You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.Interesting how things have changed between the old covenant and the new. Here come God's people to Him, to receive His word and law, and one of the first things that happens is that they're restricted from coming near him. The very dirt of the slope was so holy through God's mere presence that it could not be defiled with their touch. Today, we seem to think that there are no boundaries, no limits to where we should go or what we should do. We are God's chosen, made heirs and children to Him, so we can do almost anything.
On the other hand, the Israelites had it much simpler in many ways. They know that there is a specific line that they cannot cross, and they know the exact penalty if the break the rules and go there. The fences are clearly visible, where everyone knows them precisely. Today, the fences are much more difficult to see. The writings of the New Testament are much more loosely defined in what is and is not permitted. There is great discord in the meaning of what is written; is this passage stating fact or metaphor, stern condemnation or cultural-laden hyperbole? On that day at Mt. Sinai, the boundaries were literal; today, they're a smudge on a map, which might not even be there.
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