Years ago I attended a Veteran’s Day ceremony on a foggy morning in the Ozarks. Two trumpets sounded Taps, the second echoing the first. In the cold, silent mist the haunting melody created a powerful moment to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.

The Lord announced his presence to Moses with a trumpet blast. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

When the people with Moses felt the mountain quaking and heard the trumpet blaring they trembled with fear. They kept their distance, happy for Moses to climb up and speak with the Lord and leave them behind.

No one missed the sound of the Lord’s trumpet. Even the deaf felt it and knew it sounded. Its otherworldly power and tone caused listeners to go to their knees.

We’re told Jesus will return at the sound of a trumpet. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

If we experience the return of the Lord, we’ll immediately drop to our knees. It’s the only response we might muster at the call of his trumpet.

Exodus 19 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Joseph Hersh