STANDING UNDER SINAI
We are now situated at the base of Sinai with the children of Israel. Something marvelous happened as they were accepting the offer. Just as the Lord was about to come down, we read in vs.17 that Israel stood beneath the mountain. This brought many to wonder how they could be under Sinai. Many or most translations changed the word for: they stood at the foot for the word beneath. However, other translations like the KJV kept the original words nether part of the mountain.
But why does the Spirit of God choose this word beneath? Perhaps it was to confirm their acceptance and that they have now come under His protection or beneath His wings. We remember that in vs.4, He bore them on eagles’ wings. Here and now, He covers them with His presence.
This brought about one legend in Judaism, one which we read from the Targum of Jerusalem. It says, The Lord uprooted the mountain and lifted it up in the air and it was transparent like glass, and they stationed themselves under the mountain (Targum J. Exd.19:17). With time, many added to this story and concluded that as the Lord lifted the mountain over them, He gave them no choice but to accept the offer. That’s quite a Calvinistic approach.
But see that while the Word tells us that Israel was symbolically beneath this mountain, the next verse tells us that the LORD descended upon it to confirm His presence over the nation. This reminds us of the overlap between Sinai and the events at Pentecost.
We have seen in our last study that both the election of Israel at Sinai and the birth of the Church in Acts 2 occurred in the third month on the Feast of Pentecost.
These events prove very similar. While at Sinai, the LORD came down with fire and much noise, it was at Pentecost when His Spirit came over the people. There we read of fire and much sound. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind…and there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 2-4a). At Sinai, it was very loud, as it was the inauguration of the dispensation of the Law, while in Jerusalem in Acts 2 it was gentler, because it was the inauguration of the dispensation of Grace.
We can compare that to Elijah’s hearing of the still, small and quiet voice, as now in Acts 2 the Spirit resides in the believer, and the Spirit can talk directly and intimately with him or her. We read in John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Yeshua the Messiah. In both cases the people are seen under the LORD. At Sinai, they were beneath the mountain while here at Pentecost, the tongues of fire “sat upon them”. Both incidences were stamped by His presence over them.
In fact, Mount Sinai upon which the Lord came down, was itself a representation of the Tabernacle that was to be later built and where He was to dwell. In the commandment to build the Tabernacle which later became the Temple, this building was divided into three parts. The outer courts were where all the people could gather. The inner court was only where the priests could enter and the third area, the Holy of Holies was accessible only to the High Priest, once a year.
So it was with Mount Sinai that it too had three levels. First, we have the summit of the mountain corresponding to the Holy of Holies. It was there where Moses only could meet with God, as read in Exodus 24. Second, somewhere midway up the mountain, we have the equivalent of the Holy Place to where only the priests and elders were allowed to ascend. Third, the foot of the mountain is equivalent to the outer courts of the Temple where all the others gathered.
And so, Mount Sinai became a foreshadow of the coming Temple. I am so glad we do not know the location of this mountain. If we did we would have a thousand churches built there and it would have become an important pilgrimage spot.
Now for the 10 commandments. These are superbly designed. We may think of two arrows; one vertical and one horizontal. The first part of the Law is concerned with our relationship to God and the second part with our relationship to man. It makes perfect sense, for when one is in good standing with God, then he or she is able to have good fellowship with his neighbor, his friend or his or her spouse. Working at it the other way won’t produce these kinds of results. The essence of the relationship must begin vertically and then extend itself horizontally and it needs to stay like this until we depart from this earth.
Yeshua Himself sums up the Law of God for us. In Matthew 22: 37-40 when asked about the great commandment of the Law, He answered by choosing two of them: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” So it all begins with God and then we can serve the others. We notice that the Ten Commandments begin with the words I am the LORD your God and ends in vs.17, with the words your neighbor for in these laws we learn the connection between loving God and loving our neighbor.
Let us now move to the first commandment found in vs.3,You shall have no other gods before Me. We might read this commandment very quickly and move onto the next one because it is obvious that today we do not worship statues or similar icons. However, there is so much depth in this. This verse calls us to meditate and evaluate our belief in God and the way we know Him.
If we comprehend this one and apply it, the other nine commandments will naturally be obeyed. If we get this one, we will be so filled with His presence that we won’t need to be told not to steal, covet, hate or murder.
We will be so filled with love and anticipation that we will be looking forward to the day when we are with Him to worship, and learn of Him only. We would not need anyone to tell us not to forget the Sabbath or the weekly and monthly appointments according to God’s calendar.
What then is in this first commandment? Let’s first identify who these other gods are; that is very revealing in the way our minds function. These gods actually do not exist for there is only one God. Paul was once asked if it was lawful to eat meat offered to idols, since those who asked were from the city of Corinth and most of the meat sold in that marketplace came from their temples sacrifices. His answer is very clear when he says, There is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one (1Corinthians 8:4). So, where do these gods come from?
They are the product of our imagination, of our creative powers since they do not exist. This is the origin of these gods, we created them. So this commandment bids us to look into ourselves.
And it is not only those who do not believe in God who make up their own gods. Believers do as well. We often modify the image and character of God to fit our lifestyle or our preconceived ideas. Why would we create these gods in our minds? The answer is very simple; it is because we do not pay enough attention to what the Word of God tells us about who God is. It is in there, in the Bible where God reveals Himself, His will and His personality. If we don’t know our Bible enough, we will make up a god that fits our thinking instead of the other way around.
Therefore any other belief that stands contrary in any way in how He reveals Himself through His Word, is equal to creating another god.
Click Here for the Teaching on Exodus -2024, Sermon 20: The Ten Commandments