# Was Israel commanded to ascend Mt. Sinai with Moses? (Exodus 19)



## Jeff Burns (Feb 24, 2010)

Hey ya'll. Been a while since I've posted anything, or really even been to the board for that matter. Life's been busy lately and I half forgot about this great resource. At any rate, I have a question for everyone and would love your thoughts.

Recently my pastor has been preaching through Exodus. The past two Sundays have been spent going over Ex. 19-20. Here my pastor follows John Sailhamer’s interpretation found in the back of his book _Introduction to Old Testament Theology_. I could try to summarize the sermons, but my pastor has actually done it for the community group leaders, so I’ll just post his words.

“Summary of the sermon for community group leaders 
In Exodus 19:1-6 God calls Israel a treasured possession, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation,_* if *_they "obey my voice" (Gen. 26:5) and "keep the covenant" (Gen 17:9) given to Abraham which is kept not by works but by faith. Part of God's desire for the "kingly priests" of Israel is that they go up the mountain to worship him (cf. Exodus 3:12, 19:13b, Ex. 20:18-20, Deut .5:2-5) only after they consecrated themselves and waited until God called them up the mountain with a trumpet blast on the third day (the day of Pentecost- 50 days after leaving Egypt). When the trumpet was blown the people did not go up the mountain but feared in a away that led them to stand far off from God and to take their stand at the foot of the mountain (cf. Exodus 19:16-17, 20:18-20, Deut 5:5). Their fear primarily led them to distance themselves from God rather than fearing God in a way that led them closer to Him. This distance is shown through the rest of chapter 19 as a distinction is made between the priests and the people and Moses has to go up the mountain without the people. The boundary that was around the people for consecration is now set around the mountain creating even more distance (19:12,23). As a result just like Paul indicated in Galatians 3:15-19, the law was given not to do away with the covenant promise made to Abraham, but it was given because of the people's sins (cf. Jeremiah 7:21-24). It was given to "hold the people captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith [Jesus Christ] is revealed" (Gal. 3:23). The law was not punishment however. It is good, holy and righteous (Romans 7:12). Yet the laws function to guard the people from falling into the sins of the other nations until Jesus came to free people from the law that all who trust in him might be called sons of God (cf. Galatians 3:23-25; Romans 7:6). 
As application, we are reminded of Presence: God's promised presence and his desire for a personal relationship with his people; Consecration: we are reminded of God's delight in a holy, set apart people who are a city within a city. Fear: We are brought to remember that we must fear God not in a way that distances us from him but draws us to lean into him with loving faith. Obedience: And we must be called to walk in obedience to God's commands.”


Has anyone ever heard of an interpretation like this before? I couldn’t find it in any of the major commentaries and only discovered it was verbatim from Sailhamer on Monday night. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the idea that Israel was supposed to ascend Mt. Sinai. I assume most folks here espouse covenant theology, so I understand some presuppositional biases will arise. For the record, I’m not at all convinced of Sailhamer’s interpretation….


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## Contra_Mundum (Feb 24, 2010)

I don't believe the people failed to do exactly as they were told. How can the trumpet blown in v16 call the people any closer than the boundary and warning set in vv12-13?


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## Jeff Burns (Feb 24, 2010)

They would argue that because there is no negation in 19:12 that it should read "beware as you go" instead of "do not go" and that the restriction to not touch the mountain only applies for the 3 days of consecration.


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## Jeff Burns (Feb 25, 2010)

Bump....

Come on, no one has any thoughts on this?


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## Jeff Burns (Mar 2, 2010)

Another bump... 

I thought this topic might have generated more interest...


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## Contra_Mundum (Mar 2, 2010)

Probably means its such an idiosyncratic and counter-intuitive interpretation, that it hardly fits in with the theology we are familiar with.

The New Testament contrasts the manifestation of God on Sinai with the manifestation of God in Christ, Heb.12:18-24. We are not reminded of the separation that Sinai represented, but of the closeness that God has provided through the better Mediator, Jesus.

Trying to make Sinai into Zion is a category error.


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## Hebrew Student (Mar 21, 2010)

Hey Jeff!



> In Exodus 19:1-6 God calls Israel a treasured possession, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, if they "obey my voice" (Gen. 26:5) and "keep the covenant" (Gen 17:9) given to Abraham which is kept not by works but by faith. Part of God's desire for the "kingly priests" of Israel is that they go up the mountain to worship him (cf. Exodus 3:12, 19:13b, Ex. 20:18-20, Deut .5:2-5) only after they consecrated themselves and waited until God called them up the mountain with a trumpet blast on the third day (the day of Pentecost- 50 days after leaving Egypt). When the trumpet was blown the people did not go up the mountain but feared in a away that led them to stand far off from God and to take their stand at the foot of the mountain (cf. Exodus 19:16-17, 20:18-20, Deut 5:5). Their fear primarily led them to distance themselves from God rather than fearing God in a way that led them closer to Him. This distance is shown through the rest of chapter 19 as a distinction is made between the priests and the people and Moses has to go up the mountain without the people. The boundary that was around the people for consecration is now set around the mountain creating even more distance (19:12,23). As a result just like Paul indicated in Galatians 3:15-19, the law was given not to do away with the covenant promise made to Abraham, but it was given because of the people's sins (cf. Jeremiah 7:21-24). It was given to "hold the people captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith [Jesus Christ] is revealed" (Gal. 3:23). The law was not punishment however. It is good, holy and righteous (Romans 7:12). Yet the laws function to guard the people from falling into the sins of the other nations until Jesus came to free people from the law that all who trust in him might be called sons of God (cf. Galatians 3:23-25; Romans 7:6).
> As application, we are reminded of Presence: God's promised presence and his desire for a personal relationship with his people; Consecration: we are reminded of God's delight in a holy, set apart people who are a city within a city. Fear: We are brought to remember that we must fear God not in a way that distances us from him but draws us to lean into him with loving faith. Obedience: And we must be called to walk in obedience to God's commands.ï¿½



I think this view would have difficulty with what Moses said in the book of Deuteronomy regarding this incident:



> *Deuteronomy 5:24-29* "You said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. 25 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we will die. 26 'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 _*'Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.'*_ 28 *"The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.* 29* 'Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!* [NASB]



You don't often hear God speak about Israel in such high terms, especially in the Pentatuch! However, this is something for which God greatly commends them. That is hard to reconcile with the idea that they should have came up the mountain.

Also, Exodus 19 is a complicated text. My professor, Dr. Averbeck, did an entire paper on this passage for either SBL or ETS using textlinguistics, and he came to the conclusion that the prepositions of this text are key. What each side is allowed to do is dependent upon the prepositions used. His conclusion was that the reason why God wanted Moses to go back down the mountain is to warn the people that he was going to continue to come down the mountain. In such an instance, it would be dangerous, since, even standing at the foot of the mountain, they may break through, and see God [v.24].

Hence, I would argue that the text puts a strong separation between God and his people, since Moses is acting as mediator. That role is heavily protected by God throughout the Pentatuch, even to the point of the earth swallowing people up [Numbers 16]. That is one of the main themes of Hebrew thought. God is so great that he cannot be approached, and he sends his mediators to intercede for the people.

God Bless,
Adam


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