The Terrors of Sinai — Joseph Hall on Exodus 20

The Terrors of Sinai

And Moses said to the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that you sin not.

Exodus chapter 20 verse 20

God was ever wonderful in his works, and fearful in his judgments; but he was never so terrible in the execution of his will, as now in the promulgation of it. Here was nothing but a majestical terror in the eyes, in the ears of the Israelites, as if God meant to show them by this how fearful he could be.

Here was the lightning darted in their eyes, the thunders roaring in their ears, the trumpet of God drowning the thunder-claps, the voice of God out-speaking the trumpet of the angel: the cloud enwrapping, the smoke ascending, the fire flaming, the mount trembling, Moses climbing and quaking, paleness and death in the face of Israel, uproar in the elements, and all the glory of heaven turned into terror! In the destruction of the first world, there were clouds without fire.

In the destruction of Sodom, there was fire raining without clouds; but here were fire, smoke, clouds, thunder, earthquakes, and whatsoever might work more astonishment than ever was in any vengeance inflicted.

And if the law were thus given, how shall it be required? If such were the proclamation of God's statutes, what shall the sessions be? I see and tremble at the resemblance. The trumpet of the angel called to the one: the voice of an archangel, the trumpet of God, shall summon us to the other. To the one, Moses (that climbed up that hill, and alone saw it) says, "God came with ten thousands of his saints."

In the other, "thousand thousands shall minister to him, and ten thousand thousands shall stand before him." In the one, mount Sinai only was on a flame; all the world shall be so in the other. In the one there were fire, smoke, thunder and lightning; in the other a fiery stream shall issue from him, wherewith the heavens shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt away with a noise. O God, how powerful art thou to inflict vengeance upon sinners, who did thus forbid sin!

And if thou wast so terrible a law-giver, what a judge shalt thou appear! What shall become of the breakers of so fiery a law? O where shall those appear, that are guilty of the transgressing that law, whose very delivery was little less than death? If our God should exact his law, but in the same rigour wherein he gave it, sin could not quit the cost. But now the fire, wherein it was delivered, was but terrifying; the fire, wherein it shall be required, is consuming.

Happy are those that are from under the terrors of that law, which was given in fire, and in fire shall be required.

God would have Israel see, that they had not to do with some impotent commander, that is fain to publish his laws, without noise, in dead paper, which can more easily enjoin than punish, or descry than execute; and therefore, before he gives them a law, he shows them that he can command heaven, earth, fire, air, in revenge of the breach of the law, that they could not but think it deadly to displease such a law-giver, or violate such dreadful statutes; that they might see all the elements examples of that obedience which they should yield to their Maker.

This fire, wherein the law was given, is still in it, and will never out: hence are those terrors which it flashes in every conscience, that has felt remorse of sin. Every man's heart is a Sinai, and resembles to him both heaven and hell. "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law."

That they might see he could find out their closest sins, he delivers his law in the light of fire from out of the smoke. That they might see what is due to their sins, they see fire above, to represent the fire that should be below them. That they might know he could waken their security, the thunder, and louder voice of God speak to their hearts. That they might see what their hearts should do, the earth quakes under them.

That they might see they could not shift their appearance, the angels call them together. O royal law, and mighty lawgiver! How could they think of having any other God, that had such proofs of this? How could they think of making any resemblance of him, whom they saw could not be seen, and whom they saw, in not being seen, infinite? How could they think of daring to profane his name, whom they heard to name himself, with that voice, Jehovah?

How could they think of standing with him for a day, whom they saw to command that heaven which makes and measures day? How could they think of disobeying his deputies, whom they saw so able to revenge? How could they think of killing, when they were half dead with the fear of him that could kill both body and soul? How could they think of the flames of lust, that saw such fires of vengeance?

How could they think of stealing from others, that saw whose the heaven and earth were, to dispose of at his pleasure? How could they think of speaking falsely, that heard God speak in so fearful a tone? How could they think of coveting others' goods, that saw how weak and uncertain right they had to their own? Yea, to us was his law so delivered, to us in them. Neither had there been such state in the promulgation of it, if God had not intended it for eternity.

We men, that so fear the breach of human laws, for some small fines of forfeiture, how should we fear thee, O Lord, who can cast body and soul into hell!