1. The Arrival at Mount Sinai
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 had journeyed from Rephidim, came to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness before the mountain. Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'"
2. The Preparation of the People
The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Moses set boundaries around the mountain, warning that anyone who touched the mountain would be put to death. When the trumpet sounded, the people were to go up. The preparation emphasized the holiness of God and the need for purification before approaching Him.
3. The Descent of God on Mount Sinai
On the third day, in the morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain. The sound of the trumpet was exceedingly loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and called Moses to the top. The sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.
4. The Ten Commandments Spoken by God
God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet." The people saw the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. They trembled and stood afar off.
5. The People's Request for a Mediator
The people said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. The people recognized their inability to stand before a holy God. They needed a mediator. Moses served as that mediator under the Old Covenant, pointing forward to Jesus Christ, the one Mediator between God and men.
6. The Covenant Ratified with Blood
Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. They said, "All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient." Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words."
7. Moses on the Mountain for Forty Days
The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them." Moses went up, and a cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. Moses went into the midst of the cloud and was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
8. The Purpose of the Law
The law was given for several purposes. First, it revealed the holy character of God. Second, it exposed sin, showing that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Third, it served as a tutor to lead people to Christ. Paul writes, "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The law cannot save; it only condemns. It shows sinners their need of a Savior. The giving of the law at Sinai was not the end but a preparation for the gospel.
9. The Superiority of the New Covenant
The writer of Hebrews contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion. Sinai represents fear, darkness, tempest, and the voice of judgment. Zion represents 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. The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The New Covenant is superior because it is written on hearts, not on stone.
10. The Application for Believers Today
The giving of the law at Sinai teaches believers the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin. It shows that no one can be saved by keeping the law. It drives sinners to Christ, who fulfilled the law perfectly and died for lawbreakers. Believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, but the law remains a reflection of God's character and a guide for holy living. Let every believer thank God for the law that exposes sin and for the grace that saves sinners through Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
The giving of the law at Mount Sinai was a terrifying and glorious event. God descended in fire, smoke, thunder, and earthquakes. He spoke the Ten Commandments audibly. The people were terrified and requested a mediator. Moses received the tablets of stone and the written law. The law was given to reveal sin and to point to Christ, who would fulfill the law perfectly and die for lawbreakers. Let every sinner flee from the terrors of Sinai to the grace of Calvary.