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The
begining of the return--------------------------The
plagues in Egypt ----------------------------------------
The Tabernacle
THE PLAGUES IN EGYPT
As Moses and Aaron met Israeli people they went to pharaoh and
said:
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what
the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may
hold a festival to me in the desert.' "Pharaoh said, "Who is
the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the
LORD and I will not let Israel go."
(Ex., 5, 1-2)
Pharaoh rules a huge kingdom and he was regarded as a living god. Pharaoh
ruled over millions of slaves and he was not interested in their belief
or traditions. Jews were not assimilating with Egyptians, their number
was constantly growing and they were representing a menace for Egypt.
The Egyptians made the necessary restrictions to limit the birth rate
of Israeli people. The meeting of Moses and Aaron with pharaoh brought
even more severe slavery for Israeli people and they started to blame
Moses: "You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials".
Moses began to plead to the Lord with the blame in His address:
"O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people?
Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your
name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued
your people at all."
(Ex., 5, 22-23)
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will
do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because
of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." God also
said to Moses, "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and
to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself
known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the
land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the
groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have
remembered my covenant. "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am
the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.
I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with
an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you
as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am
the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.
And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to
Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession.
I am the LORD.' "
(Ex., 6, 1-8)
Moses begins his service (everyone who makes service to God makes service
not only to his people but to the whole mankind), he's still weak spiritually,
he even blames God. But the Lord would not only calm down Moses, the Lord
says the for hundred years He appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and
made covenants with them and promised them the land of Canaan. The salvation
of Israeli people from Egyptian slavery is based on the promises given
to forefathers of Israeli people. They didn't know the name of God and
they called the name The Lord Almighty and worshipped the Lord. The words
of the Lord give the idea of unified wish for the return of mankind to
God and Israeli people will have the key role in it.
Moses told everything to his people but the first misfortune confused
them and they would not anymore listen to him. But the Lord asked Moses
and Aaron to go once more and to talk to people and then to visit pharaoh.
Prior to discuss the next events in Egypt let's have a look at Moses and
Aaron ancestry.
Abram belonged to the twentieth generation starting with Adam and he
had Ishmael. Abram led righteous life and on wish of God he begat Abraham.
Abraham belonged to the blessed seventh generation (twenty first) and
he begat Isaac.
Isaac belonged to the twenty second generation and he begat Jacob.
Jacob – twenty third generation, he begat Reuben, Simeon, Levi and eight
more sons. Jacob on wish of God begat himself Israel. N.b. Noah belonged
to the third generation and he started new mankind, similarly Israel belonged
to the twenty fourth (third) generation and he gave life to a new people.
Israel – twenty fourth generation, begat Benjamin.
Levi – twenty fifth generation, he begat Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
Kohath – twenty sixth generation, he begat Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
Amram – twenty seventh generation, he begat Aaron and Moses.
Aaron and Moses – twenty eighth (seventh) blessed generation, Aaron begat
Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
So, Aaron and Moses descended from Levi, who was faithful to
the belief of his fathers in Egypt and who fought against foreign gods.
These people were blessed by God to take the people of Israel from Egypt.
Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt, he said to him, "I am
the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you." But
Moses said to the LORD, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would
Pharaoh listen to me?"
(Ex., 6, 28-30)
Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh,
and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
(Ex., 7, 1)
The Lord is cautiously but firmly pushing Moses to fight pharaoh to
liberate his people and again the Lord repeats the future events. In these
words the Lord shows that Messiah would come to divide mankind and the
Prophet would proclaim the wish of God. Moses and Aaron did on wish of
God, they came to pharaoh. The Lord warned them that pharaoh would ask
to show their power and to show the miracles.
As Moses and Aaron came to pharaoh everything happened the way the Lord
predicted: pharaoh asked them to prove they had been sent by God. Then
Aaron threw his staff and it turned into snake. But the magicians called
by pharaoh threw their staffs before pharaoh and they also turned into
snakes, but the staff of Aaron swallowed up their staffs. After this event
pharaoh refused to listen any more to Moses.
We may note that the magicians of pharaoh exercised their power of animal
world. This power may also rule the animal nature of man.
In the morning as pharaoh went to the river Moses and Aaron came to him
asking to let Israeli people leave Egypt to service their God in the desert.
Aaron stroke with his staff the river and the water turned into blood.
The magicians of pharaoh applied their skills and made the same and pharaoh
didn't pay attention to it again.
In seven days Moses and Aaron came to pharaoh and on wish of the Lord
warned pharaoh that they would plaque the land of Egypt with frogs. And
they did it. The magicians made the same and added the number of frogs.
Pharaoh asked Moses to get frogs away promising he would let the Israeli
go. But as Moses preached to God and all the frogs died out pharaoh became
stubborn again.
Magicians of pharaoh applied the human power and they could only repeat
the three miracles. But on the next day Aaron stroke the ground with his
staff and the dust turned into gnats and they attacked people and animals,
the magicians accepted that it was the plague sent by God. Anyhow pharaoh
was unbent and he didn't listen to them.
