Deuteronomy 5:26 Study Bible: For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

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For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?

For who of all flesh
This phrase emphasizes the uniqueness of the Israelites' experience. "All flesh" refers to all humanity, highlighting that no other nation or people had experienced what Israel did at Mount Sinai. This sets the stage for understanding Israel's special covenant relationship with God. The phrase underscores the idea that God chose Israel as His people, a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament, beginning with the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12:1-3.

has heard the voice of the living God
The "voice of the living God" signifies the direct and personal nature of God's communication with Israel. Unlike the idols of surrounding nations, which were lifeless and mute, the God of Israel is living and active. This is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, contrasting the true God with false gods (e.g., Psalm 115:4-8). The living God speaking directly to His people is a profound demonstration of His power and presence.

speaking out of the fire
The fire represents God's holiness and purity, as well as His unapproachable majesty. Fire is often associated with God's presence in the Bible, such as in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and the pillar of fire that guided Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). The fire at Sinai was a visible manifestation of God's glory and a reminder of His consuming holiness (Hebrews 12:29).

as we have
This phrase personalizes the experience for the Israelites, emphasizing their collective witness to God's revelation. It serves as a reminder of their unique role as recipients of God's law and covenant. The communal aspect of this experience is significant, as it binds the people together in their shared history and identity as God's chosen nation.

and survived?
The survival of the Israelites after hearing God's voice is a testament to His mercy and grace. In the ancient Near Eastern context, encountering a deity was often associated with fear and danger. The fact that the Israelites survived this encounter underscores God's desire for relationship rather than destruction. It also foreshadows the ultimate mediation of Jesus Christ, who bridges the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).

Persons / Places / Events

1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the Law from God on Mount Sinai. He is recounting the events to the Israelites in Deuteronomy.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God who were delivered from Egypt and are now receiving God's commandments through Moses.

3. Mount Sinai
The place where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses amidst fire and smoke, symbolizing His divine presence and holiness.

4. The Living God
Refers to Yahweh, the God of Israel, who is active, powerful, and distinct from lifeless idols.

5. The Fire
Represents God's presence and His holiness, a recurring symbol in the Bible for divine revelation and purification.

Teaching Points

The Fear of the Lord
The Israelites' experience at Sinai teaches us about the fear of the Lord, which is a profound respect and awe for His holiness and power.

God's Holiness
God's presence in the fire signifies His holiness. We are called to approach Him with reverence and purity in our lives.

God's Communication
God speaks to His people in various ways. We should be attentive to His voice, whether it comes through Scripture, prayer, or other means.

Surviving God's Presence
The Israelites' survival after hearing God's voice highlights His mercy. We are reminded of the grace we receive through Jesus, allowing us to approach God confidently.

Living Faith
The term "living God" emphasizes a dynamic relationship with God. Our faith should be active and responsive to His leading.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the experience of the Israelites at Mount Sinai shape our understanding of the fear of the Lord today?

2. In what ways can we cultivate a sense of reverence and awe for God's holiness in our daily lives?

3. How does the concept of God as the "living God" influence our relationship with Him compared to other religious beliefs?

4. What are some modern "fires" through which God might be speaking to us, and how can we discern His voice amidst them?

5. How does the grace we receive through Jesus change our approach to God's presence compared to the Israelites' experience at Sinai?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 19-20
These chapters describe the original event at Mount Sinai where God spoke to the Israelites from the fire, giving them the Ten Commandments.

Hebrews 12:18-29
This passage contrasts the terrifying experience at Mount Sinai with the new covenant through Jesus, emphasizing reverence and awe for God.

1 Kings 19:11-13
Elijah's encounter with God, where God was not in the fire but in a gentle whisper, showing different aspects of God's communication with humanity.

Sermons

Reminiscences of Horeb	J. Orr	Deuteronomy 5:1-33
Character Determines Environment	D. Davies	Deuteronomy 5:21-33
How Moses Became Mediator	R.M. Edgar	Deuteronomy 5:22-33
The Element of Terror in Religion	J. Orr	Deuteronomy 5:23-28

People

Moses

Places

Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb

Topics

Death, Fire, Flesh, Hearing, Heart, Kept, Midst, Speaking, Survived, Voice

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Deuteronomy 5:26

     1080   God, living
     1205   God, titles of
     5196   voice
     6645   eternal life, nature of

Deuteronomy 5:22-26

1454 theophany

Deuteronomy 5:22-27

6636 drawing near to God

Deuteronomy 5:23-27

4269 Sinai, Mount

Library

Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of Prayer

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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