#17 March 22 - What Happened on Mount Sinai?

Exodus 19:1-20:18

In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. And the people camped in front of the mountain.

Moses went up to God, who called to him from Mount Sinai and said to him, "Tell the Children of Israel, 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you close to Me. If you obey Me faithfully and keep my covenant, you will be My special treasure among all the peoples of the earth, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' Say these words to the Children of Israel."

Moses called the elders and told them all that God had commanded.

And all the people answered together: "All that God has said we will do!"

Then Moses brought the people's words back to God. God said to Moses, "I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will trust you forever. Now go to the people and warn them to stay pure and to wash their clothes, and to be ready for the third day, for on the third day I will come down, in the sight of all the people, to Mount Sinai. Tell the people, 'Beware of going up on the mountain or touching its borders. For whoever touches the mountain will die. Whether animal or human, they shall not live.' When the shofar sounds a long blast, then they may go up on the mountain."

Moses came down from the mountain and told the people all that God had commanded.

On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder and lightning, and a dense cloud, and a very loud blast of the shofar, and all the people in the camp trembled. Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered in smoke, for God had come down upon it in fire. The smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace and the whole mountain shook violently. The blare of the shofar grew louder and louder. When Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder, God came down to the top of Mount Sinai, and Moses went up.

Then God spoke all these words:

• I the Lord am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, You shall have no other gods besides Me.
• You shall not make for yourselves a sculptured image or anything resembling what is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to these idols or serve them.
• You shall not swear falsely by God's name, for I will not pardon anyone who swears falsely by My name.
• Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall do all your work but the seventh day is My Sabbath. You shall not do any work -- you, your son or your daughter, your male of female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your gates. For in six days God made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them and God rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
• Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long on the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
• You shall not murder.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall on testify falsely against your neighbor.
• You shall not covet your neighbor's house, or his wife, or his male or female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

All the people saw the thunder and lightning, the blast of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. when the people saw all this, they backed away and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we will obey but do not let God speak to us or we will die." Moses said to them, "Do not be afraid for God has come only to test you and be sure that you will always revere God so that you do not go down the wrong path." 

Then Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. Moses remained on the mountain covered in cloud for 40 days and 40 nights. 

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Did you get all that? 

With a partner or on a sheet of paper, answer the following questions:

1. What do the Israelites have to do before the third day?
2. What do God, Moses and the Israelites do on the third day? (Try to list the events in order.)
3. At what point are the Israelites allowed to go up the mountain?
4. If you were a weather forecaster, how would you describe this day in the Sinai wilderness?
5. After God comes down and declares the 10 Commandments, what do the Israelites do?

Let's go a little deeper...

Read the following commentaries / questions and choose one to respond to (below in the comments box):

... I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you close to Me.

What does it mean when God says God carried the Israelites out of Egypt on eagles' wings?Rashi says: Like the eagle who carries its young upon its wings. For all other birds put their young between their feet because they are afraid of another bird that can fly above them, but the eagle is only afraid of man, for a man could shoot an arrrow into him because not bird flies above him. Therefore the eagle puts the baby birds upon his wings. He says, "Better that the arrow should enter me than my child." 

Based on Rashi's description of the eagle and its young, why do you think God describes Godself as an eagle? If an eagle is the symbol for God, what is the symbol for Israel?

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... you will be My special treasure among all the peoples of the earth, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

God says that the Israelites will be special and holy to God if they follow God's commandments. God says they will be a "kingdom of priests." Later on in the Torah, God will assign certain Israelites (Aaron and his sons) to be priests. They will get to work in the Mishkan (the portable Temple that the Israelites will build for God). They will get to wear special clothing. They will not have to cook their own food. They will be in charge of all the sacrifices that Israelites will bring to God. In short, they will be very important. Why, then, do you think God says ALL of the Israelites will be priests? What do you think God means by this?