The people were to be ritually pure so that they could approach God, on his terms, at his holy mountain. The awesomeness of the theophany is then conveyed with imagery that attempts to identify something supernatural and essentially indescribable. Here God in his majestic holiness confronted them and intruded into their lives. Significantly, God spoke to Moses in the midst of this display of his power and glory. Indeed, it is stated that the purpose of this awesome manifestation was to enable Israel