Forty years later, in his last speech before the Israelites enter the
Promised Land,
Moses explains why God allowed these struggles in the desert:
God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,
testing you to know what was in your heart … he humbled you and let you
hunger and fed you with manna … that he might make you know that man does
not live
by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the
L
ORD
. (Dt 8:2–3)
Moses’ sermon gives us insight into what God was doing with Israel in the desert. The
goal of the Exodus was not simply freedom
from slavery, but freedom
for the Israelites to
know and serve the Lord with all their heart. The
murmuring of Israel, so quick after the
signs and wonders worked in Egypt, shows that Israel is far from knowing and trusting
God. God knows his children are weak, and in his mercy he provides good things, water
from the rock and manna from heaven. These new signs and wonders are given to help
strengthen Israel’s faith and trust, that they may
know the Lord, not only his mighty
power but also his fatherly love (Ex 16:12).
Arrival at Mount Sinai
Israel travels six weeks and arrives at Mount Sinai. Ancient
Jewish tradition counted
seven more days of encampment at the foot of Mount Sinai before God reveals the Ten
Commandments. Thus, seven weeks (forty-nine days) pass, making
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the day of God’s
revelation the fiftieth day. The Jewish feast of Pentecost (meaning fifty) commemorates
this day when the Torah was given on Mount Sinai.
A careful reader will note that the name of the mountain of God has changed from
Mount Horeb, when Moses first came to it (Ex 3:1), to Mount Sinai, when Moses returns
with Israel (Ex 19:1, 19:18). This change likely results because the Hebrew word for
“bush,” which Moses saw burning on the mountain, is
sene. In this Book of Names, Horeb
becomes Sinai to recall the great encounter between Moses and God at the burning bush.
Just as God gave Moses his vocation at
the burning bush, now God gives Israel their
vocation on this same mountain: Israel is to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests (Ex
19:5–6). During the Exodus, the firstborns were consecrated to God in priestly service
(Nm 3:11–13). Similarly, as God’s firstborn (Ex 4:22), Israel is consecrated for God’s
service, which is precisely what the phrase “kingdom of priests” signifies. If Israel is a
kingdom of priests, to whom are they called to minister? All the other nations! Abraham
was told by God that his descendants (Israel) would be a channel of blessing for all the
families of the world (Gn 12:3). Blessing is a priestly prerogative. Israel’s call to be a
kingdom of priests means that they are, according to God’s purpose, intended to
bring
blessing to all nations. Thus, far from calling Israel “in spite of” all the other nations, God
is blessing and raising up Israel in order to bring about universal blessing upon all nations.
The challenge, however, is in the word “if,” for God promises that Israel will be a kingdom
of priests “if” they obey his voice.
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