The Everlasting Covenant 

10.7 Step by Step at Sinai

by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, March 2009

Topics:

The Journey to Sinai
The Covenant Given
The Covenant Broken
Moses Intercedes for the People
The Covenant Restored
 BC 1921 Abram called into Canaan
BC 1706 Jacob and his family go into Egypt
BC 1491 Passover. Israel begin exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:50-51).

The Journey to Sinai


First month, 10th day Passover in Egypt. Exodus 12:2, 41
Pursued by the Egyptians. Israel crosses Red Sea on dry land. Egyptians drowned
3 days march to Marah. Water bitter. Tree cast in to make it sweet.
Elim, with twelve wells and 70 palm trees. Camped and rested.

Second mo., 15th day Left Elim. Exodus 16:1

7 days? Manna given, and quails provided. Pitched camp in Rephidim (Exodus 17).
Moses strikes rock with staff. Place called Massah and Meribah because of their murmuring.
Amalek fights with Israel. Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands.
Visit of Jethro

Third month Arrive at Sinai. Exodus 19:1. 6-8 weeks after leaving Egypt.

7 days ? Camp is set up. Exodus 19:2

The Covenant is given:


1 day -- Moses is called up into the Mount. The everlasting covenant is restated. Exodus 19:3-6
1 day -- Elders are called. People answer: "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" Exodus 19:7-9
1 day -- Moses speaks again with God in the mount. The people must be sanctified for two days, and wash their clothes.
Moses comes down out of the mount.

3 days -- People prepare; Moses goes up into the mount, God is revealed in smoke and fire.

He speaks with Moses. Exodus 19:10-25. The people stood afar off.
God speaks the ten commandments. Exodus 20:1-17. Deuteronomy 5:2-4, 22 ___________________________________________________________________________________

1 day ? -- Moses speaks to God in thick darkness. Civil _ law is given. "An Angel" is to accompany them. The Promised Land to be cleared of heathen tribes. Exodus 20:21 to 23:33 _______________________________________________________________________________________

1 day -- An altar is built and the covenant ratified by blood. Exodus 24:3-11. Book of the Covenant with the civil law is given. "All that the Lord hath said will we do." _______________________________________________________________________________________

7 days -- Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 elders "went up" and "saw God’s" glory. Exodus 24:9-11. The Elders returned to camp, Aaron and Hur appointed to govern Israel
while Moses was in the mount, Exodus 24:14. Then, Moses was called into the mount and waited
six days before he was called talk with God. Exodus 24:15-17 _______________________________________________________________________________________

40 days -- Moses called into the thick cloud to commune with God. Exodus 24:18. * Plans for the sanctuary. Exodus chapters 25-27
* The Priesthood. Exodus chapters 28-29
* "And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
* "And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land
of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God" Exodus 29:45-46.
* Altar of incense and special perfume described. Exodus chapter 30
* The Sabbath a sign, Moses given two tables of stone. Exodus 31:13-18

The covenant is broken


* The golden calf is worshiped at a heathen, rebellious festival. Exodus chapter 32 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Moses intercedes for the people

 

Moses’ first intercession, on the mountain. God’s wrath assuaged. Exodus 32:7-14. _______________________________________________________________________________________

3 days ? -- Moses’ 2nd intercession, in the camp. Angel to go with them. The people are plagued.
Exodus 32:30-35. _______________________________________________________________________________________

3 days ? -- Moses’ 3rd intercession, in the camp. More about the angel. Exodus 33:2. God will not go with them. Exodus 33:3. Tabernacle moved far off. Exodus 33:7-10.
Moses goes into pillar of cloud and pleads with God. Exodus 33:12-17.
"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" Exodus 33:7-14. _______________________________________________________________________________________

40 days -- Moses’ 4th intercession, in the mount. Exodus 34:8-10. Moses prepares tables of stone. Exodus 34:1-4, 28. * God passes by in Moses’ sight. Exodus 34:6,7.

The Covenant Restored

Moses has seen God in the Mount. He desires that the people also share in this experience.
God graciously fully restores the covenant.

"And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go
among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and
take us for thine inheritance.

"And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such
as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which
thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

"Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite,
and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite."
Exodus 34:9-11

Comment:

This is an attempt to show the flow of events at Sinai. It is only an estimate. The Bible record is not always chronological. Sometimes the same event is described in different ways, and it may be difficult to determine if it is a second description of the same event, or two separate events. Events are examined to identify enough unique features to separate the events from each other. There is still the problem of timing. The time span of this effort reflects how long we, in this age, might go through these events. Quite likely, the time spans were much longer than are represented here.