Near Mount Horeb, where God talked to Moses from a burning bush, were other mountain-places. One of them was called Sinai. In front of this mountain lay a wilderness, which was also called Sinai. When Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law he used to lead the flocks through this wilderness. He learned where to find grassy plains and plenty of water. And now he brought the Israelites from Rephidim to this place, and they camped under the shadow of the great, rock-walled mountain.
While the people were busy arranging their tents and preparing food, Moses climbed the mountain to talk with God. And the Lord said, “Tell the people that I shall speak to them from this mountain. On the third day I shall speak, and they shall hear my voice. Go, now, and bid them to wash their clothes and make ready to meet me.”
When the Israelites heard Moses’ words they grew busy at once. Every one found something to do. Some carried water from the springs, and others washed soiled clothing. They were getting ready for a special time, when they might stand with Moses before God.
On the third morning a thick, dark cloud rested on top of Mount Sinai. Terrible thunders rolled down the mountain-sides into the valley, and sharp lightnings broke through the thick cloud and flashed across the sky. The whole mountain shook. The Israelites had never seen nor heard such before, and now they trembled in their tents.
Then a trumpet sounded from the mountain-top. Perhaps an angel blew it. God bad told Moses to gather the people together when they should hear the sound of a trumpet. And now they gathered together near the foot of the shaking mountain and listened to hear God’s voice. Moses said, “Do not come any nearer, for God has said the mountain is holy and that if you touch it you shall die.”
The trumpet sounded louder, and the mountain began to smoke as though a great fire was burning on the inside. Then Moses called, and a voice answered him from the mountain-top. It was the voice of God. And this voice spoke the words of the Ten Commandments so that all the people heard. As they listened great fear came into their hearts. They hurried back into the valley. And they cried to Moses, “Lett not God speak to us in this voice of thunder, for we shall die. We will hear when you speak his words, and we will obey them.”
Moses answered, “Do not be afraid when God speaks. He wishes to teach you that he is a great God, and holy. He wants you to serve him only, and never to bow down to other gods, as other people do.” Still the people stood far off, for they were afraid. But Moses was not afraid. He went into the thick darkness where God was, and listened while God told him about the many laws which he wanted the Israelites to obey. And Moses wrote the words of God in a book.
When Moses came down from the mountain, he told the people all the words God had spoken; and they answered, “We will be obedient.” Early in the morning of the next day, Moses built an altar under the shadow of the great mountain, and the young men brought offerings of oxen and sheep to give to the Lord. The people assembled again, and Moses read to them from the book of the covenant. Then they said, “All that God has spoken we will do. We will be obedient.” And Moses took blood from the offerings of oxen which the young men had brought and sprinkled the blood upon the altar and upon the people. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant.” We remember that a covenant made by God is a promise that will never be broken if the people to whom the promise is made will be obedient. And we remember that the people worshiped God by offering the blood of animals instead of their own blood because they had sinned. Since Christ Jesus, our Savior, died upon the cross and gave his life-blood, people no longer need to worship God with blood-offerings, like they did before he died. He was the perfect offering for sin; and when we believe that he died for us, then we may be saved from our sins.
“When this solemn service ended, the people went back to their tent-homes in the valley, and Moses took Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the old men with him up the mountain. God had commanded them to worship him there. And they saw the glory of God and they were not afraid. But they did not come near to the wonderful brightness of His glory. Only Moses came near.
After this time Moses went up on the mountain again, and took Joshua with him. He commanded the people to be obedient to Aaron and Hur until he should return. For forty days he listened to God’s words, and the Lord gave him two flat tablets of stone upon which he had written with his own hand the words of the Ten Commandments. These were the words he spoke in a voice of thunder to the people.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
I Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
II Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
III Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
IV Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.
V Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
VI Thou shalt not kill.
VII Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII Thou shalt not steal.
IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.