The direct route from Goshen, in Egypt, to Canaan went through the land of the Philistines. They were fierce warriors descended from Casluhim, son of Egypt’s founder, Mizraim. Yahweh foresaw that if the Israelites faced them in battle so soon after escaping Egypt, they might desire to return to the relative safety of their captors. So God sent the Israelites angels to guide them on a safer, but less direct path. One took the form of a pillar of smoke and guided them by day while the other appeared as a pillar of fire to lead them at night.
As they camped on the western bank of the Red Sea, Yahweh said to Moses, “Our wandering route will cause the pharaoh to think you are lost in the desert, and in his bitterness over your leaving, he will pursue you, but he will not overtake you, for I will protect you.”
As Yahweh foresaw, the pharaoh and his advisors seethed over the loss of their slave labor and the devastation to their land. When the report came that the Israelites had stopped on the banks of the Red Sea, he gathered his army, hundreds of chariots and countless more troops, and pursued them. When the Israelites saw them approaching, they were terrified, yelling to Moses, “Was there nowhere for us to be buried in Egypt? Is that why you brought us into the desert to die? Didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? It would have better for us to remain slaves in Egypt than to be slaughtered by them here.”
But Moses replied, “Do not be afraid. Look to Yahweh for your salvation. You will never see these Egyptians again.”
Then Yahweh told Moses, “Have the children of Israel walk into the sea. You will lift up your staff and stretch your hand out to divide it. Then the people will walk on dry ground across the seabed. The Egyptians will pursue them, but at that moment I will show these relentlessly stubborn Egyptians for the last time that I am God.”
The pillars of fire and smoke that had been leading them moved behind the Israelites. On the Egyptian side, the pillar of smoke brought paralyzing darkness to the Egyptians. The pillar of fire remained near to the Hebrew camp and provided them with a warming light all night long. Then Moses stretched out his staff towards the Red Sea. Out of the east, Yahweh sent a mighty wind that separated the water and created a dry path for the people.
With a wall of water to their right and left they nervously walked across the seabed onto the Sinai peninsula. When the pillars of fire and smoke dissipated, the chariots of the pharaoh pursued the Israelites, but Yahweh caused their wheels to become stuck in the mud of the seabed. Too late they understood in their hearts that they not battling against people, but against God. Then, as the sun was rising, Yahweh had Moses stretch his hands out once more, causing the waters to rejoin, killing every soldier who had pursued the Israelites. As they witnessed the destruction of their enemies, the Israelites’ faith in Yahweh was strengthed and they finally saw Moses as their appointed leader. Moses and his sister Miriam then led the entire community in a psalm of praise to Yahweh.
Let us exalt Yahweh our God.
Our enemy said,
“I will pursue. I will overtake. I will destroy.”
But you, oh God,
You are our strength, our song, our salvation.
With your mighty breath, the waters were separated and held back.
Pharaoh's chariots and his armies you have drowned in the sea.
The depths have covered them.
They sank to the bottom like stones.
Who is like you, Yahweh, among the “gods” of other nations?
Who is like you, glorious in holiness, deserving of praise, worker of wonders?
In your mercy, you have led forth your rescued people.
You are guiding them by your strength to your holy place.
The nations will hear of this and tremble,
The kings of Edom shall be amazed,
The mighty men of Moab will quake,
The inhabitants of Canaan will fall away,
Until we come to the land you have provided, where you will reign forever.
But as they continued on their journey, the hardship of life in the desert quickly overshadowed this miraculous victory. They continued through the desert and soon became thirsty, complaining to Moses for water. “Why are you complaining?” he asked. “Will you really test God in this way?”
But the people angrily repeated, “Why did Yahweh lead us out of Egypt only to let us die of thirst?”
Moses asked Yahweh, “What should I do? They mean to kill me.”
Yahweh answered him, “Gather all the elders of the Israelites and stand before the people. You will strike the rock with the staff you used to part the Red Sea, and water will pour out of it for the people to drink.” Moses obeyed and for a time the people’s complaining subsided.
But eventually, when they grew hungry, they complained, “We would have been better off if Yahweh had killed us in Egypt. At least there we had all the food we wanted. Instead, Yahweh has decided to let us all starve to death in the desert.”
Hearing their cries, Yahweh came to Moses and told him what to say to the people.
Moses and Aaron then went before the crowds and said, “Tomorrow, and each day after, you will go out and gather food. As you do, remember that it is Yahweh who rescued you and is leading you to the promised land. When you complain like this, you are complaining to Yahweh, not me or Aaron.”
That night, dew covered the ground and as it dried up there remained small flakes, like frost. The Israelites had never seen anything like it and did not recognize it as food. So Moses told them, “This is what Yahweh has provided you. It is called manna. Go and collect enough for everyone in your household, about a gallon for each. Cook and eat everything you gather. Do not save anything for the next day. On the sixth day, you will gather enough for two days, for Yahweh desires that you rest on the seventh day, just as it was when the creation of the world was completed. Now go, for it will disappear each day when the sun is overhead.”