Then the Lord made another plague and flied overwhelmed Egypt and pharaoh
said the Israeli people could make their offerings in Egypt, but Moses
and Aaron said the offering should be done in the desert in three days
of travel. Pharaoh gave his agreement, but as Moses preached to the Lord
and all the flies were eliminated pharaoh again got stubborn.
Then the Lord sent Moses to tell pharaoh that the people of Israel had
to go to the desert and warship God otherwise the Lord would send the
plague on livestock. On the next morning all the livestock in the fields
of Egypt died and the livestock owned by Israelites didn't die. Anyhow
pharaoh remained stubborn.
The Lord asked Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from furnace and
to toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. The soot would touch
people or animals creating festering boils. But it didn't reasoned pharaoh.
The Lord sent Moses and Aaron to tell pharaoh:
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning,
confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the
Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this
time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against
your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like
me in all the earth.
(Ex., 9, 13-14)
Moses told pharaoh that the next day the Lord would send hailstorm on
Egypt and all people and livestock in the fields would die, but the hail
would not touch Israeli people. As Moses raised his staff pointing at
the sky a hailstorm hit Egypt with lightning flashing here and there.
Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and asked them to preach to their God
to stop the hail. Pharaoh promised he would let the Israeli people go.
But as the hailstorm stopped pharaoh changed his mind. This and the next
three plagues sent by God were necessary to demonstrate the power of God,
to punish the unrighteous and to unite the people of Israel. The plagues
sent for Egypt had to be known to all peoples to proclaim the power of
the true God and to proclaim the beginning of the Return. A new people
was nascent in Egypt, the people that had to bring the light of return
to God for all mankind.
Locusts and darkness were the next plagues sent to Egypt. Locusts devoured
all the vegetation and plants in Egypt and then darkness covered the land
of Egypt for three days. But once again pharaoh refused to let Israeli
people with all their property and livestock go to warship the Lord.
Now the LORD had said to Moses, "I will bring one more
plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here,
and when he does, he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that
men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver
and gold."
(Ex., 11, 1-2)
So Moses said, "This is what the LORD says: 'About midnight I will
go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn
son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave
girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as
well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt-worse than there has
ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will
bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction
between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me,
bowing down before me and saying, 'Go, you and all the people who follow
you!' After that I will leave." Then Moses, hot with anger, left
Pharaoh.
(Ex., 11, 4-8)
The Lord told Moses that the stubbornness of pharaoh was made on His
wish to demonstrate the great powers of the Lord.
THE PASSOVER
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month
is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the
whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man
is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household
is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest
neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You
are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each
person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without
defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of
them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the
community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to
take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes
of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat
the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made
without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it
over the fire-head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till
morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.
(Ex., 12, 1-10)
The Lord is creating the present looking into the future. The Lord established
new calendar prior to exit of Israeli people from Egypt: the month Abib
is the first month of the year. The Lord makes the new beginning of the
year and point out the meaning of the exit from Egypt, it's like the birth
of the Israeli people. The salvation from slavery would be celebrated
as the Passover of God and later the celebration of Unleavened Bread would
take place in seven days.
On the tenth day every family has to get a lamb, which is to be kept for
four days (Israeli people and mankind have to pass four stages of Return).
On the fourteenth day the lamb shall be slaughtered. People will have
to take the blood of the lamb and to put it on the sides and tops of the
doorframes of the houses where they eat the lamb. The blood of the lamb
will save the lives of the firstborn Israelites and their livestock and
it will save the people from slavery. As "this is the law to be kept
forever", the Lord proves that this celebration will be important
for mankind in the future. The Passover celebrates not only the liberation
of Israeli people, but liberation of mankind and the beginning to the
Return to God. The new meaning of Passover is the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, it only proved the basic meaning of this celebration. The command
not to cook the lamb in water shows that the lamb is the prototype of
the next stage of purification and redemption of sins made by the ancient
people living before the flood. The human bodies died without damage to
their bodies and the lamb should be prepared as a whole. It proves that
the body of the Lamb to redeem the sins of mankind living before the flood
will be whole.
This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your
belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in
haste; it is the LORD's Passover.
(Ex., 12,11)
Each Passover opens new way for each man, while the first Passover opened
the way for Israeli people to get liberated from slavery. The Christ's
Passover open a new way for Israeli and heathens, and they had to be prepared
with the staff in their hands to start the new way.
"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike
down every firstborn-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on
all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you
on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over
you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
(Ex., 12, 12-13)
The Lord gave man freedom of choice, the firstborn sons inherited the
human qualities of their fathers. Thus the firstborn is the heritage of
any person. The firstborn sons always inherited the best part of family
property and position in the society. The death of the firstborn could
cut the further development of the blood line of a whole nation. It was
a disaster for Egypt, it meant that the gods of Egypt couldn't protect
the firstborn sons and the gods would have to be replaced. The death of
the firstborn livestock meant that the life of Egypt nation would be unfortunate
and full of hardship.
