“On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai.”
Exodus 19:1
Dear members and friends,
Arriving at the wilderness of Sinai marks a significant turning point in the Israelites’ journey. They have left Egypt, crossed the sea, and experienced both the hardships of the wilderness and the sustaining gifts of an ongoing presence of God. Now they arrived at Sinai, where they would encounter the Divine, who had liberated them and guided them there. Consequently, they were about to enter into a covenant with their God.
Interestingly, the Scripture states that they have arrived in the wilderness of Sinai, somehow emphasizing wilderness. But why must the mountain of God be described as a wilderness? And here God orders Moses to consecrate the people. In Secrets of Heaven, Swedenborg explains that the events surrounding Mt. Sinai reveal a spiritual process of preparation. The mountain represents the presence of the Divine and the revelation of divine truth. Yet before the Israelites can receive this revelation, they must go through a process of preparation. The holiness of Sinai is not simply something to witness; it requires the people to be cleaned (or transformed) before approaching it.
This is the meaning of consecration. To consecrate ourselves is to create a space within ourselves and in our daily lives, so that the Divine can be welcomed, present, and feed our spirits. This could be done through a ritual of consecration, but what is more important is an inward willingness to be changed by the truth from the Divine. Therefore, what we are seeking is not mere knowledge, but deeper understanding of knowledge that is reshaping our daily activities.
The wilderness is an appropriate place for this preparation, because being in the wilderness means that we are in our spiritual temptation. A spiritual temptation happens only after we deeply understand the truth and thus are willing to implement the truth into our daily lives. This is why the Israelites had to pass through many wildernesses and still arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. The mountain of God appeared to them as a wilderness. Coming to understand the truth might feel like entering the wilderness at first. As we transform ourselves, we discover the ready presence of the Divine.
My brothers and sisters in God, let us take a good moment of prayer this week. Let us pray for the world, all the people, all the creatures, and every part of nature. And let’s acknowledge that there is nowhere God is not present. Let us embrace the presence of God with thankfulness and humility.
Blessings,
Rev. Junchol Lee