Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.

Transcription

1 You shall not... Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them. So Moses went down to the people and told them. The Ten Commandments And God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor s house. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. Jebel Musa, the traditional Mount Sinai near the southern end of the Sinai Peninsula.

2 You shall not... Read Exodus 19, 20:1-20 At Mount Sinai On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt on that very day they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, We will do everything the LORD has said. So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. The LORD said to Moses, I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you. Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. And the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live. Only when the ram s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain. After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations. On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the LORD said to him, Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them. Moses said to the LORD, The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy. The LORD replied, Go down and bring

3 The Hillbilly s Ten Commandments Posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Harlan, Kentucky: 1. Just one God 2. Honor yer Ma and Pa 3. No tellin' tales or gossipin' 4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin' 5. Put nothin' before God 6. No foolin' around with another feller's gal 7. No killin' 8. Watch yer mouth 9. Don't take what ain't yers 10. Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff About 1,400 years after the Israelites received the Ten Commandments while camped at Mount Sinai, Jesus gave us the perfect summary, the essence of the Ten Commandments, when he was confronted by the religious "experts" of the day: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-40). The first four commandments are contained in the statement: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." The other six commandments are enclosed in the statement: "Love your neighbor as yourself." The Ten Commandments for Kids!! 1. Love God more than you love anything else. 2. Don't make anything in your life more important than God. Don't make statues or pictures of gods to pray to. 3. Always say God's name with love and respect. 4. Set aside one day each week to focus on God, and rest, just like God rested on the seventh day of creation. 5. Love and respect your parents. 6. Never hurt anyone. 7. Always be faithful to your husband or wife. 8. Don't take anything that isn't yours. 9. Always tell the truth. 10. Be happy with what you have. Don't wish for other people's things.

4 Geography and Archaeology of the Exodus Qantir (Pi-Rameses) Tell el-daba (Avaris) Alternative route of the exodus from Rameses to Mount Sinai and onward to Kadesh Barnea. Bitter Lakes Red Sea (Gulf of Suez) Lake el-ballah Lake Timsah Gebel Khashm et-tarif (Mt. Sinai?) Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba) Kadesh Barnea Ezion-Geber Mt. Sinai? (Horeb) The mountain of God, Mount Horeb, Horeb, Mount Sinai, Mountain of Moses, Jebel Musa and Mt. Paran all names in the Old Testament for Mount Sinai, the place where Moses received the Law from God. Mount Sinai in the Old Testament At the end of Moses 40-year exile in Midian, God appeared to him in a burning bush at the base of the Mountain of God, Mount Sinai, and called him to return to Egypt to lead the Israelites to freedom (Ex 3:1 4:17). Mount Sinai was the destination of Moses and the Israelites after God miraculously delivered them from the bondage of Egypt (Ex 18:5). When the Israelites first arrived at Mount Sinai, Moses struck a rock at Horeb to provide water for the multitude (Ex 17:6). Shortly after arriving at Mount Sinai, Jethro, Moses father-in-law, visited Moses and advised him on how to govern the people (Ex 18). Most significantly, it was the place where God appeared in person to Moses and gave the Ten Commandments, as well as instructions for constructing the Tabernacle (Ex 19 31). Skilled craftsmen among the Israelites constructed the Tabernacle and its furnishings under Moses supervision (Ex 35 40). This was where the people worshiped the golden calf and its aftermath (Ex 32 34). The Passover was celebrated exactly one year after leaving Egypt (Nm 9:1). Before departing, more laws were given (Lv 1 27) and a census was taken (Nm 1 10). The Israelites spent at total of 11 months at the mountain before moving on to Kadesh Barnea. Nearly six centuries after the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, Elijah fled to Horeb, the mountain of God to escape the wrath of Queen Jezebel following his encounter with the priests of Baal at Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 19:1 21). All told, some 63 chapters of the Old Testament are devoted to events that took place at Mount Sinai. But, After Elijah s visit, Mount Sinai dropped out of biblical history, and memory of its location faded.

