Walking into the Unknown

Raam was sleeping. Was being the operative word. Like so many other people in the Israelite camp, he had been awakened by a bright, Heavenly light that lit up the world as far as their eyes could see. Just as quickly as the light came, it disappeared. What disturbed the peaceful slumber of most of the nation, however, was the loud crackle from the Heavens. It resonated from high and far above them, and resounded down to their nervous hearts like a whip being cracked against someone's back. The thunder carried such strength, that Raam believed it had rippled around him like a current. He could feel the thunder.

He threw the blanket off, and rolled from his bed. Hurriedly pulling his robe on, he threw open the tent flap at the same time. Already most of the camp had gathered outside, everyone standing in front of their own tents. That was as far as any of them got.

Raam took a couple steps, and then stopped so abruptly, it was like running into a rocky mountain wall. Straight ahead was Mount Sinai, the mountain that most of the camp referred to as, "the mountain of God." A thick cloud covered the mountain. You could see the base of the mountain, ever so slightly. The dark grey cloud covered the rest of the mountain, well past it's peak. However, there were no clouds above Mount Sinai, or anywhere in the sky. It was just the ones covering it. A trumpet blast sounded. Raam didn't know from where, but it was plain to see, everyone heard it. Raam couldn't control himself. He trembled.

People started moving, and Raam could here someone shouting in the distance. Others closer to the messenger turned around, and shouted the same message to those behind him. Finally, people closer to Raam could hear what was being said. They took their turn turning around to relay the message. "Moses says to come to the base of the mountain, and meet the Lord!"

The closer he got, the more he trembled. He could feel the earth shaking, and as he looked up at growling mountain, he wondered if it would soon come tumbling down onto him. His mouth felt like he had just swallowed a fist full of dry dirt. The sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Raam came to where the people gathered in a semi-circle around Moses and the mountain. Raam stopped and strained to hear Moses words as they were caught on the winds and floated back to him. Thunder sounded in response to Moses' words.

Before he realized what was happening, Raam watched as Moses took one step and then another towards the swirling grey clouds that covered the mountain of God. Within minutes, Moses had disappeared altogether into the cloud.

Exodus 19:16-20

Came you imagine what that must have looked like? How incredible, and yes, how terrifying? The picture described doesn't do this point of history justice. The thunder, the lightning, the trumpet, the rumblings, the thick cloud. Those people were terrified!

"The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up." Exodus 19:20

God called Moses to that swirling, cloud-covered mountain, and Moses went up. So simple. He just went up. Forget the thunder, lightning, rumbling, the trumpet, and the blinding cloud. God called Moses into it. So Moses went into it!

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:25

So simple. Yet...

In the Gospels, we see how Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:1-2a says, "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil..."

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The wilderness guys! Where there were all kinds of things like lions, snakes, scorpions, no easy access to food or water! We don't appreciate what Jesus did there, just like we don't appreciate how Moses went into that scary cloud to climb up the mountain. Personally, I would have wanted to avoid those situations...

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:25

Sometimes, God calls us into a cloudy place, where we can't see left from right, where we have to trust Him to guide us. Sometimes God calls us into the wilderness, where we have to rely on Him for protection, shelter, and provision. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will lead us to places we may not necessarily want to go.

But if we claim to live by God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, then we need to walk where we are supposed to walk and go where we need to go. If we claim to live by Him, then we need to walk by Him. Beside Him into the unknown. Because He is how we need to walk. He is the only way to walk.

V. Joy Palmer