Thankful that the Lord came down

If you have been reading through the Bible with me you recently read some interesting and exciting accounts in the book of Exodus. The people of Israel had escaped 400 years of slavery in Egypt. God had parted the Red Sea so that His people walked through. The Lord provided His presence in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. He fed the people with manna and quail, and He miraculously provided water for a thirsty nation. Then, and it’s a BIG then, then the people of Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai. There the Lord gave His people the 10 commandments, and other laws and instructions by which to live.

Do you ever read God’s word and see something new which jumps out at you, something that has always been there, but you did not previously see? That happened to me as I read through these chapters of Exodus. In Exodus 19, as the people were about to receive the 10 commandments, we are told the following. “20 The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.” (Exod. 19:20 ESV) It’s the first four words of this sentence which struck me, “The Lord Came Down.”

To a people who had been in slavery, “The Lord Came Down.” To the people trapped between Pharoah’s army and the Red Sea, “The Lord Came Down.” To a people full of doubt and wayward hearts, “The Lord Came Down.” To a people who needed help and saving, “The Lord Came Down.”

What is going on in your life? Are you rejoicing in blessings? Is there a new child in your family? Do you have a new job you enjoy? Or are you, or a loved one, facing illness. Are you worried about a child, or a friend? Are you struggling financially? Have you lost a loved one. Guess what, The Lord came down . . . to Israel. God comes down, for us!

Do you know John 3:17? “17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” God sent His Son, or in other words, THE LORD CAME DOWN! In Jesus God came to release us from the slavery of sin. In Jesus God came to save from death and judgement. For people in need, through Jesus, The Lord came down.

There are other ways in which this is true today. God speaks to us in His word. By His Word, “The Lord came down”. In baptism God gives the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) Again, “The Lord Came down.” Through the Lord’s Supper we receive the body and blood of Jesus Himself. God comes down. Through the Holy Spirit living in the temple of our bodies, The Lord comes down. And, we have the promise that just as Jesus ascended into heaven, He will return again some day as Judge and Deliverer. As we perhaps worry about the future, The Lord Comes Down.

Sometimes I read God’s word and it just hits me between the eyes. At least that happened to me as I read Exodus 19. Just what we need: The Lord came down. The Lord comes down. And Jesus will come again.

I pray that you see the presence of God in your life.