5 Geography and Archaeology of the Exodus Pilgrims, scholars and tourists have visited the traditional site, 7,497-foot-high Jebel Musa (Arabic Mountain of Moses ), for more than 1,600 years. The association of Jebel Musa with Mount Sinai seems to have first developed in the 3rd century AD with hermits living in caves on the mountain. In the early 4th century AD Eusebius of Caesarea placed Mount Sinai in the southern Sinai Peninsula. The most famous early pilgrim to visit the site was Helena, mother of the 4th century Emperor Constantine, who confirmed her belief in the authenticity of Jebel Musa by constructing the first church in the area, the Chapel of the Burning Bush, on the site of a rare specimen of Rubus sanctus, a shrub believed to be the original burning bush. A monastic community soon developed around the chapel and, to protect it from attacks by Bedouin marauders, Emperor Justinian I built a fortress-basilica around the chapel in 542 AD. He called it the Monastery of the Transfiguration, also known as St. Catherine's Monastery after 3rd century AD Christian martyr, St. Catherine of Alexandria who was tortured and beheaded by the Roman Emperor Maximus for criticizing his worship of pagan idols. The impressive mountain in the southern Sinai Peninsula rises above the monastery of St. Catherine. Today it is not uncommon for a hundred or more tourists to visit the ancient sacred site in a single day. But, currently there is no archaeological evidence that the granite peak of Jebel Musa is the actual Mt. Sinai. And the Old Testament does not give clear indication of its location. For these reasons scholars differ widely over where it is located. 14 different sites have been proposed as the real Mount Sinai, including peaks on the other side of the Gulf of Aqaba in what is now Saudi Arabia. The Case for Jebel Musa All the evidence in favor of Jebel-Musa boils down to two points: tradition, and the fact that there were no other proposed alternatives until recently. Against Jebel Musa Sinai appears to have been part of the Egyptian empire at the time. If true, it would not have made sense for Moses to flee to the Sinai if it was part of Egypt. The Exodus implies that Moses took the people "out of the land of Egypt," not into an adjacent territory that was still part of Egypt. Jebel-Musa is situated in the center of a great mass of mountains; there are no plains nearby, and no vegetation or water, that could support massive amounts of people and animals for any length of time. The distance from Jebel Musa to Kadesh Barnea, a major stop on the Exodus itinerary after Mount Sinai, is about 160 miles, much too far for the Israelites, with their slow-moving herds (maximum 6 miles per day), to trek in 11 days, as stated in Deuteronomy 1:2: Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.

6 Geography and Archaeology of the Exodus The Case for Another Sinai Utilizing the travel time of the Israelites in Exodus, the location of Mount Sinai should be sought in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, 60 or so miles from Kadesh Barnea. When Moses left Midian to return to Egypt, he would have taken a direct route traversing central Sinai from the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba to the northern end of the Gulf of Suez. Aaron, whom God had told to meet Moses in the wilderness (Ex 4:27), would have taken the same route from Egypt toward Midian. Their meeting place, The Mountain of God, must have been somewhere along this route. Furthermore, in order to be within grazing distance of Midian, the mountain must have been near the eastern end of the road. A peak named Gebel Khashm et-tarif, some 22 miles west-northwest of the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, fits these parameters. Right, stone structures scattered around the base of Gebel Khashm et-tarif suggest that a large number of people camped by the mountain in antiquity. But, Gebel Khashm et-tarif needs to meet other requirements. According to Exodus 19:1 it took the Israelites 60 days to reach Mount Sinai from Egypt, including the Red Sea/Sea of Reeds crossing. The distance from the starting point at Rameses (Tell el-daba) to Gebel Khashm et-tarif is about 290 miles. Allowing for rest on the Sabbath, the Israelites, averaging a reasonable pace of 5 6 miles per day for a large group of people travelling with animals, could have completed the journey in the stated time. Deuteronomy 1:2 states that Mount Sinai was an 11-day journey to Kadesh Barnea. The distance from Gebel Khashm et-tarif to Kadesh Barnea is about 78 miles. Averaging 7 miles per day, the Israelites could have made the journey in 11 days. Gebel Khashm et-tarif is the only site thus far proposed for Mt. Sinai that meets all the requirements.

7 Some things to think about Who made the rules in your home when you were growing up? How did you attempt to bend them? With what consequences? Which ones were unbendable? How do we misuse God s name? What is the difference between murder and killing? Is lying OK if it doesn t harm someone else? What about white lies? Restate each of the Ten Commandments as the Ten Freedoms. What new insights do you have into God s purpose for you life? Do the Ten Commandments say that slavery is OK as long as you treat slaves properly? Were you punished as a child? Did the punishment vary according to the severity of the offense? Would you vote for capital punishment after convicting someone of murder or other serious death penalty offense? Why or why not? Does your treatment of employees and fellow workers fit God s ideals? Chose one: widow, homeless, slave, orphan, poor. What action can you take that address the needs of that person or persons?

8 For Kids D iscussion iscussion points: Following God s commandments is not always easy. Key Points: 1. The first four commandments are about keeping a right relationship with God. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. 2. The last six commandments deal with keeping a right relationship with our neighbors. Love your neighbor as yourself. Questions: What does commandment mean? Identify areas in your life where you are doing well? Identify areas in your life where you are not doing as well? What is an idol? How do you feel about rules? What things do we sometimes put before God? Word search: S D F G T Y J K L O R E E E A V Q W I T Q S I N A I C A V B F E R T R Y U T K C A R F F O H T E R O T T H U N D E R R V H F E T Y I G V D E E E W C T Y Y K V N I N N M W W S C R E S T Q X C O U S G B V Q E X Memory Verse: You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 Y S U M M O N E T W D D N T D W R G H L J K P L V A B V N D M K T M O U N T A I N W E R T Y S I Y U T R E W Q T P T I U H T I I D O L S R T H H J K L O E S A G G W E M U R D E R M N A D U L T R Y M F F C V B N O L I G H T E N I N G H M D H R SINAI DESERT EGYPT MOUNTAIN COVENANT CLOUD THUNDER LIGHTENING IDOLS MURDER ADULTERY WITNESS STEAL REST COVET SUMMONED DESCEND AARON HONOR FATHER WATER

9 Moses and the Ten Commandments Coloring Page