CHAPTER VIII

FROM THE EXODUS TO SINAI

IT is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt.” The Egyptians thrust their presents upon the Israelites as they left Goshen with their kneading troughs and unleavened dough bound up with their clothes. The event was deeply impressed on the national mind, and in the darkest days that followed, the memory of it was as a beacon light shining through the gloom. In the midst of the events of that night and day one memorial of it was incorporated into the legislation of the nation. The firstborn of Israel, whether of man or beast, were sanctified unto the Lord.

From Rameses the host marched to Succoth. Their destination was Canaan, but they avoided the direct route by Gaza. There were Egyptian garrisons on that road, and it was not desirable that any opposition should be encountered during the days that immedi­ately followed, so they went towards the wilderness of the Red Sea. They did not go as a rabble of people; they marched in ranks like armed men, and they carried with them the bones of Joseph. In this way they went to Succoth, and thence to Etham in the edge of the wilderness. They were guided by a pillar of cloud, which assumed a luminous appearance at night, a pillar of fire, to give them light. It showed them that they were led by the Lord.

The Egyptians destroyed

They reached the shores of the Red Sea, where they encamped. News of their movements reached Pharaoh who had recovered from his panic, and regretted the loss of so many slaves. When he heard that they were by the Red Sea he gathered his chariotry together and started in pursuit. He knew there was no escape that way, they were “entangled in the land.” When his army drew near, the Israelites realised the plight in which they were. They immedi­ately lost faith and chided Moses for putting them in such a position, saying that it would have been better to have stayed in Egypt.

In these circumstances Moses showed the kind of man he was. “Stand still,” he said, “and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” The pillar of cloud removed to the rear, giving light to Israel, but dense darkness to the Egyptians. As Moses stretched out his hand God caused a strong east wind to blow. It blew all night, and caused the bed of the sea to become dry land, and Israel passed safely over to the other side. That was “the salvation of the Lord.”

When the people of Israel had crossed, the Egyp­tians came to the edge of the sea and also attempted to cross. But the returning waters made the sea bed a quagmire and caused their chariots to roll heavily. Then the waters returned in full rush. The Egyptians tried to retrace their steps, but it was too late. Of all the array of chariotry that had started in pursuit, there remained not one. Israel were safe, and free. Moses sang an inspiring ode in memory of their deliverance, a song that has never been forgotten. It can be read in Exodus 15, with the refrain of Miriam and the women of Israel.

Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously,
The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.

Bread from heaven

After such a stupendous deliverance Israel should have been ready to face any difficulties. Yet as soon as they had reached the wilderness at Marah, where the water was bitter, they murmured. The bitterness was cured by casting in a tree that grew near by. Then they went to Elim where there were wells of water and palm trees. Afterwards they entered the Wilderness of Sinai where they murmured again. They forgot the hard bondage in Egypt, they remem­bered only the flesh pots. Now there was nothing to cat-why had they come?
God provided them with food, “angel’s food” it is called in one of the Psalms; the people called it manna. It tasted like wafers and wild honey. It had to be gathered every day, except on the Sabbath, as it would not keep from one day to the next, though that which was gathered on the sixth day kept fresh for the Sabbath. The glory of the Lord accompanied it on the first occasion, and the supply lasted till the wilderness journey was over. A pot of it was “laid up before the Lord” Even in this provision the contrariness of the people was mani­fested. Some gathered more than they required, thinking of the morrow; then it bred worms and stank. Others went out on the Sabbath and found none. They also murmured for water, and Moses was told to smite the rock, when water gushed out for the people to drink.

Soon afterwards their way was challenged by the Amalekites who came out against them. Joshua, the servant of Moses, was placed in charge of the host engaged in the fighting. As long as Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed, when his hands sunk through weariness Amalek prevailed. The difficulty was met by Aaron and Hur holding his hands up for him, and Amalek was defeated.

The Ten Commandments

Three months after leaving Egypt the Israelites came to Sinai where they encamped. There God revealed Himself to them, and told them that if they obeyed His commandments they should be a peculiar treasure (a treasure acquired for a possession) unto Him, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. In response to this the people answered, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” It was a momentous decision, the basis of a covenant which was afterwards made between God and Israel.

As they were gathered around Mount Sinai the Lord descended upon it in fire. Suddenly from the midst of the fire a Voice was heard; it was the voice of the Lord proclaiming the laws that formed the central feature of the covenant. In brief they may be summarised thus:

I. Thou shalt have none other gods before Me.
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image.
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
IV. Remember the seventh day to keep it holy.
V. Honour thy father and thy mother.
VI. Thou shalt do no murder.
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII. Thou shalt not steal.
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
X. Thou shalt not covet.
Forty years afterwards Moses, referring to this occasion, said, “These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire . . . and He added no more.” No wonder when they heard the voice of God, and saw the awe inspiring scenes, they said to Moses, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us lest we die.” Much was added to the law, statutes and ordinances of all kinds, but these were given through Moses, not by the audible voice of God.