This food was a miraculous thing: white like coriander seed, but tasting of honey wafers. When the people went out, some sought to gather more than they needed and others were unable to gather enough, yet when they returned home and measured out what they had gathered, it was always exactly enough to feed each family. Some, whose trust in Yahweh faltered, tried to save a portion of what they had gathered for the next day, but whatever they did not eat filled with maggots overnight. On the sixth day, when they gathered twice as much, their food somehow did not rot, and they were able to save the excess for their day of rest. Those who disobeyed and went out to gather food on the seventh day found none.
Seeing the lack of faith among the people, Yahweh asked Moses, “How long will they refuse to listen? I know you better than you know yourselves. That is why I have given you the sabbath, a day of rest, and why you were told to gather twice as much on the sixth day. Do not fall into temptation. Remain strong in your faith. Stay in your tents on the seventh day.” Yahweh would continue to provide for the people of Israel in this way for a further forty years.
But a blessing can be twisted into a burden in the wayward hearts of humanity, and so it was that the people soon longed for more variety, murmuring to each other, “In the land of Egypt we ate our fill of fowl, fish, and fruit. This endless manna is intolerable. We crave meat!”
This cacophony of ingratitude swelled until it reached the distraught ears of Moses who called out to Yahweh, “Why have you allowed this boulder of responsibility to crush me? How have I displeased you that you are punishing me with these burdensome people? Are they my children? Why must I carry them like infants to the land that you promised to our ancestors? They whine ceaselessly for meat. I do not have the strength for this. If this is how it will be, I would rather you take my life and release me from this servitude rather than witness them fall into despair in the desert.”
Yahweh replied, “Tell them to prepare themselves, for tomorrow they will eat meat. Their complaints have reached the ears of God. They will not eat it for only one day, or five days, but a whole month, until it comes out of their nostrils, and it is disgusting to them because of their ingratitude for the nourishment I have provided.”
But Moses replied, “Surely our numbers exceed a million but you say you will give us meat for a month? There would not be enough even if we slaughtered every animal in our possession and caught every fish in the sea.”
Yahweh replied, “Is my power not enough? You will see whether my words come to pass or not.” Then God made a wind blow into the camp, and upon the wind came an abundance of quail. They covered the camp three feet high in some places and stretched out as far as they could see, up to a day’s walk. The people voraciously gathered in great abundance, but with little regard in their hearts for the God who had provided for them.
Though the Israelites were, for a time, no longer worried about what they would eat or drink, the threat of violence soon loomed over the camp. Amalekites, descendants of one of Esau’s sons, located the Israelites and mustered an army to destroy them. Moses instructed Joshua, a young warrior from the tribe of Ephraim, to lead a group of men against the Amalekites, telling him, “tomorrow I will stand on the hill overlooking the battlefield with my staff in my hands.”
The next day, as Joshua led his men into battle, the Israelites saw that, as long as Moses held the staff aloft, the Israelites gained the advantage, but as he became weary and the staff lowered, the Amalekites would rally. Some from among them brought Moses a stone to sit on and his brother Aaron and another man held his arms up until Joshua could defeat their enemy.
After the battle, Yahweh said to Moses, “Listen to what I am about to say and make sure Joshua hears it. I was known to Esau, grandfather of Amalek, and yet this tribe has raised its hands in violence against me and my people. Since they have brought war to me I declare that the time will come when their name will be blotted out on the earth.”
But with their safety assured, the Israelites quickly turned their thoughts to conditions in the camp. They soon brought all of the disputes they had with each other to Moses, who judged what was right and wrong and tried to teach them what Yahweh expected of them.
One day, as he sat in the judge's seat, he was approached by his father-in-law Jethro who had come from nearby Midian because he had heard of everything that God had done for the Israelites. He asked Moses, “Do you really sit here from morning to night as the only judge for an entire nation of people? This will not go well for you. You risk exhausting yourself. Let me offer you some advice. Finish teaching the people the laws of God. Show them how they are meant to conduct themselves. Then, select some trustworthy and incorruptible people and have them judge over groups of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. They can handle the simple disputes. Anything that they cannot decide can then be brought to you. Sharing the load will not only ease your burden but will be a blessing to the people.” After aiding Moses in establishing a network of judges, Jethro returned to Midian.
It had been three months since the Israelites left Egypt when they finally arrived at Mount Sinai. Moses traveled up the mountain alone to speak with Yahweh, who said, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I have carried you to this place. If you will listen to my voice, then you shall become a treasure among the nations. Though all the earth is mine, you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
After Moses returned to the camp and delivered this message, the people responded, “We will do everything Yahweh says.”
Moses ascended the mountain once more and Yahweh said to him, “I have come to you in a thick cloud so the people will be able to see that I am speaking with you. Tell them to purify themselves today and tomorrow. On the third day, I will appear in this cloud again. Set boundaries for the people. Do not let them touch the mountainside, for my presence has made it holy. But when they hear the trumpet blast stop, they can approach the mountain.” So Moses returned to the people and delivered these instructions.
