The Lord fulfills a promise He had made to Moses at the burning bush, leading the Israelites back to Mount Sinai. There, the Lord promises to make His people "a royal priesthood and a holy nation"if they obey His voice. Then He descends on the mountain in terrifying fire and smoke, about to give the Ten Commandments. In this lesson, we consider what it means to be God's holy people, in light of what Peter later said regarding living in submission to the governing authorities. We also look at the importance of fearing God, a foundational (but often maligned) teaching of Jesus and the apostles.