A Journey through the Bible with Tiglath

16. Exodus Chapter 19 verse 17 to Chapter 32 verse 14.

From time to time, on our journey through the Bible we shall come to a

a place where we must pause because what is happening is of crucial importance.

In Chapter 19, verse 17, Moses takes his people out of their camp

to meet God. Then God descended on Mount Sinai, which, we are told,

smoked like a kiln. Moses was then summoned by God to the top of the

Mountain. Here he was told that the people were not to approach Sinai Moses

told God that this had already been done to keep Sinai holy. Then God

instructed Moses to go down the Mountain and then return with his brother

Aaron.

Now we come to the vital Chapter 20, vital because it contains the~ Ten

Commandments. These ten laws seem to me, if kept, to contain all that is

required to change a horde of undisciplined slaves into law-abiding citizens,

able to take over and live, as a nation, in the ‘land flowing with milk and

honey’.

We shall pause awhile to look at the structure of the Ten Commandments.

The first four give instructions on how we should interact with God. The

remaining six are about human relationships.

The First Commandment makes it clear that there is only one God and we

worship Him only. When we consider the false gods that mankind now

worships — money, power, sex etc — it makes us realize how far we have

strayed from the First Commandment. In instructing the Israelites not to

worship graven images they would be going against the widespread practice

in the Middle East where people liked to see representations of their Gods.

The Third Commandment is constantly being broken in our society, as is the

Fourth. When I was young the Sabbath Day was certainly quiet and restful —

not any more! It was very civilized to give slaves a rest on the seventh day.

As we shall discover later in our journey it was Jesus Christ who neatly

summarized these laws into two Commandments — you shall love God with

all your heart, mind and strength, and your neighbour as yourself.

The Commandments were written on tablets of stone and were kept in an Ark

of the Covenant, a description of which is in Chapter 25, verse 10 onwards.

After God had spoken the words of the Commandments the Israelites were

very frightened as Mount Sinai continued to smoke, lighting flashed and a

trumpet sounded. Moses told them not to fear. When we reach verse 22 of

Chapter 20 we are at the beginning of a section known as the Book of the

Covenant. This takes us to verse 33 of Chapter 23. This is a most interesting

section — do read it, as it is the very oldest record of Jewish law. We read

about the law concerning slaves, acts of violence, owner’s liability, restitution,

justice and equity. It is also particularly interesting about Sabbath days and

years. Verse 19 instructs you not to boil a kid in its mother’s milk! The chapter

ends on a note of optimism as God promises, if the people will obey him, He

will bring them to the Promised Land, scattering their enemies before them.

In Chapter 24 Moses and the representatives of the people get together to ratify

the keeping of the Ten Commandments. They do this at a special meal where

blood is thrown against the altar and over the people, thus joining them in the

sacrifice (verses 6 — 8). In Chapter 25 God instructs the Israelites to make a

Sanctuary so that He can dwell among them. Read this chapter, also Chapter

26, to learn all about the Tabernacle.

In Chapter 32 we return to the foot of Mount Sinai where the people await the

return of Moses. They become disgruntled and decide to make their own god

to lead them. They wish for a replica of one of the old gods of Egypt. Aaron,

who has returned from the Mountain, instructs them to strip the gold rings

from their wives and daughters and bring them to him. This they did and

Chapter 32, verse 3 tells you what he did with them. Later, Aaron becomes

conscience-stricken and builds an altar to the Lord. Meanwhile, the people

give themselves up to revelry. Verses 7 to 14 recount the reaction of God to

these disgraceful goings-on and also tells how Moses reminds Him of his

Covenant with His Chosen People. Thus he saves the Israelites from

destruction at the hand of the Lord.

Next month we shall continue our journey through Chapter 22 and discover

that Moses was a man of great passion when he destroyed the stones on which

were written the Ten Commandments.