ARRIVAL AT MOUNT SINAI AND THE APPEARANCE OF YAHWEH ON THE MOUNT (EXODUS 19:1). This section is introduced by a summary (Exodus 19:1) which refers back to the details in Exodus 17-18. It was possibly the opening of a new papyrus scroll (or tablet) in his source to bring back to mind the stage reach... [ Continue Reading ]
ARRIVAL AT MOUNT SINAI AND THE APPEARANCE OF YAHWEH ON THE MOUNT (EXODUS 19:1). This section is introduced by a summary (Exodus 19:1) which refers back to the details in Exodus 17-18. It was possibly the opening of a new papyrus scroll (or tablet) in his source to bring back to mind the stage reach... [ Continue Reading ]
YAHWEH DECLARES HIS PEOPLE TO BE A HOLY PEOPLE AND HIS TREASURED POSSESSION, A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS (EXODUS 19:3). This may be analysed as follows: a Moses goes up to God and Yahweh calls to him from the mountain (Exodus 19:3). b Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Isr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE ARE TO PREPARE FOR WHAT YAHWEH IS GOING TO DO (EXODUS 19:10). This passage is also based on a chiastic construction as follows: a Moses is told to prepare the people so that they will be ready (Exodus 19:10). b Bounds are to be set, they must not touch the mount lest they die (Exodus 1... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Moses went down from the Mount to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Be ready against the third day. Do not come near a woman.” ' The sanctifying by Moses was possibly by the offering of sacrifices (compare Exodus 29:1) after which... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And on the third day, when it was morning, it happened. There were thunders and lightning and thick cloud on the Mount, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet. And all the people who were in the camp trembled.' On the morning of the third day what appeared to be a terrible electrical storm c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Moses brought the people out of the camp and they stood at the lowest part of the mountain.' At the coming of the storm Moses obediently brought all the people up to the bounds that he had set at ‘the lowest part of the mountain', the mounds leading up to the mountain.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Mount Sinai was totally covered in smoke because Yahweh descended on it in fire, and its smoke ascended as the smoke of a furnace and the whole mountain quaked greatly.' Fire and smoke were both symbols of God in Genesis 15:17 where He appeared in a smoking furnace and a flaming torch. This man... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the mountain peak, and Yahweh called Moses to the mountain peak, and Moses went up. And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down. Charge the people lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze and many of them perish.” As God looked down He knew the hearts of the people,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And let the priests also who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break forth on them.' This refers to Moses and Aaron. They are the priests who approach Yahweh at this time (Exodus 19:24). Moses especially (Exodus 17:15), and Aaron with him, are the ones who at this stage mainly... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for you charged us saying, ‘Set bounds about the Mount and sanctify it'.” ' Moses is still a little naive. He cannot conceive that the people would disobey Yahweh and break through the bounds and enter the sanctified area of the mou... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said to him, “Go, get yourself down, and you will come up, you, and Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out upon them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them.' Again Yahweh issues His warning through Moses.... [ Continue Reading ]