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-**  ... **
+** God's Holiness at Mount Sinai ... **
+In the biblical book of Exodus, the 2nd book of Moses, we find the story about
+God's holiness at mount Sinai. Let us read about this important event, which
+prepares an important contract between God and his people:
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-**  ... **
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 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord,
 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments
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 </color> (2 Mose 19, 9ff)
+God is so holy, that humans cannot come into any contact to him. That is the
+basic background of this story. Here, the holiness of God has severe consequences
+for humans. Who ever touches him, has to die. Death is the consequence of separation
+from God. Only goodness can live.
+But there is much more to learn here: God wants everyone to believe forever. He wants
+the people to listen. He wants me and you to listen. He wants to be with the people,
+with all of us. He wants to be our companion, our friend.
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+** The third Day and God's Presence ... **
+The people are to wait for three days, and then on the third day the Lord will come
+down on Mount Sinai. This Old Testament story is a template for what will come
+later. The New Testament takes up many of the Old Testament stories and experiences.
+These experiences are God's preparation for his salvation agenda. God wants humans
+to be holy enough to enter his presence. He wants us to live forever.
+The New Testament communicates Jesus to be the son of God, who dies for the sin
+of the world. In the death of Jesus everyone, who believes in him, shall be saved.
+In his death there is forgiveness. And on the third day, the resurrection day,
+God comes down to be with all who believe. He comes in the sight of all the people.
+We are invited today to learn about what holiness truly means. We are invited to
+get to know the source of all our ethics. It is the truthfulness, purity and love
+of the eternal God and creator.
+But God is not only the source of our ethics. We need more than that. We do not
+only need a set of rules. It will never satisfy us, it will never give us peace.
+We need to reconfigure our goals, our purpose, our perspective. What is it that
+makes us what we are? What is the purpose of our life? We need to rediscover the
+role of God for what we are. He wants to be source and target at the same time.
+He wants to be the one who loves us and is with us. He wants to be the goal and
+target of my life - in the sense of being the power and spiritual entity which
+defines who I am and what particular goals and targets I follow. This is what
+the New Testament calls to live "in him". In him there is a deep and true
+conversation starting, there is freedom, there is truth and love and mercy.
 (Roland Potthast)