Shortly afterwards God called to Moses to come up into the mount with Aaron and two of his sons, and seventy of the elders of Israel, though Moses alone was to approach near to the Lord. Then Moses wrote the words of the law and prepared an altar under the mount. Some of the “young men of the children of Israel,” the firstborn, offered burnt and peace offerings to the Lord. Some of the blood was put in basins, and a portion of it was sprinkled on the altar. Then Moses took the book in which the covenant had been inscribed, and read the words of the Lord in the ears of the people, who again promised obedience. Then he took the rest of the blood that was in the basin and sprinkled it on the people, saying, “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you.” The story is becoming increasingly one of promises and covenants.

A remarkable incident followed. Moses, Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel had a vision of God, not amid mighty thunderings and flashing lightnings, but in peaceful beauty. Under His feet there was a pavement like a sapphire or a lapis lazuli, clear as the body of heaven, and there they ate and drank with God in the persons of His angels. It was a part of the ritual of covenant making. The peace of the occasion was symbolic of the future; they were guests of God. Afterwards Moses went higher up the mountain, leaving Aaron and the rest to return to the plain.

The object of Moses’ journey to the higher parts of the Mount was that he might receive two tables on which the Ten Commandments were engraved, further laws and ordinances, and the specification of a tabernacle that was to be prepared as the centre of the worship of God. All this time the glory of the Lord abode on the mountain; it was like devouring fire coming from the midst of a cloud. It must have been a time of ecstasy for Moses; for the rest of the community it was a time of test. There, with the representatives of Yahweh, Moses received the pattern of the tabernacle and its furniture, particulars of the offerings that were to take place there, and of the clothing the priests were to wear. When everything was arranged Moses and Joshua prepared to descend from the mount.

Idolatry

All the time Moses had been in the mount nothing was heard of him by the people in the plains. The people, deprived of the presence of their leader, wondered what had happened to him. Gradually Questioning gave place to anxiety, and anxiety to fear. Suppose they were attacked? Nothing is more calculated to sap confidence than absolute and enforced inaction. At last they could stand it no longer. Their leaders came to Aaron saying, “Up, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.”

Aaron made no attempt to argue with them; perhaps he too was anxious and worried. Had the devouring fire consumed his brother? So he told the people to break off the ear-rings from their ears, and of them he made a golden calf, using a graving tool to fashion it. They had already forgotten the words they had heard only a short time before, “ Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image.” There was the calf, just like those they had seen in Egypt, and when Aaron said, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt,” the people accepted it, and the next day was appointed to be a feast to the Lord. Thus Israel were trying to mix two things that will not coalesce, the worship of idols and of the One True God. When the next day came they arose early to keep the feast and worship the golden calf. There was music and dancing, and the noise that accompanies the rejoicings of a crowd.

Moses was made aware of what had happened by God, Who told him that He purposed to destroy the people and make of Moses a greater nation. But Moses pleaded for Israel and God turned from His anger. Then Moses and Joshua came down to the plains. As they reached the lower slopes Joshua heard the noise in the camp. He heard it with the ear of a soldier. “There is a noise of war in the camp,” he said. Moses knew better. Saddened, yet angry, he said, “It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, but the voice of them that sing do I hear.” When they were closer and saw the people he threw down the tables of stone on which the commandments were written and broke them to pieces. Then he took the calf, ground it to powder, which he strawed on the water, and made the children of Israel to drink of it. He asked Aaron why he had done such a thing. Aaron’s reply was a pitiful one. He told of the people’s request and how he had obtained their golden ear-rings, and said, “Then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.” Surely it was the poorest excuse ever offered by a grown man.

It was no time for dallying. “Whoso is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me,” said Moses. The tribe of Levi, his own tribe, responded. He commanded them to take their swords, go through the camp, and slay right and left. Three thousand men were killed.

Forgiveness

On the morrow Moses addressed the sobered assembly. “Ye have sinned a great sin,” he said, “now I will go up unto the Lord, peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin.” He went, and his prayer for them was one of rugged eloquence. “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold; yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin;-and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.” It was the simple prayer of a great man, who was ready to sacrifice himself for his people. Many centuries afterwards the Apostle Paul said a somewhat similar thing for the same nation. God did not blot out the name of Moses from His “book,” it stands there in the book, or the story, as that of one of the greatest men who have ever lived, and when the story finds its sequel in the Kingdom of God, Moses will be among the greatest of those who will shine as the stars for ever and ever.

