Worth More Than A Gaze

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.” (Ex 19:21 AV)

The people had an opportunity to ascend the mount with Moses, yet because of the presence of God on the mount, they feared and refused.  Now, the LORD is about to call Moses up to receive the law and gives Moses this charge.  The people are to keep their distance from the mount.  Both man and beast were to stay off the mountain except for Moses and Joshua.  If they were to approach beyond the set barriers, they would be killed on the spot.  The phrase used here is ‘to gaze’.   What they refused to do in worship they were denied to do for curiosity’s sake.  They were too intimidated by the glory of God to ascend the first time they were offered an opportunity.  They would not approach the glory of God for fear of His presence.  Once they were accustomed to the glory of God, they were not permitted to explore God.  They were not to treat Him as a curiosity to investigate and probe.  If He cannot be approached with fear and reverence, He should not be approached at all.

When one visits a museum, he will notice certain items, if not most, are encased or out of the reach of those who gaze upon the item.  The more valuable the item, the less direct access the patrons have to it.  Most museums have that one item that is prized above all others.  Perhaps it is a complete skeleton of a dinosaur.  Or, maybe an artifact from some ancient civilization.  One such artifact has stuck with me for over two decades.  The reason is not what one might think.  We were visiting the museum of natural history in Chicago, IL.  When the visitor enters the museum, one of the first exhibits is a huge pendulum that spans three stories.  It rotates ever so slowly showing the gravitational forces on the earth.  There is an actual model of a working mine which the visitor can descend.  This museum also houses the two lions of the film, The Ghost and The Darkness.  There is another impressive exhibit of timepieces through the centuries.  Another exhibit showcased shoes.  I remember the oriental shoes and how small they were.  All that aside, the one exhibit that struck the most interest in me was not all that elaborate.  It had no direct historical identification.  It wasn’t a possession of a world leader of millennia ago.  This piece was the oldest of all pieces in the entire museum.  Located in the ancient Egyptian exhibit, it was a piece among many others like it.  It was a small brass ornamental piece like one worn around the neck and chest.  A simple round metal ornament about the size of a softball.  Nothing spectacular about it other than the age.  It was more than 4000 years old.  Why this stuck with me all these years was this little piece had no special place among all other items.  It was the oldest artifact of the ancient world ever discovered yet it was a mere curiosity.  I remember wondering why it didn’t have a special place with extensive security to guard it against theft or abuse.  But there it was, a plain brass ornament that didn’t seem all that special and if it wasn’t for the placard which told the observer what it was, no one would have ever known how special it was.

It occurred to me that much of the respect and fear once afforded God is becoming a lost atmosphere in our worship and walk.  God is becoming too common.  He is not treated with the respect our Creator deserves.  He is not a source of entertainment.  He is not a subject to be studied.  He is not a curiosity.  He is not some interesting thing that stirs the thoughts.  He is the Creator and sustainer of all we see.  When I think of the last time a sight intimidated me, I cannot think of something recent.  There was the raw power of Niagara Falls.  There was a tornado that came within five miles of our house.  There was another tornado that started its descent over our house and touched down briefly two miles to our south.  There was a snowstorm that buried us for two weeks.  These events tend to increase our respect for similar situations.  When the sirens went off, we were a bit quicker to get to the basement.  That is, those of us who understood the power of what could happen.  Others, because they were curious, stood outside to see if they could catch a glimpse of the funnel cloud as it went by.  How we treat God tells us a lot of how much respect and fear we have for Him.  The children of Israel would not approach God when invited.  Once they got used to His glory, they treated Him as an exhibit of no particular value.  We have lost the fear we once had.  We have lost the respect that was once there.  It is time to remember who and what God is.  He is the Creator and sustainer of all things.  Above our ability to understand and beyond our scope of influence, God is God and we are not.