1. Mount Sinai Is Also Called Mount Horeb
The mountain of God is referred to by two names in Scripture: Sinai and Horeb. The name Sinai occurs primarily in Exodus and Leviticus, while Horeb appears more often in Deuteronomy. Both refer to the same mountain range or the same peak. It is called the mountain of God because the Lord descended upon it in fire and glory.
2. The Location of Mount Sinai
The exact location of Mount Sinai is not specified with modern precision in Scripture, but it is clearly identified as being in the wilderness of Sinai, a region between Egypt and Canaan. After crossing the Red Sea, Israel traveled through the wilderness of Shur, then to Marah, then to Elim, then to the wilderness of Sin, then to Rephidim, and finally to the wilderness of Sinai. The mountain stood at the base of the same mountain mass. The traditional location is in the southern Sinai Peninsula, at Jebel Musa (Mountain of Moses). Scripture emphasizes that the location was remote, barren, and isolated.
3. The Burning Bush at Horeb
Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. The bush burned with fire but was not consumed. God called to Moses from the bush and commanded him to remove his sandals, for the place where he stood was holy ground. At this same mountain, God revealed His name: I AM WHO I AM.
4. Israel Arrived at Sinai in the Third Month
In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. They camped before the mountain. The journey from Egypt to Sinai took approximately seven weeks. The entire nation gathered at the base of the mountain, and Moses went up to meet with God. This was the place where God would make a covenant with His people.
5. The Glory of the Lord Descended Upon Sinai
On the morning of the third day, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of a trumpet exceedingly loud. The whole mountain quaked greatly. Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire. The smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain.
6. The Ten Commandments Were Given at Sinai
God spoke all these words from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness. He gave the Ten Commandments, written with the finger of God on two tablets of stone. The law was not given through angels only but directly by the voice of God. The people were terrified and begged Moses to be their mediator, saying, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." The giving of the law at Sinai established Israel as a theocratic nation under the covenant of God.
7. The Golden Calf Rebellion at the Base of Sinai
While Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, the people grew impatient. They gathered around Aaron and demanded gods to go before them. Aaron made a golden calf from their earrings. The people sacrificed to it and said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt." The Lord was angry and threatened to destroy the people. Moses broke the tablets of stone at the foot of the mountain, ground the golden calf to powder, and punished the rebels.
8. The Tabernacle Instructions Were Given at Sinai
The entire book of Leviticus was given at Mount Sinai. God called to Moses from the tabernacle of meeting after the tabernacle was constructed, but the instructions for the tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the feasts were given on Mount Sinai. The pattern of the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat, the lampstand, the table of showbread, the altar of incense, and the garments of the priests were all revealed to Moses on the mountain.
9. Elijah's Encounter at Horeb
Centuries later, the prophet Elijah fled from Jezebel and traveled for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. He lodged in a cave. The word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The Lord passed by, and a great wind tore the mountains, but the Lord was not in the wind. An earthquake followed, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. A fire followed, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a still small voice. At Horeb, Elijah received his commission to anoint new kings and his successor, Elisha.
10. Sinai Is Contrasted with Mount Zion
The writer of Hebrews contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion. Sinai represents the old covenant of law, fear, darkness, tempest, and the voice of judgment. Mount Zion represents the new covenant of grace, joy, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than the blood of Abel. Believers have not come to the mountain that burned with fire, but to the heavenly Mount Zion, the city of the living God. Sinai was unapproachable; Zion is accessible through Christ.
Conclusion
Mount Sinai is the mountain of God's holy law. There He revealed His majesty in fire, smoke, and earthquake. There He gave the Ten Commandments and the covenant to Israel. Yet Sinai's terror drives sinners to seek mercy. The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. From Sinai's thunder, we flee to Zion's mercy.