The Exodus
Session 4:
Mount Sinai
Exodus 19:1-8
Through Moses, God led his people out of Egypt. God’s people had finally escaped the misery of 400 years of slavery. Yet despite all that God had done, his people continued to complain to Moses
and they continued to sin.
When they reached the wilderness of Sinai, God showed his people that he loved them despite their sin.
On Mount Sinai God made a covenant with his people and he gave them the Ten Commandments so that they would know how to love him and how to love each other through God’s Law.
God formed the Israelites to be his people as part of his plan of salvation. He freed his people from Egypt and led them to the Promised Land.
During this journey from Egypt, God provided manna and quail in the desert, yet the people still complained and sinned.
When they arrived at Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain to pray. God made a promise (covenant)
to the Israelites.
If they obeyed his Law they would be his people and he would make them into a holy nation.
Moses was later summoned back to the top of the mountain so God could give him the Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20: 1-17).
These commandments showed the people how to love God and how to love their neighbor.
The commandments would help the people know when they were disobeying God and sinning.
Moses went back up the mountain to pray and fast for forty days and Israel grew impatient.
They were afraid and took matters into their own hands and they built a golden calf to worship as their god
When Moses returned he became angry and ordered the people to destroy this false god.
Moses wanted them to know that the one who had freed them and taken care of them in the desert, was the only true God.
God later made the covenant official. With the sprinkling of blood Israel swore a covenant oath.
The message was clear now. God wanted his people to trust in him whole-heartedly.
