Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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long then let them take their places at the foot of the mount, and so sit down at God's feet," as it is explained, De 33:3. Never was so great a congregation called together, and preached to, at once, as this was here. No one man's voice could have reached so many, but the voice of God did.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and
sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come
not at your wives.
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there
were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
The pulpit (or throne rather) was mount Sinai, hung with a thick cloud (Ex 19:16), covered with smoke (Ex 19:18), and made to quake greatly. Now it was that the earth trembled at the presence of the Lord, and the mountains skipped like rams (Ps 114:4), that Sinai itself, though rough and rocky, melted from before the Lord God of Israel, Jdg 5:5. Now it was that the mountains saw him, and trembled (Hab 3:10), and were witnesses against a hard-hearted unmoved people, whom nothing would influence.
The introductions to the service were thunders and lightnings, Ex 19:16. These were designed to strike an awe upon the people, and to raise and engage their attention. Were they asleep? The thunders would awaken them. Were they looking another way? The lightnings would engage them to turn their faces towards him that spoke to them. Thunder and lightning have natural causes, but the scripture directs us in a particular manner to take notice of the power of God, and his terror, in them. Thunder is the voice of God, and lightning the fire of God, proper to engage the senses of sight and hearing, those senses by which we receive so much of our information.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with
God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.