On the third day, the power of God was again shown to the Israelites as thunder, lightning, clouds, fire, earthquakes, and the sound of ever loudening trumpets enveloped the mountain. The people were afraid and said to Moses, “Go speak to Yahweh and tell us what he says, but don’t let Yahweh speak to us directly or we will die.”
Moses replied, “Do not be afraid to be in the presence of God, instead use the memory of this display of power to lead you, always, towards holiness.”
Then God called Moses back to the top of the mountain, where he said, “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of slavery. You have seen for yourself how my people are unwilling to draw near and listen to my voice. So I will lead them towards holiness another way, by providing this nation with a law to govern them. Speak these commands to the people,
“You must not worship anything except for me, and do not bow down or serve any object created by mortal hands, for I alone am God and I am infinite. I love you and I desire your love in return. You must not evoke my name for wicked purposes. You will be found guilty if you do this. Remember to keep the sabbath day holy. For six days you may labor, but the seventh day is a day of rest. For when the work of creating the earth, the skies, the sea, and all that is within was completed, surely even I rested and marked that time as holy. Honor your father and your mother. Do not murder. Do not dishonor your marriage covenants. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not desire for yourself what belongs to someone else. Now go and deliver these ten commandments to the people.”
When Moses came down the mountain he repeated everything he had heard to the people and they responded, “Everything Yahweh asks of us, we will do.”
Moses then built an altar with twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel and had an animal brought from each tribe to be sacrificed to Yahweh. He took some of the blood of these animals and said to the people, “let this blood be a symbol of the promise made on this day between the Israelites and Yahweh.
Yahweh once again spoke to Moses, saying, “Come back up the mountain, alone. When Moses left, he put his brother Aaron in charge. For six days, Moses waited for Yahweh on the mountain top, which was covered in a thick cloud. Then Yahweh came, and to the people looking up at the mountain, it appeared to be covered in fire.
God then said to Moses, “In addition to these ten commandments I will teach this chosen people how to be a holy beacon of justice and mercy among all the nations.” Yahweh then gave Moses extensive instructions on how the Israelites were to pursue holiness through criminal and social justice, including the consequences for criminal negligence, theft, and property damage as well as how they ought to treat servants, foreigners, widows, and orphans. But God also showed Moses how the Israelites were to pursue holiness within their own hearts by warning them of the evils of magic, teaching them how they ought to purify themselves, how they were to worship, further details about keeping the sabbath holy, which holidays they were to celebrate and the importance of generosity.”
Then Yahweh said, “I am sending one of my angels before you to keep you headed in the right direction to the place that I have prepared for you. If you listen to what I say, I will be your ally against any who oppose you. Though their ancestors knew me, they have chosen to turn away. So you will utterly overthrow them and break down their false gods.
“You will serve me as I make my name known throughout the world once more. I will bless you in all ways. You will have plenty to eat and drink. I will take sickness away from you. You will not experience infertility. Your nation will extend from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, from the Sinai desert to the Euphrates river.” After Moses had been listening to all these things for 40 days, Yahweh carved the law into the very stone and gave it to Moses on two tablets.
Unaware of what was transpiring on the mountaintop, and having not heard from their leader for so long, a large group of people came to Aaron and said, “How can we know the fate of Moses on that clouded summit? He was our only connection to an invisible God. Shouldn’t we be like all the other nations and have a god that we can see and touch.”
They were adamant and Aaron feared that they would revolt against him so he said, “Take off your gold jewelry and bring it to me.” He took what they gave him, melted it down, and cast an idol in the shape of a calf. He built an altar in front of it and said, “Here is your god who brought you out of Egypt. Tomorrow we will have a festival for this god.” So the next day the people got up early and made debauched sacrifices to this idol.
It was at this moment on the mountaintop that Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down the mountain. The people have corrupted themselves, having already turned away from what I have taught them. They have made a golden idol in the form of a calf, worshipped it with sacrifices and said, ‘this will be our god who brought us out of Egypt.’ I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Leave me. Let my wrath destroy them. Then, Moses, I will make you into the great nation that I promised your ancestors.”
But Moses pleaded with Yahweh, “Don’t destroy the very people you saved from slavery or the Egyptians will say, ‘the God of the Israelites is evil and only brought them out of Egypt to kill them on a mountainside, wiping them from the face of the earth.’”
Moses quickly traveled down Mount Sinai with the tablets. When he approached the base of the mountain, he found Joshua waiting for him, who said, “I hear the sounds of war coming from our camp!”
But Moses replied, “It is not the sound of war, but singing.” When he got to the camp and saw the golden calf and their debauchery he burned with anger. Seeing how easily and utterly they had broken God’s laws, he shattered the stone tablets on the ground.
He said to Aaron, “What did they do to you that you led them in this evil.” Aaron told Moses the story exactly how it happened, but it did not calm him. He saw that the people were utterly unbridled and that they would be a laughingstock if they remained in this state. He stood at the entrance of the camp and called out, “Whoever still follows Yahweh, come to me” and all of his tribe, the Levites, heeded the call. He said to them, “Take your swords and kill these idol worshippers, whether they be your neighbor, your friend, even your own family. They have forsaken the God who created them, the God who saved them, the God who sustains them in this place. They have no place among our people.” The Levites did as they were commanded and 3000 idolaters were killed that day. Moses told the Levites, “Today you have been set apart because you placed Yahweh above all others though it cost you dearly.”
