Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses arose with Joshua his attendant, and he went up to the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Remember that Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him go to them.” Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory and brilliance of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day God called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. In the sight of the Israelites the appearance of the glory and brilliance of the Lord was like consuming fire on the top of the mountain. Moses entered the midst of the cloud and went up the mountain; and he was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:12-18 (AMP)
God rescued His people Israel from Egypt so they could freely worship Him. Their journey from bondage to freedom required godly guidance. The instructions spoken to Moses by God were designed to protect the Israelites from the consequences of sin. With His commandments, this holy God yearned to draw people to His majestic power in faith and trust.
God wanted the Israelites to have a written copy of His instructions so He wrote them on tablets of stone. And He called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain to meet with Him and receive them. The plan was for Aaron and Hur to remain behind with the people in order to handle any legal matters that arose while Moses met with God.
Joshua attended Moses to the foot of the mountain. Then Moses continued up the mountain alone. Imagine climbing a mountain to meet God, the Creator of the earth, the Deliverer of the Israelites. What were Moses’ thoughts as he traversed up the mountain? Quite possibly he shook with fearful reverence.
Upon his arrival, a cloud consumed the mountain. Moses stood in the glory and brilliance of a magnificent cloud cover for six days. What sensations did he experience? How far could he see? What could he hear? Was the air muggy, damp, cold? Did he sense God nearby or did he feel alone? Was he afraid? Did he lose hope?
Finally on day seven a voice called out to Him. It was God. What a moment. Picture the event that lasted forty days and nights. With God. Oh the emotions Moses must have encountered when he spoke with the Lord God who loved him.
My family and I experienced a cloud cover that probably pales in comparison to Moses’s, but it was exhilarating nonetheless. We had the privilege of standing on the side of a road at the end of the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. The spectacular sunlit blue sky hemmed in the ocean rolling ashore. The mountain we stood upon overlooked a village. Exquisite beauty laid out before us. Without warning, we noticed a huge billowing cloud sweeping up and over the horizon. It moved rapidly. Within minutes, the cloud engulfed the panorama, leaving us breathless.
We stood still in amazement as the gray mist moved over us. The wind blew, the temperature dropped, moisture filled the air, and all we could see was each other. Before long the cloud moved up and away, over the mountain behind us, leaving us stunned and speechless. But what if the cloud cover had remained, causing some angst about our return trip?
When I consider Moses meeting God on a cloud covered mountain top, I reflect on my own experience with a cloud at an Irish vista. I staggered in astonishment at God’s amazing creation. The incredible experience left me open-mouthed. Moses had to have been awestruck when God spoke to him from the glory of a cloud. But did he lose hope in the gloom as he waited for God?
As I think back on my supernatural event, I have an amazing visual to help me when times get gloomy. When things of this earth go awry and everything seems like a cloudy gray day, I must remember that God is near. He never leaves me, no matter what is going on around me.
When it’s pouring down rain, the sun is still shining way up in the sky. When my circumstances are gloomy, Jesus the Son is still reigning within me and nearby. If you stand on a cloud covered hillside in Ireland, the beautiful landscape is still situated beneath the fog. Even if gloomy situations confine you, God yearns for you to trust Him. He wants you to know He is near because the clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3).
For I know that the Lord is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all deeps—
Who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightning for the rain,
Who brings the wind from His storehouses; Psalm 135:5-7 (AMP)