Exodus 20 "Thick Darkness where God was"

Exodus 20:21 "And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was."

Chapter 20 contains a list of commands from God to the children of Israel. It also contains a warning and a blessing v5-6.

v3 No other gods before me
v4 No graven image
v7 Do not take the Lords name in vain
v8 Remember sabbath day
v12 Honor thy father and mother
The promise: that thy days may be long v12
v13 Thou shalt not kill.
v14 Not commit adultery
v15 Shalt not steal
v16 Shalt not bear false witness
v17 Shalt not covet thy neighbors stuff

v18 "And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the moutain smoking and when the people saw it they removed and stood afar off. v19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die."

It was an awesome day for Israel when God came down to tell them the laws they would live by for generations to come. They were afraid but Moses soothed their fears. He told them that God had come down so they would indeed fear him to the point that they not sin.

God was to be their one and only God which was made very clear. Then the list of laws which would keep order in their nation.

I've often thought of the thick darkness where God was as life sometimes cast a darkness over me. It is difficult when you cannot see the path ahead and cannot tell what is in the darkness. It is good to know that God is no stranger to the darkness. When I cannot see and my faith is weak, I rely on Galatians 2:20.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."

Note that the verse says his faith. His faith never grows weak.

And then there is these verses in Isiah 45 2-3 "I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sundre the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which call thee by name am the God of Israel."

I prefer the light but it is good to know that if I stumble in the darkness, God is there.

Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth."