At this point the Israelites are at God’s Mountain, -Mt. Sinai, and they are warned they cannot touch the mountain when God is there. When God was no longer there they could go to the mountain because it was not holy if God was not there.
Having fear for what God can do, this fact truly frightened the Israelites.
In the Talmud there is a legend that depicts God holding the mountain over the heads of the people and threatening to drop it on them if they did not accept the law. The point being made is the Israelites accepted the law out of fear.
When you think about it logically that seems to be what makes people obey a law? If we are truthful, it is very convincing that we are persuaded to obey by the combination of love or fear.
I behave myself because I don’t want to suffer the consequences of misbehaving, or, because my love for the law giver makes me want to keep the object of my affection happy, whether parents, spouse, or other authority.
Moses led the people out of the camp toward Gad where they took their places at the foot of the mountain.
Mt Sinai was all in smoke, because the Lord was on it. The Lord had come down upon it; and the whole mountain trembled violently. The Lord had come down upon it in fire. And as Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder.
The Lord had come to the top of Mt Sinai and called Moses to the top with Him. He then told Moses to go down, warn the people not to break through the land to graze. He also said the Priests must remain pure. After this he reiterated that the people werenot to come to the mountain or they would die.
Per normal, telling them once is not enough but poor Moses is naïve enough to think that since they were warned they would not come to the mountain
God, being much wiser than Moses knows curiosity will be stronger than the rule to stay away from the mountain. Genesis chapter 20 makes it abundantly clear that it is God who gave the Ten Commandments and they were not Moses’ idea.
No human is the sole source or responsible for all the words in the Ten Commandments. God is the sole author and giver of these rules that are given to the people.
The Ten Commandments are also called “the Decalogue”. The Decalogue is the alternative name for the Ten Commandments, and actually means Ten Words.
The Ten Commandments are the first and only example of a covenantal relationship between deity and an entire people. They are unique in that God revealed His will not just to a single prophet or to a privileged class, but to an entire people; all of whom became answerable to its terms.
The Ten Commandments focuses not only on the relationship with the ruler, but also on each individuals behavior toward every other individual. They treat both religious and social obligations as expressions of divine will. The Ten Commandments are laws that are simple, absolute, and devoid of qualification.
God gave the Ten Commandments to the ancient nation of Israel. He chose to give theCommandments in the no-man’s land of a desert rather than in the land of Israel. This seems to signify that they are not just for one nation but apply to all people, from the beginning of their giving clear through to the end.
These biblical principles given to the Jews are set principles given by God, relating to ethics and worship, and play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity.
The first and second commandments go hand in hand, both emphasizing the need to give our worship exclusively to the one true God
The commandments were written on two tables of stone by the finger of God. The Jews are to follow the commandments anywhere and everywhere thy go, and not just when they are in Israel.
The Commandments are listed in both Exodus and Deuteronomy
⇛ return to Exodus