In Exodus 20 Moses has performed the miracles in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and has come to the foot of mount Sinai to receive the commandments of God. He has gone up to speak with God and has come back down to bring the people of Israel up to hear themselves directly from God. Verses 18 and 19 say: "All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.’"
What they wanted was an intermediary, someone between them and God. They wanted Moses to tell them what God said, they did not want to listen directly to God. Later, in Deuteronomy 17:14 we are told what the people would say: "I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me". Here is another middleman, a man, not God, to lead them. They wanted someone to take responsibility for doing the work of governing. They did not want it for themselves. They wanted to point to the government for the common provision and common security, they did not want to bother themselves. "I can do whatever I want to do but it is the outside government that is responsible". We want the government, parents, to do something for us, yet in other things we want complete autonomous power, we do not want interference.
If there was lawlessness it would be the King's fault, if there was general immorality it would be the King's fault. The King would pay for their health care and their education, the King would be responsible for their mental health.
I perceive this as a general sin: "Let the government do this or that for me; I am not responsible."
God wants people to obey his law. Everyone should obey God’s law within himself. Every man is to know what God's law is and every man should keep the law. He should regulate himself so that he knows and obeys the law. Every man is responsible for his own actions and thoughts. Every man is responsible to administer his actions. Every man must govern himself.
But people do not want God, they want a King, a responsive Big Brother"
Knowledge of God’s law, his requirements, his wishes is readily available to us: it lies within the Bible, largely unread on the coffee table or on a shelf nearby.
