Thunder, lightning and a thick cloud announced His presence: He is Holy

One of the places on my bucket list is the Middle East. I am still drawing a plan on where to start from. I want to visit those places in Biblical history. Some of the countries are now hostile to the faith and Christianity but I believe that in God’s own time and through our intercession, the Father will reconcile the nations back to Himself. Imagine undertaking a 11-day journey from Egypt to Canaan in 40 years? (Deuteronomy 1:2). The hearts of the people needed to be worked on and a nation was birthed that witnessed the extraordinary miracles of God. Today, we shall consider one of such amazing miracles and how God is revealed through the miraculous. Moses received the command to go and deliver the Israelites on Mount Sinai. Three months after the people left Egypt, they arrived at Mount Sinai. “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.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.” (Exodus 19:9)

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. (Exodus 19:16)

It sounds cool right? God in all His radiance was coming down to meet the people and the people consecrated themselves in readiness. God is holy and His presence requires holiness. On the day of the meeting with the Lord, this happened:
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, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” (Exodus 19:16‭-‬22)

What? This sounds like a very scary encounter. The presence of God was announced by thunder, lightning and a thick cloud. Imagine the loud trumpet blast, the smoke that covered the mountain and the mountain trembling violently. This does not sound like a place I want to be, but that was the mountains responding to the presence of the Holy God. Mount Sinai could not stand still, and the people trembled before God. The ten commandments were delivered from God to the people. What was the reaction of the people? “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18‭-‬19)

Imagine if we had to stand before God each day with such a pomp and display of the miraculous? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the ultimate arrival of the Holy Spirit, God now dwells in the heart of the believer. Yes, your body is the temple of God and God’s Spirit dwells in you and as such we should be Holy (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Remember, God might not be shaking your environment violently just to speak with you but His standard for holiness has not changed. If the mountains couldn’t stand His holy presence, can you stand His presence on that Day? 

Trust in the little signs of breakthrough

One man whose story in the Bible reminds me of trusting in God even when there is just a little sign of hope is Elijah. He had been zealous for God but he had to run away after he declared that there would be no rain on the land. Three years of famine ravaged the land because of the words of Elijah. “After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” (1 Kings 18:1). Elijah heeded to the word of God and ended up having a contest on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18). God showed up and devoured the sacrifice with fire, and this victory cost the lives of the prophets of Baal. The events of the day were just so perfect and everything seemed to work just well. Then, it was time for God to send the rain as promised. 

The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” (1 Kings 18:44)

The prophet had told king Ahab “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” (1 Kings 18:41‭-‬42). King Ahab was told to go and eat while the prophet went on top of the mountain to pray. Elijah trusted God to cause a torrential rain to fall even if there was no sign of rain. Six times, Elijah summoned the servant to look towards the sea for a sign of rain. The servant reported that there was none. On the seventh look out, the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” Elijah told the servant, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” Why was Elijah so hopeful if the cloud was just as big as a man’s hand? Elijah knew that the little cloud of breakthrough would definitely make way for big rains. 

1 Kings 17:45-46 reports that,  “Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” Elijah trusted God for rain even when there was no sign and on the seventh time, God showed a little sign that brought about a big miracle. This story should remind us to make a ‘big deal’ out of the ‘small signs’ even as we trust in God for breakthroughs. When we pray, we should consider the small things that ultimately make the big difference. When we see a miracle as little as a finger of man, we should acknowledge it and hold on to God for fulfillment. Ecclesiastes 11:3a states that, “If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth.” As we pray and trust in God, we should know that it takes a little sign to start something huge. Be in expectation of your miracle, be ready for your abundance of rain. 

Declare with me, “My expectations shall never be cut off.  I am trusting God for something huge. Even if it shows up as a finger of man, I know that my abundance is on the way.”