Exodus 19:20. 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 records the first ascension of Moses. The children of Israel have made it from Egypt to Mt. Sinai. Here they will worship God as his chosen, covenant people. God will give his people his law – the Ten Commandments. But how? How will God deliver this essential information? Through a mediator. Through Moses. And how will Moses receive these declarations of God? By ascending up the mountain, into the cloud, to be with God himself. The God who has come down to Mount Sinai to meet Moses there.
There are many similarities between the ascension of Jesus and the ascension of Moses. Both take place on a mountain, Mount of Olives and Mount Sinai. Both occur in view of the “elders,” the Apostles and the elders of Israel. Both involve clouds concealing the mediator, Jesus and Moses. And most importantly, both demonstrate a joining of Heaven to Earth. Obviously Moses isn’t ascending into Heaven itself as Jesus did, he’s climbing a mountain. But he did ascend into the presence of God. In a very real sense Heaven came down as Moses went up. Just as they did in the person of Christ, and in the ascension of Christ, Heaven and Earth joined together.
Both of these ascension stories reveals to us something essential for us to always remember – God wants us to live in his presence.
It’s a great idea, us and God living together, but living in the presence of God requires complete consecration, dedication, and holiness. And failure to live this way comes with some pretty severe consequences. At least that’s what Exodus 19 tells us. Let’s go back a few verses and see exactly what was happening and what was said to Moses as he prepared to ascend to the Lord on behalf of the people.
Exodus 19:5. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
Exodus 19:11-12. 11For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.’
Exodus 19:16-20. 16On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20The 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.
OK, so that’s a bit different from Christ’s ascension. Moses alone ascended up the mountain of God as the people were simultaneously warned not to touch or even get too close to the mountain. Jesus went up just like Moses, but without all the thunder, lightning, fire, smoke, trumpets, and death threats. Jesus ascended literally as he blessed the disciples, and without all the terrifying special effects. What made the difference?
It’s because of another thing that both of these ascensions have in common – they are both inaugurating a covenant. But the old covenant, the covenant of Mount Sinai, is one of death. Look at Exodus 19:5 again. IF – if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant. That little word is our death sentence. No nation nor individual has ever kept God’s covenant to the perfection he demands. The whole Old Testament records failure after failure of this “chosen people” attempting to live up to the covenant requirements of a holy God – love God and love your neighbor.
And so there was a third mountain, Mount Calvary.
Before ascending, Jesus had to descend. From Heaven to Earth. From pure divinity, to taking on humanity. From holy perfection, to the unholy forsakenness. Jesus ascended Mount Calvary so as to descend into the darkest pit of humanity, our guilt.
John 3:13. No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
Christ’s descent into our condemnation, our separation from God, our imprisonment in Hell on a cross, while actually being the only covenant keeping, fully righteous human being who ever lived, allows him to ascend 40+ days later into the presence of God. Christ’s Christmas descent, taking on flesh with its sin imbued mortality, accomplished what God intended for Moses and the Israelites 1500 years earlier – living in his presence without fear of failure or its resulting death.
In Christ, we have all now ascended to God, to his presence. Those God has justified; he has glorified (Rom. 8:29). Those he has raised to new life; he has seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
One day we will ascend bodily too. Caught up together with him in the clouds and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). Until then, keep descending.
You: Do you see yourself as already ascended and glorified? Why or why not?
You in Christ: Why didn’t Jesus’ ascension come with demands and threats like Moses’ did? Can you explain the implications of this for the Christian life?
Christ in you: How does knowing that you have spiritually ascended with Christ allow you to descend in your daily life?
Prayer: Father, the contrast between Moses’ ascension and Jesus’ ascension is striking. I’m so thankful that I will be going up with Jesus and not “Moses.” Thank you for saving us from the curse of the law. Cause me to keep descending into the struggles and trials of my neighbor just as Jesus did. Amen.
To Live is Christ 