04.07. Events of Sinai

EVENTS OF SINAI The student should review the lesson on "Deliverance of Hebrews from Bondage," Sound Doctrine, Vol. 2, 31-55.

After the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them into the wilderness of Shur where they murmured because they found no water. After three days they reached Marah, but the water was bitter, and they could not drink it. At the command of Jehovah, Moses cast a tree into the water, and the waters became sweet (Exodus 15:22-26).

Manna. Soon they complained of hunger, and longed to be back in Egypt. The Lord fed them with manna. They were required to gather each day only enough for that day, save on the sixth day they were required to gather enough for the Sabbath also, as no manna fell on the Sabbath. Some of them disregarded the Lord’s word both in regard to keeping some of it over night during the week, and in seeking for it on the Sabbath.

Preserving a Portion of Manna. At the command of Jehovah an omerful was put into a pot to be kept throughout their generations as a reminder to future generations of the food they ate in the wilderness for a period of forty years (Exodus 16:1-36).

Again they complained about the water, and were miraculously supplied (Exodus 17:1-7).

Battle with Amalek. In Rephidim, Amalek made war with them. Joshua led Israel to battle. From a hill Moses watched the battle. While he held up his hands Israel prevailed; when he lowered them Amalek prevailed. Because his hands were "heavy," Aaron and Hur seated him on a rock, and held up his hands till the going down of the sun. Amalek was defeated. Then God had a threat recorded that in future years Amalek would be utterly destroyed (Exodus 17:8-16).

Jethro. Jethro, priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, visited them, bringing with him Moses’ wife and two sons. When Jethro saw the heavy burden upon Moses in judging Israel, he suggested that Moses select seventy elders of Israel to judge in the smaller matters. Matters which could not be settled were brought to Moses. Let it not be overlooked that Jethro gave the advice on the condition that "God command thee so." AT SINAI. The Covenant. God promised, on condition of obedience, that he would take them as a people for his own possession and make them a kingdom. The people pledged themselves to obey (Exodus 19:1-8).

Must Not Touch the Mount. Preparatory to giving the law the people were sanctified, and commanded not to touch the mount. Certain death was the penalty for touching the mount (Exodus 19:1-25). The Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-26) The ten commandments were first spoken by Jehovah to the people at Sinai. Jehovah appeared on the mount in the midst of thunderings, lightnings, smoke, and the voice of a trumpet. The people were so awed by this sublime sight that they requested that thereafter all communications be delivered them through Moses. This is referred to in Hebrews 12:18-27. (For a fuller discussion of the Ten Commandments see "Sound Doctrine," Vol. 2, pp. 53-70.)

Sundry Other Laws. In addition to the ten commandments, a full code of laws regulating the social, political, and religious life of the people was given. Many of these laws are recorded in twenty-first and twenty-second chapters of Exodus. The laws regulating the priesthood and sacrifice (see first nine chapters of Leviticus), and the laws regulating the three annual feasts (Exodus 23:14-17; Exodus 34:18-25; Leviticus 23:4­44) are of particular interest to the student of the New Testament. (On the feasts see "Sound Doctrine," Vol. 1, pp. 109, 110.)

Moses in the Mount. Soon after the ten commandments were given, Moses at the call of Jehovah, went up into the mount, where he remained forty days, during which time Jehovah instructed him fully concerning the building of the tabernacle, and gave him two tables of stone on which were written the ten commandments (Exodus 24:1-18, Exodus 25:1-40, Exodus 26:1-37, Exodus 27:1-21, Exodus 28:1-43, Exodus 29:1-46, Exodus 30:1-38, Exodus 31:1-18). The Golden Calf. (Exodus 32:1-35) The people became restless at the long absence of Moses. To Aaron they said: "Up, make us gods, which shall be before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him." Of the ornaments of gold that were contributed by the people Aaron made a golden calf, and called the people to its worship. Jehovah informed Moses of what the people had done. In hot anger, he said to Moses: "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation." The plea of Moses for the people is beautiful in its unselfishness, humility, and trust. But when Moses neared the camp of Israel and saw with his own eyes what was taking place, his "anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount." He re­buked Aaron, and Aaron sought to lay the blame on the people. Aaron knew better than to make that calf, but it is a case of yielding to the demands of the people. There have always been teachers who would yield to the demands of the people. "For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). God has always severely condemned such leaders.

About Three Thousand Killed. Names Blotted Out. About three thousand people were slain for the sin of making and worshiping the golden calf. Then Moses prayed, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written" (Exodus 32:31-32). Jehovah answered, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." There is a book of life in which the names of the righteous are written (Malachi 3:16-17; Luke 10:20; Php 4:3). Sin may cause these names to be blotted out (Exodus 32:32-33; Psalms 69:28). Then at the judgment those whose names are not found written in the book of life are cast into hell (Revelation 20:11-15).

