Godly Fear and Worship

The worship of God must be done on his terms, not ours. In his holy presence the heart must tremble in fear (18), and this fear of God will keep us from sinning against God (20). Proper fear of God is not centered in us or what could happen to us. True godly fear is God-referenced, leading to deep reverence and love for God. Self-centered fear keeps us away from God—as in the case of our ancestor Adam whose fear made him hide from God (Gen. 3:10). The frightened Israelites feel the same way, for they ask Moses to be their mediator so that they need not hear directly from God (19). Moses tells them not to be afraid and urges them to discover the true fear of God that would not only keep them from sin (20), but also lead them to seek God. The scene of the frightened people standing at a distance is contrasted with the approach of Moses towards God (21; See Psa. 25:14).

That the fear of the people was superficial and faulty was shown 40 days later in their idolatrous revelry in front of a golden calf in blatant disobedience of God's command. Knowing their sinful disposition, God warns them not to mix worship and wealth (gold and silver, v. 23). Instead, they are to worship God with the simplest of altars (24), avoiding the kind of technology that shifts the glory from the Creator to human creators (hence stone altars are to be untouched with tools, v. 25). The altar has to be low, for the quality of worship is measured by the loftiness of the soul, not that of the altar. The worshipers' attention must not shift from the spirit to the flesh (26), as is often the case when worship is infected with worldly entertainment and idolatrous showmanship.