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

Yahweh wants His Light to shine in the world.
But ever since Adam, sin keeps bringing darkness.

So God’s plan is simple:
He sends His Son as the Light of the world to rescue mankind from sin.
He chooses Jacob (Israel) to start a nation, and from that nation the Saviour will be born as King of Israel.

Yahweh gives Moses the Ten Commandments – His perfect way to love God and love one another.
He also warns: “Keep sinning and darkness will come.”

At Mount Sinai, instead of showing gentle light, Yahweh revealed His blazing holiness.
Sinful people could not come near – they had to wash and stay far away, or they would die.

Yahweh wants His Light to shine in the world but from the time of Adam, sin continues to bring darkness. God’s plan is to send His Son to earth as the Light of the world and to redeem Mankind from their sin. He chooses Jacob (also called Israel) to father a nation, from which Israel’s future Saviour will be born.

Yahweh gives Moses commandments (also called the 10 Words) showing how to love one another and God. They came with warnings about what would happen if they kept sinning, Darkness.
Rather than manifesting Himself as Light, Yahweh demonstrated what happens when sin and uncleanness comes into contact with His pure holiness.

Israel had to wash themselves for three days and stay away from Mount Sinai where Yahweh manifested His power.

Yahweh’s 10 Words at Sinai – Details

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 know that bessings follow from 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 will break 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