Then Moses took the idol and burned it away. The people seemed unable to do anything but look upon his wrath as he then scattered the ashes on the water and made them drink it as a bitter reminder of the evil that had taken place that day.
God then said to Moses, “Carve two more stone tablets and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which were broken. Be ready in the morning to come up Mount Sinai alone to receive them.”
The next morning, once Moses had ascended the mountain, God appeared to him and said, “Your God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. But I am also a God of justice and will not forget the guilty. The consequences of the evil they do will fall on their children and grandchildren.”
Immediately, Moses bowed down and worshipped Yahweh, and then asked, “God, please stay with us! I know we are difficult to abide. Forgive the evil we have done and will do, and accept us as your people.”
Yahweh answered, “As I did with your ancestors, with you I make my covenant. Before these people, I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth. All the people will see the work of God. I will drive your enemies out before you. Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of Canaan. Do not intermarry with them or their beliefs will become a snare for you. Destroy their altars and break their idols, for your God will not tolerate you worshipping another.”
Whether it was their rescue from the Egyptians, or how they had been provided for in the desert, the Israelites had repeatedly witnessed God’s love for them. Yet when they witnessed the presence of God on Mount Sinai their fear kept them from drawing near. But the hope of humanity can only ever be through a relationship with God, so Yahweh next charged Moses with overseeing the building of the tabernacle, a dwelling place for Yahweh, and a mobile temple for the Israelites, so that they might learn to draw nearer to their God. Yahweh told Moses to seek out two tradesmen from among the people, Bezalel and Oholiab, who were granted great skill by the Holy Spirit of God. It was they who would be the master craftsmen of the tabernacle. Their materials would come from the generosity of the entire nation.
Because the Israelites were, at this time, a nomadic people, everything that would be made for the tabernacle could be disassembled and moved. The main structure of the tabernacle would be a giant tent made of acacia wood and fine linen, 15 feet wide and 50 feet long surrounded by a curtained courtyard 75 feet wide and 150 feet long. In the very center of the tent, separated by a purple curtain, they would place a gilded vessel of acacia wood, the ark of the covenant, lidded in gold with sculptures of winged angels who formed a symbolic throne for God. Many other ceremonial items of gold and bronze were detailed to Moses as well as descriptions for how Yahweh was to be worshipped in that place.
The three families which stemmed from the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were each given specific tasks regarding the care for and transport of the tabernacle. Yahweh appointed Moses’ brother Aaron and his descendants to be the priests of the tabernacle. The craftsmen were to create for Aaron a sacred garment, beautiful, multi-colored, and adorned with gems, and gold chains. The names of 12 tribes of Israel were to be included over the heart of the garment as a constant reminder to the high priest that he was representing all the Israelites before Yahweh. They would also create a blue robe decorated with gold bells and pomegranates. These bells would be a way for the oft-frightened people to hear that the priest still lived as he served in the tabernacle before Yahweh. Finally, they were to create a turban with a gold plate attached with the phrase, “Holy to our God” engraved on it. It would rest on Aaron’s forehead as a reminder that he would bear the responsibility for the sacrifices offered at the tabernacle. Similar clothing for Aaron’s sons would be created as well. The first time a priest clothed himself in this garment, and assumed his duty, he was to be anointed with prayer, oil, and perfume, as a sign of the importance of his responsibility overseeing the worship of Yahweh for an entire nation.
As it had been for all humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve, the Israelites were incapable of avoiding sin in their lives, and God, who is holy, cannot ignore sin. To that end, Yahweh detailed to Moses a system of sacrifices that would be both for individuals, and the people collectively, to atone for their sins. Representing the nation, the priests of the tabernacle were to offer up a bull, two rams, and unleavened bread as a burnt offering to Yahweh. After this, every day, they would offer a burnt offering of two lambs and unleavened bread, one in the morning and one at night, for all time. Then Yahweh would dwell among them within the tabernacle, and yet would not be contained by it.
After Yahweh had carved the new stone tablets, Moses came down from the mountain. But when the people saw him they were afraid because his face was glowing with the holiness of Yahweh. Once he covered his face to assuage their fear he gave them the task of building the tabernacle. As Yahweh had foretold, they were all moved to donate the riches they had received in Egypt. Bezalel and Oholiab, overseeing a team of craftsmen, soon began work on the sacred project.
Day after day, the people donated until the workers had more than they needed. Everything God commanded was carefully crafted by the love and skill bestowed upon Bezalel and Oholiab by the Holy Spirit of God. When the work was completed, they showed it to Moses who inspected every detail. He then blessed them for their diligence, generosity, and obedience. Once this was done they erected the tabernacle exactly as God had shown him. When everything was in its place, a cloud covered the central tent of the tabernacle and it was filled with the glory of Yahweh. At night, the cloud was filled with fire so it could be seen by all the people.
