When Yahweh was about to give the 10 commandments, He gave Moses specific instructions for how to assemble the people so they could experience the presence of God. (See Ex. 19:9-13, 20-22 HCSB). I’d like to highlight v. 21:
The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.”
When the people experience the presence of the Lord, they were expected to be filled with awe, and a desire to seek the face of God. However, that is not what happened.
All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance. “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”
Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin.” And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. (Ex. 20:18-21 HCSB)
The Hebrew word (nuwa) that is translated “tremble” is fully defined as, “to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble”
If you had the opportunity to experience the presence of God in the same way as the children of Israel, I believe the appropriate response would be to tremble. It is how you act in response to the trembling that matters. And how you act will be affected by what caused you to tremble.
What causes the tremble? The short answer is the emotion generated from the experience. An emotion that causes you to tremble probably falls into one of two categories: awe or fear.
Fear is simple: what you are experiencing is making you afraid, causing you to withdraw.
I have previously defined “awe” as “an emotion variously combining dread, respect, and wonder”.
Your emotion of either fear or awe can be caused by the same experience. The emotion comes from the heart and is automatic. The emotion generated in your heart is based on the state of your heart. Does the presence of God frighten you, or fill you with awe?
I admit, seeing the manifestation of God’s presence the way the Israelites did would cause some anxiety. Anxiety does not have to cripple you. It can be the feeling that motivates faith in your life to seek God. Several years ago, I wrote a blog post called Immanuel – God With Us. I did talk about some of these things in it. Talking about this Sinai incident, I stated, “The people wanted God to be near them, but not with them … They were too afraid of the presence of God to actually be in the presence of God.”
In the case of the Israelites, God provided parameters for them to seek His presence. At the cross, Jesus removed all parameters, giving us full access to the presence of God.
Being able to approach God at any moment can draw you closer to Him. However, just like the Israelites, there is an expectation that when you approach God, you are filled with awe.
With such access being available at any time, there is a possibility to allow God’s presence to become common and ordinary. When you lose your sense of awe for the things of God, you begin to separate yourself from Him.
The Israelites were told to be at the foot of the mountain. But, when they witnessed the presence of God, they allowed fear to replace awe, and they stood at a distance.
In the presence of God, be filled with awe. Let the awe cause you to tremble. And let the tremble cause you to seek His face.
Click below to watch:
Tremble
I will tremble at no other name
My heart’s surrendered to no other reign
I will bow at no other throne
And rest my heart at no other home
Let these hands lift no other crown
Let these knees fall on no other ground
Draw these eyes from the gold that won’t shine
You turn this life from water to wine
And I tremble
I tremble, Lord
In your presence
In your presence, oh yeah
You take my breath with every starry night
You show Your power in downtown city light
You are taller than the highest of the hills
And stronger than the walls we try to build
You blind me with the beauty of Your face
And draw me close with Your divine embrace
Speak to me with healing in Your words
You fix the things I didn’t know were hurt
Lord, I tremble (Tremble)
I tremble, Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence, oh
Lord, I tremble (Tremble)
I tremble, Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence, oh, yeah
My Lord, my Lord, my Lord, my Lord
My Lord, my Lord, my Lord, my Lord
My Lord, my Lord, my Lord, my Lord
To you alone, to You alone be praise (My Lord)
Oh, who could take the place of? (My Lord)
What compares to Your love? (My Lord)
For everything that You’ve done (To You alone)
To You alone be praise, yeah (My Lord)
Oh, who could take the place of? (My Lord)
What compares to Your love? (My Lord)
For everything that You’ve done (To You alone)
To You alone be praise
You invented all of time and space
Called the morning and midnight into place
Made the mountains and tamed the wildest seas
And still You set Your holy eyes on me
I will always live in wonder of
The fact that I awaken jealous love
Eternity will almost be enough
Eternity will almost be enough
Lord, I tremble (Tremble)
I tremble, Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence, oh
Lord, I tremble (Tremble)
I tremble, Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence, oh, yeah
(Tremble) I will always live in wonder of
The fact that I awaken jealous love
Eternity will almost be enough
Eternity will almost be enough
(Tremble) And I will always live in wonder of
The fact that I awaken jealous love
Eternity will almost be enough
Eternity will almost be enough
Lord, I tremble
I tremble, Lord
In your presence
In your presence, oh
Lord, I tremble
I tremble, Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence, oh, Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence
In Your presence
In Your presence
Ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
In Your presence
In Your presence
In Your presence
In Your presence
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
In Your presence
I’m glad that You’re my present
In Your presence
Oh, I know I will live, yeah
In Your presence
Oh, in Your presence
In Your presence
Ooh-oh-oh-oh-oh
In Your presence
Oh, I will always live in wonder of
In Your presence
The fact that I awaken jealous love
In Your presence
Eternity will almost be enough
In Your presence
Eternity will almost be enough
In Your presence
Oh, I will always live in wonder of
In Your presence
The fact that I awaken jealous love
In Your presence
Eternity will almost be enough
In Your presence
Oh-oh-oh, Lord, I tremble
Todd's Blog 
Great blog!
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