When God Draws Near — Exodus 19 Devotional
Almost everyone knows the strange ache of wanting closeness and then not being able to stay for it. Israel asked for nearness with God, and when the mountain began to shake, they found themselves standing as far back as they could, trembling.
Almost everyone knows the strange ache of wanting closeness and then not being able to stay for it. You miss a friend, you long to hear their voice, and then the call comes at the wrong moment and you let it ring. You have been asking God to feel near, and then a quiet settles over you that is somehow heavier than the noise was, and suddenly you remember six other things that need doing. This is not a character flaw. It is one of the most ordinary things about being human: the gap between wanting nearness and being able to remain in it once it arrives.
That gap is exactly where Exodus 19 begins. Israel has just said, full-throated, "All that the LORD has spoken, we will do." And then the mountain starts to shake. The people who asked for nearness find themselves standing as far back as they can, trembling, hoping Moses will go instead. The passage does not rush past that moment. It stays there. So will we.
Take a moment to read Exodus 19:16-25. Read it on Bible Gateway if you'd like.