4. Yahweh’s 10 Words at Sinai

Yahweh’s Glory: In the Holy of Holies Exo 40:34-35

Yahweh’s 10 Words at Sinai – Overview

God’s Plan

Yahweh wants His Light to shine in the world.
But ever since Adam, sin keeps bringing darkness. So God’s plan is straightforward:
He will make a nation Israel,
into which His Son will be born — the Light of the World.
He will restore mankind’s relationship with Yahweh,
once and for all, forever!

Yahweh’s Chosen People

Yahweh chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to be the founding fathers of His chosen nation Israel. It is from this nation that His Son would be born as Saviour and will eventually become King of the world.
After redeeming His people from slavery in Egypt, Yahweh gave Israel the — Yahweh’s instructions of how to love Him and one another (It is useful to understand as principles and case studies which give insights into God’s ways.)

The 10 Words / Commandments

At Mount Sinai, Yahweh gave Moses the Ten Commandments – these are the summary of His instructions given in the . Yahweh promised that blessings would follow obedience but He also warned: “Keep on sinning and darkness will follow.”
Yahweh’s presence came down on Mount Sinai but instead of coming as a gentle light, Yahweh revealed His blazing holiness. People were told not to come near the mountain – they had to be consecrated, wash their clothes, and stay far away, or they would die.

Takeaways

Beliefs

In order for His Son (Jesus) to ultimately reign over the earth, Yahweh created the nation Israel.
Jesus was born into the royal line of King David as a rightful heir to the throne. When Jesus returns, it will be as King of Israel, and also King of kings, over the whole earth.
Mat 27:11 Isa 2:3
At Mount Sinai, Yahweh gave Israel His Torah (Instructions) for how His Kingdom was to be ruled. Simply put, it showed Israel how to love both God and each other. It is the beginning of the Kingdom of God on earth – God’s people living God’s way.
Mat 22:37-40
When Jesus, the Messiah, returns to reign on earth, it is Yahweh’s Torah that will bring justice to the world.
Jer 31:33 Psa 2:6-9

Actions

Just like stained glass windows in churches were pictorial representations of scripture, Yahweh’s included rituals and practises representing spiritual principles.
For example:

The feast of Passover is a picture of Christ’s death as a substitution for our death from our sin, just like the Passover lamb was a substitution for the first born.
The food laws are principle of how things set apart for God are holy and are contaminated by things which are not clean. Therefore they are no longer holy. They give examples of what God considers both clean and unclean. Eg the life is in the blood
The principle of not mixing things which do not go together:
- Wool and linen – wool keeps your warm and linen keeps you cool
- Sowing grain in a vineyard (self explanatory)
- Do not plough with a donkey and ox together – donkeys carry heavy loads and oxen pull heavy loads
In the NT, Paul uses the principle of mixing to teach, ‘do not be unequally yoked to unbelievers’.

When reading God’s torah, look for principles that you can apply in your life rather than the ‘legalistic letter of the law’.

In addition to reading Torah, meditation combined with participation in the Torah instructions (as far as is sensible and practical), results in new revelations of God, His ways and His prophetic events; eg Passover events map on to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His resurrection and the journey to the Promised Land. It places it as part of subsequent feasts also related to harvests.

Yahweh’s 10 Words at Sinai – Details

Moses receives the 10 Words at Mount Sinai from Yahweh

The glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire.
There were thunderings and lightnings,
and a thick cloud on the mountain;
The sound of the trumpet was very loud.
The people trembled and stood afar off. 

Mount Sinai – 10 Commandments

Yawheh God gave His Chosen People, Israel, 10 Commandments (10 Words or Principles) on loving God and one another called the Torah. It is God’s Way to show Israel how to love and teach that blessings follow obedience.
1Jn 5:3 Mat 22:37-40 Rom 13:10 Mat 5:18 Psa 1:1-2

Yahweh’s presence descended on Mt Sinai

God made a covenant with Israel, outlining blessings for keeping His Torah and also the curses for breaking it.
Exo 19:5, 18, 24:7 Deu 28:1-2 Deu 28:15

Specific requirements allowed God’s presence to dwell with Israel in a protected room (the Holy of Holies) in a special tent called a tabernacle/sanctuary. The building the tabernacle sanctuary was necessary to protect Israel from God’s Shekinah Glory because any imperfection or sin would not survive His holy presence.
Lev 9:23-24 Exo 19:16-22 Exo 25:8

Israel’s history of rebellion

For centuries, Israel fell into a repeating cycle of rebellion followed by repentance. Their persistent rebellion and desecration of the Temple ultimately led its destruction and their exile from the land, with only a remnant of Judah returning after 70 years in Babylon at around 500 BC.
Ezk 8:6 2Ki 21:4-7 Ezk 10:18

What happens next…

Yahweh God broke this cycle of rebellion by sending His Son, His Word made flesh, Jesus, to be Saviour of the World.
Jhn 3:16

Further studies

Love God and your Neighbour

Law of Moses / God’s Ways
- The Mosaic Law (Yahweh’s instructions on how to love; known as the Torah) were give to show what was not Love and what is Love; They are principles to be applied from a heart of love. It is not legalistic and salvation does not depend on keeping it. Salvation is by Faith.
  Isa 2:3 Pro 13:13-14 Jer 31:33
How to love God and your Neighbour
- Jesus taught that He did not come to abolish the Law and that the smallest details of it should not be changed by Man.
  Mat 22:37-40 Mat 5:18-19
  
  Topics for all aspects of a nation are covered:
  
  Relationships, farming, diet, education, priesthood, the Temple, worship, justice, finance, warfare etc.
  
  Unlike western law, it is not 1,000’s of pages of legalist details trying to be specific to prevent loopholes. With the Torah, the spirit of love needs to be foundational and weighed up in order to wisely understand the application in different circumstances.
  
  The Torah (God’s way) is recorded in the first five books of the bible and gives God’s principles on how to love in different situations. The rest of the bible gives many examples of how God wants His law understood and obeyed. It also demonstrates how God responds when His Torah is broken. Idolatry is one of the more serious sins because it rejects Yahweh and He takes that seriously in order to bring His people back to Him, often bringing tribulation against Israel.
The Glory of God in the Temple
- God’s presence was with Israel in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and the High Priest was allowed in once a year to atone for Israel’s sins.
  Exo 29:45-46 Lev 26:11-12 Exo 40:34-38 1Ki 8:10-13

Beloved, Flee from Idolatry

The People are Deceived
- Just like Eve, God’s Chosen People (Israel) are deceived; they follow their own desires and turn away from God.
  Gen 3:13-14 Jer 17:9 Isa 53:6
The People Rebel
- First the Northern Kingdom of Israel committed abominations of idolatry and wickedness and God sent Assyria to remove them from the land and scatter them. Then Judah did the same and were exiled in Babylon for 70 years.
  2Ki 17:16-18 Ezk 8:6 Jer 29:10-14
God’s Presence leaves Israel
- Judah’s Rebellion was so evil that God removed His Presence from the Temple just as He did in the Garden of Eden. Yahweh’s presence has not dwelt among Mankind since then.
  Gen 3:22-23 Ezk 10:18
  However, God does promise to return and will dwell with Mankind again, one day.
  Mal 3:1 Hag 2:9 Zec 8:3

Salvation

Promise of Salvation to all Nations
- Despite their rebellion, God declared that He would save His Chosen People Israel and through them the nations. He also promised to bring Israel back to their land.
  Gen 3:15 Zec 9:9 Mic 5:2 Gen 22:18 Isa 49:6 Gen 28:13-15