Consumable fire

Exodus 19:12: You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, Beware that you do not go up to the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall sure be put to death.

Yahweh cannot remind the Israelites often enough not to touch the mountain. “Beware that you do not go up to the mountain or touch the border of it” (v. 12). When Moses goes up to the top of the mountain, Yahweh sends him back down: “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish” (v. 20). When Moses reminds the Lord that they already have done this, He says it again: “Go down . .. and do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh” (v. 24).

Not that they are eager to go up to the mountain anyway. Yahweh comes with thunder, lightning, a voice like a trumpet, an earthquake, and everyone in the camp trembles. He turns the mountain into a giant altar, and they don’t want to get singed. When Yahweh starts speaking, they want Him to stop, fearing that His voice will shatter them like the cedars of Lebanon.

The God of Sinai is a dreadful, awesome, and fearful God – in the original profound senses of those words. This God is a consuming fire, and not to be trifled with.

But the reason Israel has to keep her distance has as much to do with her as with God. Even after Israel has been delivered from Egypt by blood, even after she has washed and changed into clean clothes, she is still not pure enough to touch the mountain or see Yahweh. God is a consuming fire, but if they drew near, He would spew them out of His mouth.

But the mountain does not remain off-limits to everyone and forever. Moses climbs into the altar fire, and his face shines with glory. Jesus enters the consuming fire of His Father’s glory at the transfiguration and on the cross. As for us, we have not come to a mountain that may not be touched and to a blazing fire and to gloom and whirlwind and trumpet and a warning of death to those who touch the mountain. We have come to Mount Zion, to the city of God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and myriads of angels and to the joyful assembly of the firstborn. We have come to the consuming fire, and in and with Christ we have been consumed into it, so that we share in His glory.

But more: The God who would have eaten Israel has given Himself as food. The God who is consuming fire became flesh so that He might become consumable fire and offer Himself at this table.