There, in the shadow of the mountain, the people waited in the presence of God’s holiness, holiness which spoke into the void and created all of existence, holiness which forged the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and Moses, holiness which carried the Hebrews out of Egypt, holiness which set this nation apart, holiness which created the law, and holiness that would be zealously protected.
As they camped on the western bank of the Red Sea, Yahweh said to Moses, “Our wandering route will cause the pharaoh to think you are lost in the desert, and in his bitterness over your leaving, he will pursue you, but he will not overtake you, for I will protect you.”
As Yahweh foresaw, the pharaoh and his advisors seethed over the loss of their slave labor and the devastation to their land. When the report came that the Israelites had stopped on the banks of the Red Sea, he gathered his army, hundreds of chariots and countless more troops, and pursued them. When the Israelites saw them approaching, they were terrified, yelling to Moses, “Was there nowhere for us to be buried in Egypt? Is that why you brought us into the desert to die? Didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? It would have better for us to remain slaves in Egypt than to be slaughtered by them here.”
But Moses replied, “Do not be afraid. Look to Yahweh for your salvation. You will never see these Egyptians again.”
Then Yahweh told Moses, “Have the children of Israel walk into the sea. You will lift up your staff and stretch your hand out to divide it. Then the people will walk on dry ground across the seabed. The Egyptians will pursue them, but at that moment I will show these relentlessly stubborn Egyptians for the last time that I am God.”
The pillars of fire and smoke that had been leading them moved behind the Israelites. On the Egyptian side, the pillar of smoke brought paralyzing darkness to the Egyptians. The pillar of fire remained near to the Hebrew camp and provided them with a warming light all night long. Then Moses stretched out his staff towards the Red Sea. Out of the east, Yahweh sent a mighty wind that separated the water and created a dry path for the people.
With a wall of water to their right and left they nervously walked across the seabed onto the Sinai peninsula. When the pillars of fire and smoke dissipated, the chariots of the pharaoh pursued the Israelites, but Yahweh caused their wheels to become stuck in the mud of the seabed. Too late they understood in their hearts that they not battling against people, but against God. Then, as the sun was rising, Yahweh had Moses stretch his hands out once more, causing the waters to rejoin, killing every soldier who had pursued the Israelites. As they witnessed the destruction of their enemies, the Israelites’ faith in Yahweh was strengthed and they finally saw Moses as their appointed leader. Moses and his sister Miriam then led the entire community in a psalm of praise to Yahweh.
Let us exalt Yahweh our God.
Our enemy said,
“I will pursue. I will overtake. I will destroy.”
But you, oh God,
You are our strength, our song, our salvation.
With your mighty breath, the waters were separated and held back.
Pharaoh's chariots and his armies you have drowned in the sea.
The depths have covered them.
They sank to the bottom like stones.
Who is like you, Yahweh, among the “gods” of other nations?
Who is like you, glorious in holiness, deserving of praise, worker of wonders?
In your mercy, you have led forth your rescued people.
You are guiding them by your strength to your holy place.
The nations will hear of this and tremble,
The kings of Edom shall be amazed,
The mighty men of Moab will quake,
The inhabitants of Canaan will fall away,
Until we come to the land you have provided, where you will reign forever.
But as they continued on their journey, the hardship of life in the desert quickly overshadowed this miraculous victory. They continued through the desert and soon became thirsty, complaining to Moses for water. “Why are you complaining?” he asked. “Will you really test God in this way?”
But the people angrily repeated, “Why did Yahweh lead us out of Egypt only to let us die of thirst?”
Moses asked Yahweh, “What should I do? They mean to kill me.”
Yahweh answered him, “Gather all the elders of the Israelites and stand before the people. You will strike the rock with the staff you used to part the Red Sea, and water will pour out of it for the people to drink.” Moses obeyed and for a time the people’s complaining subsided.
But eventually, when they grew hungry, they complained, “We would have been better off if Yahweh had killed us in Egypt. At least there we had all the food we wanted. Instead, Yahweh has decided to let us all starve to death in the desert.”
Hearing their cries, Yahweh came to Moses and told him what to say to the people.
Moses and Aaron then went before the crowds and said, “Tomorrow, and each day after, you will go out and gather food. As you do, remember that it is Yahweh who rescued you and is leading you to the promised land. When you complain like this, you are complaining to Yahweh, not me or Aaron.”
That night, dew covered the ground and as it dried up there remained small flakes, like frost. The Israelites had never seen anything like it and did not recognize it as food. So Moses told them, “This is what Yahweh has provided you. It is called manna. Go and collect enough for everyone in your household, about a gallon for each. Cook and eat everything you gather. Do not save anything for the next day. On the sixth day, you will gather enough for two days, for Yahweh desires that you rest on the seventh day, just as it was when the creation of the world was completed. Now go, for it will disappear each day when the sun is overhead.”
This food was a miraculous thing: white like coriander seed, but tasting of honey wafers. When the people went out, some sought to gather more than they needed and others were unable to gather enough, yet when they returned home and measured out what they had gathered, it was always exactly enough to feed each family. Some, whose trust in Yahweh faltered, tried to save a portion of what they had gathered for the next day, but whatever they did not eat filled with maggots overnight. On the sixth day, when they gathered twice as much, their food somehow did not rot, and they were able to save the excess for their day of rest. Those who disobeyed and went out to gather food on the seventh day found none.