It was necessary however to teach the people a lesson. The tent associated with the worship of God was removed to the outside of the camp. Solemn scenes took place at this crisis. Moses had passed through emotional experiences sufficient to cause any man to break down. He prayed that he might be shown how he might know God, and God promised that His presence should go with him. In response to this promise Moses gave expression to one of the outstanding truths of the Bible story. He said, “So shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” It is a basic truth with many applications; the people of God must be separate from the world; in it, and among it, yet not of it.

The close communion that had been established led Moses to make a very bold request. “Show me, I pray thee, Thy glory,” he said. In reply God said, “Thou canst not see My face.” No man has seen God at any time. His Angels see Him, but He is beyond the powers of human sight, though by His Spirit, He is everywhere present. But God said, “There is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock; and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand until I have passed by; and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” At the same time God told Moses to prepare two stones to take the place of those he had broken, and to come up into the Mount alone. Moses went up and stood there. “And the Lord passed by before him.” As He did so He proclaimed His name and attributes. “Yahweh, Yahweh, El, full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children upon the third and upon the fourth generation.” It was a thrilling manifestation of the glory of the Lord, and it must have been the source of immense strength and encouragement to Moses in his difficult and arduous task.

One thing more must be noted. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words; for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.” It tells us something of the way in which the Bible story has been written, and it links it with the covenants of God.

The Tabernacle

The rest of the first year was occupied in con­structing the tabernacle. The materials were supplied by the people, who offered willingly of their substance, and placed themselves at the disposal of those who exercised the supervision of the work. The free will offerings were so abundant that the people had to be stayed from giving. By the end of the year the tabernacle was set up. The cloud, which had led Israel to Sinai, took up a position over the tent, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

All that can be done here is to describe the general appearance of the finished work. A visitor to the camp would have seen in the midst of an orderly array of tents, an enclosure, a hundred cubits long by fifty cubits wide. It was separated from the people by hangings of fine linen, depending on brazen pillars filleted with silver, and was entered through a screen. Inside the enclosure were three things, an altar, a laver, and a tent. The altar was the one used for burnt offerings, where at the appointed times the priests offered the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices. Between it and the tabernacle was the laver in which the priests washed before entering the tent.

Over the tabernacle were curtains that protected it from the weather. First was a curtain of fine linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, embroidered with figures of cherubim. Above that was a covering of goats’ skins, then one of rams’ skins dyed red, and finally one of badgers’ skins. All these were above the building itself, which was made of boards covered with gold, held together with pieces of wood that ran from end to end.

The tabernacle had a porch before it through which the priests passed into the first section, known as the Holy Place. Inside that there were three articles of furniture, a lightstand with seven branches, an altar on which incense was burned, and a table on which were placed twelve loaves, one for each of the tribes. Every evening as darkness fell the seven lamps on the lightstand were lit.

Between the Holy Place and the inmost sanctuary there was a veil made of blue, purple, and scarlet, with fine twined linen, embroidered with figures of cherubim. Lifting the veil aside, the Most Holy Place was entered. Within it was the ark of the covenant (a golden covered box containing the two stones of the law, a pot of manna, and, later, Aaron’s rod), above which was the Mercy-seat, shadowed by the outstretched wings of the two golden Cherubim. There, from time to time, the glory of the Lord shone forth to signify the acceptance of the offerings for the people.

In and about the whole tabernacle the priests, clad in special garments, carried on the services, which varied according to the days. In his gorgeous robes, made “for glory and for beauty,” the High Priest was an imposing figure. There was much that was typical in all these things, but that is no part of the story itself; it has to be sought for by the interested enquirer.

Many laws and ordinances were given in connection with the services of the tabernacle and the conduct of the people, but these must be passed by. One notable incident took place soon after the tabernacle was finished. Two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, in the course of their duties, offered “strange fire” unto the Lord. Immediately they were struck dead by means of fire. It was a drastic lesson, and its importance is as great to-day as ever it was. So important was the lesson of the incident that Aaron was forbidden to show the customary mourning for the death of his sons. In the service of God men must offer, or do, just what He commands. Human thoughts cannot arrange the method of approach to Him He must be approached in the way He has provided, and no man can alter that. To-day the way is belief, repentance, baptism, and a general obedience to God’s commands. Any way that does not include these things is like offering strange fire on the altar.

One other principle connected with the tabernacle must be noted. It is the place of blood in all the sacrifices. The “blood of sprinkling” has been mentioned in connection with the Passover. In relation to the sacrifices it is said, “The life of all flesh is in the blood thereof.” It was not the mere shedding of blood that was taught by the sacrifices. It pointed to “the precious blood of Jesus Christ,” and it indicated that it is the life that matters, for when blood was poured out before God, it signified that He desired the life of those who would serve Him to be dedicated to His service. Any emphasis laid on the shedding of blood, to the exclusion of the importance of the life of the worshipper, is a great mistake.