Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/196

 And the  people  stood  afar  off,  but  Moses  went  into  the  dark cloud and  the  Lord  gave  him  further  laws which  he  wrote down and  explained  to  the  people. They answered  with  one voice: “We  will  do  all  the  words  of  the  Lord,  which  He  hath spoken.” Moses  raised  an  altar  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and offered a holocaust  to  the  Lord. And taking  the  blood  of  the victim he  sprinkled  the  people  with  it,  saying:  “This  is  the  blood of the  covenant,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  with  you,  concerning all these  words.”

The Holiness  of  God.  God,  who  wills  what  is  good,  and  abhors what is  evil,  revealed  His  will  to  the  children  of  Israel  by  His  holy Commandments, so  that  they  might  avoid  what  was  evil,  and  do  what was right. And because  He  is  holy,  He  desired  them  to  sanctify  and prepare themselves  by  penance  for  His  Revelation.

The fearful  Majesty  of  God.  The  tremendous  signs,  under  which God manifested  Himself,  were  intended  to  convince  the  people  of  His greatness and  majesty,  and  inspire  them  with  a wholesome  fear  of breaking  His  Commandments. Therefore Moses  said  to  them:  “The Lord is  come  that  you  may  fear  Him  and  not  sin.”  These  tokens  of the  presence  of  God  are  typical  of  His  attributes. The cloud  and  the smoke signified  that  God  is  invisible,  and  cannot  be  gazed  at  by mortal  eyes. The crashing  of  the  thunder  and  the  terrible  blast  of the  trumpets  revealed  God’s  might  and  majesty. The lightning  and the flames  pointed  to  God’s  holiness  and  avenging  justice. The quaking of the  mountain  signified  the  fearful  and  unapproachable  majesty  of God,  before  which  the  very  angels  tremble. No wonder  that  these tokens of  the  presence  of  God  filled  the  Israelites  with  fear  and  awe. When the  Lord  God  Himself  spoke  the  Ten  Commandments,  they  were filled with  such  consuming  fear  that  they  nearly  fainted  away,  and  said to Moses:  “Speak  thou  to  us  &amp;c.”  They  felt  that  they  must  die  if God  spoke  to  them  in  that  way. How terrible  is  the  majesty  of  God! The Israelites  did  not  see  Him; they  only  saw  the  signs  of  His  presence, and heard  His  voice,  and  yet  they  nearly  died  of  terror. Fear the  just God, and  keep  His  Commandments.