Seeing the lack of faith among the people, Yahweh asked Moses, “How long will they refuse to listen? I know you better than you know yourselves. That is why I have given you the sabbath, a day of rest, and why you were told to gather twice as much on the sixth day. Do not fall into temptation. Remain strong in your faith. Stay in your tents on the seventh day.” Yahweh would continue to provide for the people of Israel in this way for a further forty years.
But a blessing can be twisted into a burden in the wayward hearts of humanity, and so it was that the people soon longed for more variety, murmuring to each other, “In the land of Egypt we ate our fill of fowl, fish, and fruit. This endless manna is intolerable. We crave meat!”
This cacophony of ingratitude swelled until it reached the distraught ears of Moses who called out to Yahweh, “Why have you allowed this boulder of responsibility to crush me? How have I displeased you that you are punishing me with these burdensome people? Are they my children? Why must I carry them like infants to the land that you promised to our ancestors? They whine ceaselessly for meat. I do not have the strength for this. If this is how it will be, I would rather you take my life and release me from this servitude rather than witness them fall into despair in the desert.”
Yahweh replied, “Tell them to prepare themselves, for tomorrow they will eat meat. Their complaints have reached the ears of God. They will not eat it for only one day, or five days, but a whole month, until it comes out of their nostrils, and it is disgusting to them because of their ingratitude for the nourishment I have provided.”
But Moses replied, “Surely our numbers exceed a million but you say you will give us meat for a month? There would not be enough even if we slaughtered every animal in our possession and caught every fish in the sea.”
Yahweh replied, “Is my power not enough? You will see whether my words come to pass or not.” Then God made a wind blow into the camp, and upon the wind came an abundance of quail. They covered the camp three feet high in some places and stretched out as far as they could see, up to a day’s walk. The people voraciously gathered in great abundance, but with little regard in their hearts for the God who had provided for them.
Though the Israelites were, for a time, no longer worried about what they would eat or drink, the threat of violence soon loomed over the camp. Amalekites, descendants of one of Esau’s sons, located the Israelites and mustered an army to destroy them. Moses instructed Joshua, a young warrior from the tribe of Ephraim, to lead a group of men against the Amalekites, telling him, “tomorrow I will stand on the hill overlooking the battlefield with my staff in my hands.”
The next day, as Joshua led his men into battle, the Israelites saw that, as long as Moses held the staff aloft, the Israelites gained the advantage, but as he became weary and the staff lowered, the Amalekites would rally. Some from among them brought Moses a stone to sit on and his brother Aaron and another man held his arms up until Joshua could defeat their enemy.
After the battle, Yahweh said to Moses, “Listen to what I am about to say and make sure Joshua hears it. I was known to Esau, grandfather of Amalek, and yet this tribe has raised its hands in violence against me and my people. Since they have brought war to me I declare that the time will come when their name will be blotted out on the earth.”
But with their safety assured, the Israelites quickly turned their thoughts to conditions in the camp. They soon brought all of the disputes they had with each other to Moses, who judged what was right and wrong and tried to teach them what Yahweh expected of them.
One day, as he sat in the judge's seat, he was approached by his father-in-law Jethro who had come from nearby Midian because he had heard of everything that God had done for the Israelites. He asked Moses, “Do you really sit here from morning to night as the only judge for an entire nation of people? This will not go well for you. You risk exhausting yourself. Let me offer you some advice. Finish teaching the people the laws of God. Show them how they are meant to conduct themselves. Then, select some trustworthy and incorruptible people and have them judge over groups of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. They can handle the simple disputes. Anything that they cannot decide can then be brought to you. Sharing the load will not only ease your burden but will be a blessing to the people.” After aiding Moses in establishing a network of judges, Jethro returned to Midian.
It had been three months since the Israelites left Egypt when they finally arrived at Mount Sinai. Moses traveled up the mountain alone to speak with Yahweh, who said, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I have carried you to this place. If you will listen to my voice, then you shall become a treasure among the nations. Though all the earth is mine, you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
After Moses returned to the camp and delivered this message, the people responded, “We will do everything Yahweh says.”
Moses ascended the mountain once more and Yahweh said to him, “I have come to you in a thick cloud so the people will be able to see that I am speaking with you. Tell them to purify themselves today and tomorrow. On the third day, I will appear in this cloud again. Set boundaries for the people. Do not let them touch the mountainside, for my presence has made it holy. But when they hear the trumpet blast stop, they can approach the mountain.” So Moses returned to the people and delivered these instructions.
On the third day, the power of God was again shown to the Israelites as thunder, lightning, clouds, fire, earthquakes, and the sound of ever loudening trumpets enveloped the mountain. The people were afraid and said to Moses, “Go speak to Yahweh and tell us what he says, but don’t let Yahweh speak to us directly or we will die.”
Moses replied, “Do not be afraid to be in the presence of God, instead use the memory of this display of power to lead you, always, towards holiness.”
