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What is so impressive, so remarkable, specifically revealed Character. In other
about this whole Sinai revelation is its abso- words, this is absolutely what He is like! As
lute concreteness. When one reads through we truly come to experience that, we are
Exodus and Deuteronomy, our two accounts of drawn in love toward Him. Notice how Moses
these awesome events, there is an unmistakable puts all of these concepts together in his great
feeling, or sense, the texts convey. It has to do farewell address to the people of ancient
with this notion of God breaking into the nor- Israel:
mal events of history and actually introducing
Himself, making Himself known, in the most And now, Israel, what does YHVH your
objective sense imaginable, similar to the way God require from you, but to fear YHVH
we encounter another human being. It is truly your God, to walk in all His Ways and love
extraordinary. Him, and to serve YHVH your God with all
your heart and with all your soul, to keep
To speak of the Everlasting Creator YHVH's commandments and His statutes
God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which I am commanding you today for your
the God who called Moses, who led Israel good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
out of Egypt with a mighty hand, who re-
vealed Himself at Sinai, speaking face to There is a very definite, unfolding, se-
face to Moses and the people, the God quence of response in coming to truly KNOW
whose name is YHVH, and whose Way is YHVH, the Eternal God, as the verbs here in-
summed up in the Ten Commandments -- is dicate. First, and absolutely vital, is the fear of
to begin to understand just who this God is. YHVH. Without this fear of God, there is no
possible relationship, and certainly no love.
Moses goes on to say:
Fearing, Loving, and Obeying YHVH
For YHVH your God is the God of gods and
The Great Commandment, summed up in the the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and
Shema, tells us we must love YHVH our God the awesome God! (Deuteronomy 10:17).
with all our heart, soul, and might. How is it
that God would command us to love Him? Is The "fear of YHVH" is the beginning, that
love something that can be demanded? When is, the absolute foundation, of everything else
one deeply understands the greatness and good- (Psalm 111:10). To fear God is to have a deep
ness of God, fear and love are the response. In and awesome reverence for who and what He
other words, to truly know YHVH is to fear is. This fear, or absolute awe, is based on His
and love Him. Psalm 145 puts it well:
Majestic GREATNESS. As David said, His
Greatness is unsearchable, past finding out!
Great is YHVH, and highly to be praised; First and foremost, YHVH is the very Creator.
and His greatness is unsearchable....YHVH The Scriptures declare, "By the word [Sheki-
is good to all, and His mercies are over all nah Glory] of YHVH the heavens were made!"
His works (vv. 3, 10).
(Psalm 33:6). YHVH is the Great One who
spoke order and life into existence on this
In this very Psalm the precise description of planet. He gives us our very life and breath.
YHVH's Character as revealed to Moses (Exo- Without His awesome creative Wisdom and
dus 34) is repeated (145:8). Our love for Power, which belongs to Him, and Him alone,
YHVH arises from our deep realization of His planet earth would be a vast and empty waste,
goodness, as expressed toward us and to all much like Mars or Venus are today. Likewise
creation, and in keeping with this very

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