Catechist Formation Session Objectives Cat 102: Foundations of Salvation History Session 6 Moses: Moses and Mt. Sinai Background Material Exodus 15 to Deuteronomy 34 Lesson 5: Genesis to Jesus, Kimberly Hahn and Michael Barber. Dr. Scott Hahn. A Father Who Keeps His Promises. Chapters 8 and 9. Session Goal: In this session, we will give an introductory overview of Exodus 15 to Deuteronomy 34, highlighting the stories of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses, the worship of the Golden Calf by many of the Israelites, and the response from Moses and the Lord to help root out idolatry among the Israelites. Three questions adults might have about this topic. What life-issues do I need to connect with in the people at my session? 1. Why did God give the Israelites so many laws? Doesn t Jesus say we should get past laws and focus only on love? 2. Why would God allow the Israelites to kill each other? 3. What is the purpose of the book of Leviticus and all the laws of the Old Testament? Essential Points for the Teaching. Add in sub-points as needed. What points need to be made explicit and cannot be left to chance? A. Begin by giving some background to the story of Moses in Exodus 15 to Deuteronomy 34. Note as you begin to teach this that you will be highlighting most of the material in this section, focusing in particular on the giving the Law to Moses and the Israelites worship of the Golden Calf. Begin by recapping the events of Moses 1-15. Next, summarize Exodus 15-18 as follows: 1. Would the people of Israel worship God? Cat 102 Session 6 1 Mt. Sinai
As Moses and the Israelites moved on from the Red Sea, they are destined for Mt. Sinai, the place destined for their worship of God. This was to accomplish the purpose of leaving Exodus, which was to worship the Lord (as we saw in the previous session). 2. Quickly after leaving Egypt, the Israelites grumble against God. Still God feeds them with manna and quail. (See Exodus 16.) 3. Moses needs help in ruling the vast number of people, and so, taking his father-in-law s advice, delegates authority to manage to judges (Exodus 18). B. Break Open the Text of Exodus 19-Deuteronomy 34. 1. Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrive at Mt. Sinai. Read Exodus 19:1-8. a. God reveals His desire for Israel, to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. God s purpose for bringing the Israelites out of Egypt is to make them a holy nation of priests, of those who offer their lives to God in a sacrifice of love. This point becomes God s mission and purpose statement for everything He does in the Old Testament, and in a very real way, is a lead-in to the mission and purpose of Jesus. Note, in v. 8, the quick reaction of the people to follow God s will. This will change shortly. Read Exodus 19:9 to 20:1. b. God asks the Israelites to prepare for three days for His coming. This section tells us about the preparations by the people for God s coming. The people had to prepare to receive God because they were not ready to encounter His holiness. Note how they were called to refrain from sexual relations, not just with their wives, but with any woman. This was a call to the Israelite men to fast in preparation. The author is giving us a clue as to what the problem is that the Israelites were experiencing, that of sexual promiscuity. This problem will come back to haunt the Israelites shortly. Read Exodus 20:2-23. This gives us an account not only of the Ten Commandments, but note that v. 23 is a command against worshipping gods of silver and gold. This will become a problem very quickly in the text. c. On Mt. Sinai, God begins to reveal His Law to Moses. Summarize Exodus 21-23. The laws in this section include: - The Ten Commandments Cat 102 Session 6 2 Mt. Sinai
- Social laws - Religious laws. Read Exodus 24:1-18. d. The covenant is ratified with the people by sprinkling them with blood. Exodus 24 again has the people answering to Moses that they will do whatever the Lord asks, and their yes is covenantally sealed by being sprinkled with blood, a sign that their very lives are at stake with this covenant. Summarize Exodus 25-31, which gives a detailed account of the Tabernacle, the portable tent that will be the center of Israelite worship. We see here plans given by God to Moses that includes a design of the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, the vestments and ordination rite of Aaron and his sons who will be the high priests. Read Exodus 31:18. Note, too, in the text, that there is a sense that the people are completely on board with this covenant, yet there are peculiar warning signs and commandments that are a preview of the next event. 2. With Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites sin gravely by worshipping the Golden Calf. Read Exodus 32:1-6. a. The people designate Aaron to build the golden calf. In the preceding chapters, the Israelites had said that they would do whatever the Lord asks of them, but quickly they got impatient. This event parallels the fall of Adam and Eve. What happens to Adam and Eve as persons happens to Israel at this point, that is, rebellion against God s commandments. The bull is a representation of the Egyptian god Apis. The golden bull is a symbol of power, wealth and sexual prowess. That the Israelites rose up to revel means that they were involved in sexual orgies, violating God s sanctity of sexual intimacy in marriage. Read Exodus 32:7-14. b. Moses acts as a mediator in defense of the Israelites. Read Exodus 32:15-19. c. In anger, Moses destroys the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Cat 102 Session 6 3 Mt. Sinai