Then God called Moses back to the top of the mountain, where he said, “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of slavery. You have seen for yourself how my people are unwilling to draw near and listen to my voice. So I will lead them towards holiness another way, by providing this nation with a law to govern them. Speak these commands to the people,
“You must not worship anything except for me, and do not bow down or serve any object created by mortal hands, for I alone am God and I am infinite. I love you and I desire your love in return. You must not evoke my name for wicked purposes. You will be found guilty if you do this. Remember to keep the sabbath day holy. For six days you may labor, but the seventh day is a day of rest. For when the work of creating the earth, the skies, the sea, and all that is within was completed, surely even I rested and marked that time as holy. Honor your father and your mother. Do not murder. Do not dishonor your marriage covenants. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not desire for yourself what belongs to someone else. Now go and deliver these ten commandments to the people.”
When Moses came down the mountain he repeated everything he had heard to the people and they responded, “Everything Yahweh asks of us, we will do.”
Moses then built an altar with twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel and had an animal brought from each tribe to be sacrificed to Yahweh. He took some of the blood of these animals and said to the people, “let this blood be a symbol of the promise made on this day between the Israelites and Yahweh.
Yahweh once again spoke to Moses, saying, “Come back up the mountain, alone. When Moses left, he put his brother Aaron in charge. For six days, Moses waited for Yahweh on the mountain top, which was covered in a thick cloud. Then Yahweh came, and to the people looking up at the mountain, it appeared to be covered in fire.
God then said to Moses, “In addition to these ten commandments I will teach this chosen people how to be a holy beacon of justice and mercy among all the nations.” Yahweh then gave Moses extensive instructions on how the Israelites were to pursue holiness through criminal and social justice, including the consequences for criminal negligence, theft, and property damage as well as how they ought to treat servants, foreigners, widows, and orphans. But God also showed Moses how the Israelites were to pursue holiness within their own hearts by warning them of the evils of magic, teaching them how they ought to purify themselves, how they were to worship, further details about keeping the sabbath holy, which holidays they were to celebrate and the importance of generosity.”
Then Yahweh said, “I am sending one of my angels before you to keep you headed in the right direction to the place that I have prepared for you. If you listen to what I say, I will be your ally against any who oppose you. Though their ancestors knew me, they have chosen to turn away. So you will utterly overthrow them and break down their false gods.
“You will serve me as I make my name known throughout the world once more. I will bless you in all ways. You will have plenty to eat and drink. I will take sickness away from you. You will not experience infertility. Your nation will extend from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, from the Sinai desert to the Euphrates river.” After Moses had been listening to all these things for 40 days, Yahweh carved the law into the very stone and gave it to Moses on two tablets.
Unaware of what was transpiring on the mountaintop, and having not heard from their leader for so long, a large group of people came to Aaron and said, “How can we know the fate of Moses on that clouded summit? He was our only connection to an invisible God. Shouldn’t we be like all the other nations and have a god that we can see and touch.”
They were adamant and Aaron feared that they would revolt against him so he said, “Take off your gold jewelry and bring it to me.” He took what they gave him, melted it down, and cast an idol in the shape of a calf. He built an altar in front of it and said, “Here is your god who brought you out of Egypt. Tomorrow we will have a festival for this god.” So the next day the people got up early and made debauched sacrifices to this idol.
It was at this moment on the mountaintop that Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down the mountain. The people have corrupted themselves, having already turned away from what I have taught them. They have made a golden idol in the form of a calf, worshipped it with sacrifices and said, ‘this will be our god who brought us out of Egypt.’ I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Leave me. Let my wrath destroy them. Then, Moses, I will make you into the great nation that I promised your ancestors.”
But Moses pleaded with Yahweh, “Don’t destroy the very people you saved from slavery or the Egyptians will say, ‘the God of the Israelites is evil and only brought them out of Egypt to kill them on a mountainside, wiping them from the face of the earth.’”
Moses quickly traveled down Mount Sinai with the tablets. When he approached the base of the mountain, he found Joshua waiting for him, who said, “I hear the sounds of war coming from our camp!”
But Moses replied, “It is not the sound of war, but singing.” When he got to the camp and saw the golden calf and their debauchery he burned with anger. Seeing how easily and utterly they had broken God’s laws, he shattered the stone tablets on the ground.
He said to Aaron, “What did they do to you that you led them in this evil.” Aaron told Moses the story exactly how it happened, but it did not calm him. He saw that the people were utterly unbridled and that they would be a laughingstock if they remained in this state. He stood at the entrance of the camp and called out, “Whoever still follows Yahweh, come to me” and all of his tribe, the Levites, heeded the call. He said to them, “Take your swords and kill these idol worshippers, whether they be your neighbor, your friend, even your own family. They have forsaken the God who created them, the God who saved them, the God who sustains them in this place. They have no place among our people.” The Levites did as they were commanded and 3000 idolaters were killed that day. Moses told the Levites, “Today you have been set apart because you placed Yahweh above all others though it cost you dearly.”
