5:21
The previous commands dealt with the explicit actions. This one deals with heart motives. Coveting our neighbour's goods or his wife is what leads to the sins in 5:17-20. Sin has its root in the heart, and we are wise to deal with it at source. In Mark 7:21 Jesus said that our of the heart come evil thoughts. This is why Jesus said that looking at a woman with lust is like adultery, and hating someone in our heart is like murder.
5:22
This verse stresses the means by which God communicated to the people. He spoke to them in a loud voice, and addressed the whole assembly. He spoke to them out of the fire, the cloud and deep darkness. “And He added nothing more”, there was a finality to the words He spoke. Then He wrote them down on tablets of stone, so there was a lasting record of the words. God’s revelation to His people was unique.
5:23-27
We now get the response of the people to this revelation. The people heard the voice out of the darkness, and saw the mountain ablaze. This was a unique situation. The people recognised that no other peoples had anything like this. They appreciated the awesomeness of it all. They were also filled with fear of the Lord, knowing their own sinfulness. So they requested that Moses go near to God on their behalf, that Moses hear the word of God, and then report it to them, rather than hearing God directly.
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