We have already seen that Moses had a fiery side to him, in killing an Egyptian and in leaving Pharaoh in hot anger. Read Exodus 32:20-24. d. Moses destroyed the Golden Calf, making the Israelites drink it. In making them drink the powdered Golden Calf, Moses turns their god into human excrement. Note the lame response of Aaron, not taking responsibility, just as Adam did not. Read Exodus 32:25-35. e. The Levites rallied to Moses side, slaying 3000 idolaters. This is a harsh scene about how idolaters are handled, which demonstrates for us the gravity of the sin and the situation it created. From this point in the text, the Levites have a key role to play as priests in the nation of Israel. This is seen in the book of Leviticus and throughout the rest of the Old Testament. Summarize Exodus 33-34. f. God reissues a second set of stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. g. Moses intimacy with God was so deep that his face became radiant. Moses continues to grow in intimacy with the Lord as a unique friend of God s. 3. From Mt. Sinai, highlights of Israel in the desert include: a. The building of the Tabernacle. In Exodus 35-40, the building of the Tabernacle now gives Israel a portable place of worship. b. The institution of the Levitical priesthood. Leviticus is a manual for the Levites, the priests of the Tabernacle. Following the sin of the Golden Calf, more laws and statues are given to the people to help them be holy (see Exodus 19 mission statement). Leviticus outlines the complex sacrificial system of the Israelites. Cat 102 Session 6 4 Mt. Sinai
c. Census and forty years of wandering in the desert. The book of Numbers recounts the census of the people of Israel, but includes also the lying of the ten spies (Numbers 13) and the condemning of the people of Israel to forty years of wandering in the desert. d. The sin of idolatry at Bael of Peor. Before entering the promised land, the Israelites sin again by committing more acts of sexual sin (Numbers 25) e. The second law in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy means second law, it is the law that Moses gave the people of Israel after the sin at Bael of Peor. Included in these laws are law of worship and laws for entering into Canaan (the promised land). They also include law that allowed for provisions, such as divorce, that were not good but were a reflection of the hardheartedness of the people. f. The promise of a greater prophet than Moses. Deuteronomy 18:15. g. The death of Moses and appointment of Joshua as his successor. 4. In summary, we have seen in Ex.15 to Dt. 34 that: a. Once out of Egpyt, the Israelites grumbled against Moses. b. Israel falls to the idolatrous worship of the Golden Calf. c. God institutes laws and sacrifices to help root out Israel s idolatry. Questions for Discussion. 1. List two or three points from the teaching in this session that stand out for you. 2. God s people, the Israelites, had to live, literally, one day at a time in the wilderness on their way home to the Promised Land. They could not stockpile the manna and quail God gave them. Instead, they had to depend on Him daily to provide for their physical needs. Jesus taught us to live this way, too, in the prayer He gave to the Church: Give us this day our daily bread. Do you find this a difficult way to live? Why or why not? 3. At Mt. Sinai, God gave His people rules only after He worked great miracles of deliverance for them. Likewise, the Church calls us to obey the Ten Commandments, as well as her moral Cat 102 Session 6 5 Mt. Sinai
teachings, because Jesus laid down His life for us. Does that make sense to you? How do you think that principle can motivate you to obey God this week? 4. Moses friendship with God led to his strong desire to see God s face. Knowledge of God (which is different from simply getting information about Him) should create a hunger to know Him better. Closing Prayer After gathering everyone for prayer, quietly proclaim the following Scripture passage: Memorize Matthew 5:17. 17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Have them meditate on God s love for us, which is reflected in His efforts to share His will with us through the law He has given us. End your session with a time of intercessions and a Hail Mary. Cat 102 Session 6 6 Mt. Sinai