word. God spoke to Moses, and then appointed Moses to speak his Word to Israel for him. Israel’s formation and transformation was God’s initiative. And, though the “the whole earth is (his),” God wants his covenant faith community to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” God does not need human help. However, he forms his people through his personal initiated revelation to them through his Word. Then he reforms them to be his ministers, administrating his Word to the world, leading the rest of humanity to be transformed towards the truly human posture of listening: to hear his Word and respond in proper worship.

So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you" (Ex. 19:7-9a NIV).

In the next part of Revelation, the apostle John evokes this historic picture, borrowing the imagery from Exodus 19, to link what “will happen next” (the immediate experience of the worshipping faith community whenever the Church gathers as God’s people to listen to his Word) with what happened when God’s people gathered at Mount Sinai.

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 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, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him (Ex. 19:16-19 NIV).

          

The people of God come together to be formed by listening to the Word of God and then go out to worship God by communicating and demonstrating the transformative revelation of God to the world. This was true of Israel at Mount Sinai, and it was true of the seven churches John wrote his “Revelation” to. It is also true of the authentic, Christian faith community today. The essential task of God’s appointed Spiritual leader has always been to help the faith community to be the authentic people of God; to help them gather to listen to the Word of God, and then to go out and worship God by being part of the “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6).