And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”
Exodus 19:9a
God had a very big purpose when delivering the Law to Moses at Sinai. It went much farther than just the immediate moment that Israel was facing. They certainly needed direction and leadership there in the wilderness where they were struggling to figure out their next steps. They still felt a weird nostalgia for Egypt even though they suffered as slaves there. But at Sinai God was doing something that would be bigger than just that moment. He’d help Israel find their new identity beyond slavery. They would be identified in Him.
God would reveal the Law to Moses so that the Word of God would be what defined Israel. The people would “hear” from God continuously through His Law. They would know that God had spoken to them. And that would change their identity as a people of God’s Word as God called them into covenant with Him. The Jews would be a people of His Book. And in turn, written revelation would define the existence of Israel forever. That is an important concept summed up in the last phrase God spoke to Moses here... “believe you forever.” God intended His Word, delivered through Moses, to be heard and understood among His people always... from that day forward.
God’s people are today still a people of His Word. Because scripture is accessible and reliable, I hear God’s voice in it clearly even this morning. I cannot question “Was this God’s Word?” I just literally read it with its message echoing in my head. This leads me to the “forever faith” promised here. It will sustain my soul from this morning all the way through eternity. I hear what God speaks. I ponder it in order to believe it. And I find eternal life because all of scripture points to Jesus, Who died and rose again for my sins so that I might have life eternal and believe Him forever!
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