When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18-19).

Who are your most memorable teachers? Maybe there was someone who made the subject so exciting it inspired you to pursue a career in a related field. Or perhaps, for one reason or another, their style didn’t quite work for you such that learning the material was especially challenging, earning them the reputation of “the hard teacher.” Whatever the reason, I would guess we all have someone who sticks out to us.

As you may know, I have been studying physics at UNC for the last few years. This semester, I am working as a teaching assistant for an introductory physics class. My role as a TA is mainly supplemental instruction separate from the main professor’s lectures. Understanding the intimidation factor surrounding most attempts to approach a physics professor, I try to position myself as a co-learner: someone of similar station, also a student, and a little closer in age. The main thing I try to communicate is that my experience is not too different from theirs. Learning physics is hard for me too. I did not get top scores on my exams. I’ve had innumerable moments sitting in class thinking, “what in the world is this professor talking about?”

I see Moses as that person for the rest of the Jews. After being freed from their captivity in Egypt, God is ready to instruct His people on how they should proceed in their newfound freedom. His first “lecture” is titled The Ten Commandments. Imagine that lecture hall. The instructor at the podium is the Lord who just demonstrated incredible power delivering His people from slavery. Yeah… I would be intimidated sitting in that room, too.

The Lord’s presence immediately strikes fear in the people. Instead of receiving a comforting new life lesson, the people see a mountain covered in smoke, illuminated by cracks of lightning, and rumbling with thunder and blaring trumpets – quite an intimidating professor. But God is not alone teaching the people the new Laws. His hand-picked teaching assistant, Moses, is there to help to interpret and apply the lessons.

Having already witnessed his connection with the Lord when parting the Red Sea, the people look to Moses to approach the smoke and speak to the Lord on their behalf. They certainly see that Moses is just a man like one of them, but there’s something different about him that can bridge the gap. He shares the experiences of the people and lives among them but is somehow able to communicate with the Lord and interpret His commands without fearing certain death.

God knows we’re all this way. We need a little extra help from a teaching assistant, someone who knows what we’re struggling with but is so familiar with the Lord that we can rely on him to intercede and interpret when necessary. As we’ll see moving forward in this series, Moses will not be the last one to fill this role. All who act in this capacity point towards the eventual coming of our perfect teacher, Jesus.

We can’t do it all on our own. We all need teachers to guide and instruct us along the way. Who are or were your favorite teachers? Were any of them connected to your faith walk? What made them so impactful? Are these qualities you could work to cultivate within yourself?