Then Moses took the idol and burned it away. The people seemed unable to do anything but look upon his wrath as he then scattered the ashes on the water and made them drink it as a bitter reminder of the evil that had taken place that day.
God then said to Moses, “Carve two more stone tablets and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which were broken. Be ready in the morning to come up Mount Sinai alone to receive them.”
The next morning, once Moses had ascended the mountain, God appeared to him and said, “Your God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. But I am also a God of justice and will not forget the guilty. The consequences of the evil they do will fall on their children and grandchildren.”
Immediately, Moses bowed down and worshipped Yahweh, and then asked, “God, please stay with us! I know we are difficult to abide. Forgive the evil we have done and will do, and accept us as your people.”
Yahweh answered, “As I did with your ancestors, with you I make my covenant. Before these people, I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth. All the people will see the work of God. I will drive your enemies out before you. Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of Canaan. Do not intermarry with them or their beliefs will become a snare for you. Destroy their altars and break their idols, for your God will not tolerate you worshipping another.”
Whether it was their rescue from the Egyptians, or how they had been provided for in the desert, the Israelites had repeatedly witnessed God’s love for them. Yet when they witnessed the presence of God on Mount Sinai their fear kept them from drawing near. But the hope of humanity can only ever be through a relationship with God, so Yahweh next charged Moses with overseeing the building of the tabernacle, a dwelling place for Yahweh, and a mobile temple for the Israelites, so that they might learn to draw nearer to their God. Yahweh told Moses to seek out two tradesmen from among the people, Bezalel and Oholiab, who were granted great skill by the Holy Spirit of God. It was they who would be the master craftsmen of the tabernacle. Their materials would come from the generosity of the entire nation.
Because the Israelites were, at this time, a nomadic people, everything that would be made for the tabernacle could be disassembled and moved. The main structure of the tabernacle would be a giant tent made of acacia wood and fine linen, 15 feet wide and 50 feet long surrounded by a curtained courtyard 75 feet wide and 150 feet long. In the very center of the tent, separated by a purple curtain, they would place a gilded vessel of acacia wood, the ark of the covenant, lidded in gold with sculptures of winged angels who formed a symbolic throne for God. Many other ceremonial items of gold and bronze were detailed to Moses as well as descriptions for how Yahweh was to be worshipped in that place.
The three families which stemmed from the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were each given specific tasks regarding the care for and transport of the tabernacle. Yahweh appointed Moses’ brother Aaron and his descendants to be the priests of the tabernacle. The craftsmen were to create for Aaron a sacred garment, beautiful, multi-colored, and adorned with gems, and gold chains. The names of 12 tribes of Israel were to be included over the heart of the garment as a constant reminder to the high priest that he was representing all the Israelites before Yahweh. They would also create a blue robe decorated with gold bells and pomegranates. These bells would be a way for the oft-frightened people to hear that the priest still lived as he served in the tabernacle before Yahweh. Finally, they were to create a turban with a gold plate attached with the phrase, “Holy to our God” engraved on it. It would rest on Aaron’s forehead as a reminder that he would bear the responsibility for the sacrifices offered at the tabernacle. Similar clothing for Aaron’s sons would be created as well. The first time a priest clothed himself in this garment, and assumed his duty, he was to be anointed with prayer, oil, and perfume, as a sign of the importance of his responsibility overseeing the worship of Yahweh for an entire nation.
As it had been for all humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve, the Israelites were incapable of avoiding sin in their lives, and God, who is holy, cannot ignore sin. To that end, Yahweh detailed to Moses a system of sacrifices that would be both for individuals, and the people collectively, to atone for their sins. Representing the nation, the priests of the tabernacle were to offer up a bull, two rams, and unleavened bread as a burnt offering to Yahweh. After this, every day, they would offer a burnt offering of two lambs and unleavened bread, one in the morning and one at night, for all time. Then Yahweh would dwell among them within the tabernacle, and yet would not be contained by it.
After Yahweh had carved the new stone tablets, Moses came down from the mountain. But when the people saw him they were afraid because his face was glowing with the holiness of Yahweh. Once he covered his face to assuage their fear he gave them the task of building the tabernacle. As Yahweh had foretold, they were all moved to donate the riches they had received in Egypt. Bezalel and Oholiab, overseeing a team of craftsmen, soon began work on the sacred project.
Day after day, the people donated until the workers had more than they needed. Everything God commanded was carefully crafted by the love and skill bestowed upon Bezalel and Oholiab by the Holy Spirit of God. When the work was completed, they showed it to Moses who inspected every detail. He then blessed them for their diligence, generosity, and obedience. Once this was done they erected the tabernacle exactly as God had shown him. When everything was in its place, a cloud covered the central tent of the tabernacle and it was filled with the glory of Yahweh. At night, the cloud was filled with fire so it could be seen by all the people.
There, in the shadow of the mountain, the people waited in the presence of God’s holiness, holiness which spoke into the void and created all of existence, holiness which forged the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and Moses, holiness which carried the Hebrews out of Egypt, holiness which set this nation apart, holiness which created the law, and holiness that would be zealously protected.
Comments
Post a Comment