The Fear of Law-breakers

In Exodus 20:18–21, we come to the closing scene of the Ten Commandments and the people’s response to the voice of God at Mount Sinai. Thunder, fire, and fear fill the moment as Israel stands before a holy God as law-breakers.

This sermon explores two kinds of fear revealed in the passage: the terror that drives sinners away from God and the reverent fear that draws God’s people near through a mediator. We also consider the purpose of God’s law, how it exposes sin, restrains evil, and guides the redeemed, and why the fear of the Lord is not opposed to faith but essential to it. Ultimately, this passage points beyond Moses to the greater Mediator, Jesus Christ, who enters the darkness on behalf of sinners and grants confident access to God. This message serves as a theological wrap-up of the Ten Commandments and clarifies the law–gospel distinction at the heart of the Christian faith.