THEOSISVissarion (Nechaev)
The most significant aspect that the Israelites needed to instill in their descendants was the day of the giving of the Law at Sinai, when they stood before the Lord their God on Horeb, the mountain that is part of Sinai. On that occasion, the Lord instructed Moses to gather the people to Him. Following God's command, Moses was to lead them from the camp to the foot of the mountain, positioned between the encampment and the mountain itself. Why were the Israelites called to gather so close? It was so they could hear the voice of God directly from the summit as He proclaimed His words, including the Ten Commandments: "Let them hear My words." Why did the Lord choose to pronounce the Ten Commandments Himself, without Moses as an intermediary, and reveal His glory upon Sinai?
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It was to instill a deep reverence in the Israelites and to establish their commitment to obedience through the awe of the Lawgiver, so that they might learn to revere Me. The atmosphere of fear certainly enveloped those who heard God's voice, prompting them to request of Moses, "Speak to us, and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, lest we perish" (Ex. 20:19). Moses explained, "God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin" (Exodus 20:20). However, it was the Lord's intent that this sense of fear would not be transient; He desired it to be vividly passed down to future generations through the direct witnesses of His awe-inspiring presence at Sinai. He wanted them to cultivate a lasting fear of Him throughout their lives on earth and to pass this teaching on to their children.