21The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
What a contrast to what happened in the Garden of Eden where God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. There was no fear. That is because there was no sin. As soon as sin entered the picture, fear entered the picture. Think about the situations in your life where there is fear. Are you in sin causing you to run from God’s presence? Is there sin in some other person running rampant and you are getting the negative consequences? The Lord wanted the people of Israel to respect His Word. He needed them to know that He was serious, that He meant business. He would much rather have walked with them in the cool of the day than appear on a mountain top with thunder and lightning, and trumpet blasts and smoke. Now, in Christ, we can approach without fear. Sin has been dealt with and we have been forgiven. We still come with the full knowledge of His holiness, so we don’t come in a flippant manner. We take entering God’s presence seriously, but not in fear of judgment.
The Arnold Journey 