Exodus 19

The whole moutain shuddered. God shook the earth. I was a little surprised recently to learn that we really do not know exactly where Mt. Sinai is. There is debate whether it is in Saudi Arabia or the Sinai Peninsula, which would have been a part of Arabia at the time.

The idea of God using a volcano to gather His people together seems entirely feasible to me. There is not a lot of volcanic activity in that area of the world which, to me, is all the more reason why God would have used a volcano. It would have served as a pillar of dust during the day and a pillar of fire at night.

Sometimes I wonder about the significance of today's natural disasters as well. Certainly we always see God's love hard at work after things like hurricanes, tsunamis and the like but sometimes I wonder, too, if God isn't trying to pull the world's attention to particular areas of the world for a reason.

The point is, if God wants our attention, He will work to get it. The escaping Israelites were seeking God and looking to follow Him. They were very much in tune with where He was calling them. They had a leader like Moses to help them. Sometimes I wonder about just how much God may be calling us today -- perhaps even in huge ways -- that we simply do not see nor have the leadership to discern and pull us that direction.

For a New Testament perspective on Exodus 19, read Hebrews 12.