Setting the stage for something big

In my last reflection, Moses and the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, where the shift in Moses’ role to lawgiver begins to take place. God’s specific instructions reflect the significance of what is about to occur on that mountain, and then it happens:

For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. (Exodus 19:11-13, 16-19)

God is about to reveal something big, and He wants the sense of fear and awe to be commensurate. Fear is communicated through consequences — being shot (with an arrow) or stoned to death if they attempt to climb the mountain. Awe then comes in the form of thunder, lightning, smoke, a “trembling” mountain, and sounds of a trumpet. God is tapping multiple senses: hear the noise, feel the quake, see the lightning, smell the smoke. Moses ascends the mountain, heading into the heart of the murk and noise. Whatever comes next will be significant.

The patriarch of a family business I know, before an important meeting, will say to his family members, “This upcoming meeting is a command performance.” He is about to communicate something significant about the structure of the business or the direction of his estate. The words really mean two things: Show Up and Pay Attention! While we occasionally joke about the phrase, it foreshadows a key moment in the life of the family and business, and his expectations of attendance and behavior.

Can you recall someone preparing you for an important family or business discussion, and if so, what feelings do you remember? (Excitement? Fear? Annoyance?) What is the tone you try to set when delivering an important message?