Second Time in the Mount. (Exodus 34:1-35) Jehovah commanded Moses to prepare two tables of stone like the first, and to come again into the mount. When Moses went up into the mount Jehovah descended in a cloud and proclaimed himself to be "Jehovah," a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth; keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, upon the third and fourth generation." Moses at the command of Jehovah wrote the ten commandments upon two tables of stone. When Moses returned from the mount his face shone so that Aaron and the people were afraid to come near him. Then he put a veil on his face. Paul refers to this veil in 2 Corinthians 3:1-18. The Two Great Events at Sinai. The student will readily see that the two outstanding events of Sinai were the giving of the law, of which we have already spoken, and the building of the tabernacle, which is discussed in another lesson. The Priests. Out of the tribes of Israel the tribe of Levi was selected as the priestly tribe. But not all Levites were priests, for out of the tribe of Levi the family of Aaron was selected to be the priests (Exodus 2:1-10; Exodus 4:14-20; Exodus 28:1; Exodus 28:40-43; Exodus 29:1-9; Exodus 29:44; Numbers 18:1-7). The other Levites were helpers or ministers to Aaron and his sons (Numbers 3:5-10; Numbers 18:21-24). The priests had many duties, of which a very prominent feature was the offering of sacrifices. The laws governing the sacrifices are recorded mainly in the first nine chapters of Levi­ticus. In the old dispensation they had their priests and high priests, and the people approached Jehovah through these men. It is the province of the priest to intervene between men and Jehovah. In the Christian dispensation every child of God is a priest (1 Peter 2:5-9; Revelation 1:6). Christians do not have to appeal to a Catholic priest to have him intercede with God for them; but, being priests themselves, they go to God. Again, the priests under the law made material sacrifices, but Christians offer spiritual sacrifices. The high priest under the law had infirmities, but our high priest, Christ, is perfect (Hebrews 7:28). The Jews were required to offer the very best they had—they were not allowed to bring the crippled calf, nor defective lamb.

Nadab and Abihu. (Leviticus 10:1-10.) Nadab and Abihu were priests, sons of Aaron. It was their duty to offer sacrifices and to burn incense. But in officiating as priests they went too far, "and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before Jehovah and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah." So far as we know they had done everything that day that the Lord commanded them to do; at least, it is not charged against them that they left off anything. But they did more than the Lord had appointed, and did that which he had not commanded. They presumed to improve on what the Lord had appointed. They were "progressive"—they did not believe in staying in the old ruts. Jehovah had not declared in express terms what they should not do, but he had told them what to do. To most people their offence would seem to be a small matter. "Burning a little incense, even if it was not required. What harm could there be in that? Why be so legalistic anyway?" At least, so people reason about matters today. Jehovah sees not as man sees. Concerning his laws, he says, "Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). But Nadab and Abihu added—they did that "which the I ord had not commanded them"; and, without even the form of a legal trial, God destroyed them. These things were written for our learning (Romans 10:5), and happened to them for examples for us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Blaspheming and Cursing. To blaspheme is to speak contemptuously of God, or to use his name in a light, frivolous way; or speak in any way to reflect on his majesty or glory. Profanity, so often heard, is blasphemy. The use preachers sometimes make of the name of the Lord in a light, flippant way approaches dangerously near to blasphemy. To curse is to "utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate."

Two men had a fight in the camp of Israel. One of them "blasphemed the Name and cursed." The Lord commanded that he be stoned; "and they brought forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and storied him with stones" (See Leviticus 24:10-23). This shows how abhorrent it is of God for one to curse and blaspheme.

Numbering the People. By order of Jehovah all the people of Israel from twenty years old and upward were numbered. Each tribe was numbered separately. There were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty exclusive of the tribe of Levi, which was not included in the numbering (Numbers 1:1-49). Afterwards the Levites were numbered, every male from a month old and upward, twenty-two thousand (Numbers 3:14-43).

Exchanging the First-born for the Levites. When the Lord slew the first-born of the Egyptians, he dedicated to himself the first-born in Israel, both of man and of beast (Exodus 13:1-15). At Sinai God accepted the Levites as his instead of the first-born of all Israel; but there were two hundred seventy-three more of the first born of Israel than there were of the male Levites. The people redeemed this two hundred seventy-three by payment of five shekels for each of the two hundred seventy-three (Numbers 3:40-51). The Order of Encampment and Marching. The whole order of encamping and marching was regulated by Jehovah to the minutest detail. The Levites encamped round about the tabernacle (Numbers 1:52), with Gershon on the west (Numbers 3:21-23), Kohath on the south (Numbers 3:27-29), the Meraites on the north (Numbers 3:33-35), and Moses, Aaron, and his sons on the east (Numbers 3:38). The other tribes were distributed as follows: On the east, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulum (Numbers 2:3-9); on the south, Ruben, Simeon, and Gad (Numbers 2:10-12); on the west, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin (Numbers 2:18-24); on the north, Dan, Asher, and Napthali (Numbers 2:25-31). Each family of the Levites had its special burden assigned it in transporting the tabernacle (Numbers 3:21-37; Numbers 7:4-9). A definite order was followed in breaking camp to move: the standard of Judah when first, the tabernacle was then taken down and borne by the Gershinites and the Meraites, following Judah; then followed the standard of Reuben, the Kohathites following, bearing the sanctuary; the standard of Ephraim and the standard of Dan in the rear (Numbers 10:11-28). The Cloud. The cloud rested over the tabernacle while they were in camp; and not till the cloud was raised and moved, did they break camp and move (Exodus 40:34-38; Numbers 9:15-23). They then marched till the cloud stopped, and there they camped again. The Lord selected the camping places.

Time at Sinai. By reference to Exodus 19:1 and Numbers 10:11 it will be seen that the Israelites remained in camp at Sinai nearly a year.

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION.

• Israel’s Deliverance from Bondage.

• The Sin of Murmuring and Complaining.

• The Sinfulness and Folly of Profanity.

• The Blessings of Righteousness to a Country Socially and Politically.

• God’s Dealings with the Israelites as Examples to Us.

QUESTIONS.