The Lord gives command about the celebration of Unleavened Bread, which
would take seven days. On the first day (the beginning of the creation
when God created light – the truth) and on the last day (the day of rest,
blessed by God) of the celebration the Israeli people will have to hold
sacred assemblies. They should not have any yeast in their homes and people
should eat unleavened bread.
Moses summoned all the elders and told them the commandments of the Lord
and the whole people of Israel did as the Lord said.
At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn
of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the
livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians
got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there
was not a house without someone dead.
(Ex., 12, 29-30)
The death of all firstborn in Egypt is coordinated with the Law, which
was given to the Israeli people later. The order of pharaoh to kill male
infants of Israeli people entailed this punishment.
The hit on Egypt is the prototype of the disaster, which will happen to
mankind in the future. Mankind will be the cause of the disaster as mankind
is coming along the way, which leads to downfall.
THE EXODUS
During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said,
"Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD
as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and
go. And also bless me." The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and
leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will
all die!"
So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried
it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites
did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver
and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed
toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered
the Egyptians.
(Ex., 12, 31-36)
The exit of Israeli people from Egypt was so hasty that they couldn't
bake the bread and they had to take the dough with them before the yeast
was added. Before they left they went to Egyptians and asked for gold,
silver and good clothes and on wish of the Lord they got everything they
needed. It was the compensation for numerous years of slavery. The majority
of the received precious goods was applied later for creation of Tabernacle.
The meaning of this event for the future Exodus that will take prior to
the judgment day of mankind, is the following: the distribution of mankind
into two will be accompanied by the distribution of spiritual values accumulated
by mankind in form of non-material qualities of human soul – love to God
and people, self-sacrifice, strive for truth, goodness and justice, health
etc. Jesus Christ spoke about it as well:
"… for whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall
have more abundance; but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away
even that he has."
(Matt., 13, 12)
The children and the youth will have the best spiritual gifts, while
the rest of the mankind will loose the link with God forever and it will
be doomed for spiritual powerty and degradation.
But at that moment the Israeli people left Rameses for Succoth. The people
numbered six hundred thousand men, besides women and children. They had
plenty of livestock and other goods and they were joined by other people.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations
for the Passover: "No foreigner is to eat of it. Any slave you have
bought may eat of it after you have circumcised him, but a temporary resident
and a hired worker may not eat of it.
(Ex., 12, 43-45)
"An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover
must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take
part like one born in the land.
(Ex., 12, 48)
Only circumcision as the covenant with the Lord make people belong to
God's people, but not the birth origin. The same could be seen in Christianity:
it's not nationality but baptizing that make people belong to Christianity.
From now on Passover and the Unleavened Bread shall be celebrated as the
time of salvation from Egyptian slavery. The Lord saved Israeli firstborn
of men and livestock and now each firstborn boy and every firstborn of
livestock belong to the Lord. The Lord took the descendants of Levi to
service Him and all the firstborn boys as well as firstborn livestock
can be bought out.
The Lord allowed Israeli people to avoid fighting against Philistines
as they left Egypt and guided them through the desert along the Red Sea.
Moses took the remnants of Joseph, who had been promised to be buried
in his land.
By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide
them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so that they could travel by day or night.
(Ex., 13, 21)
The Lord told Moses that the Israeli people should stay at the Red Sea,
promising to stop pharaoh. The Lord made pharaoh brave and he started
the chase after the Israelites. He took all the chariots and the best
soldiers. Pharaoh caught up with the Israeli people at the Red Sea and
Israeli people got frightened and asked the Lord for help and they started
to blame Moses saying he had brought them there to die. But Moses calmed
down the people saying: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will
see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today". And the Lord
told Moses:
"Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move
on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide
the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
(Ex., 14, 15-16)
Then the angel of God withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud
was in front of the Egyptians and Israeli could see the light.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that
night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it
into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through
the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their
left.
(Ex., 14, 21-22)
When the chariots and soldiers of pharaoh followed the Israelites into
the sea, Moses guided by the Lord raised his hand over the sea and the
waters of the sea pushed back and covered the Egyptian army.
And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed
against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust
in him and in Moses his servant.
(Ex., 14, 31)
This miracle put aside all the doubts and for some time the people got
their trust in the powers of the Lord Almighty. They sang the song blessing
the Lord, who saved the Israeli people. The Lord punished the Egyptians
and created a new people, the Lord brought spiritual trust to this people
and it started to get hold of the souls stricken by heathenism. But this
people had yet to go a long way to get spiritual salvation.
Moses brought the people away from the Red Sea into the desert, three
days long they couldn't find water. They came to Marah, but water turned
to be very bitter and they couldn't drink it. The people again started
to blame Moses and he preached to God and God showed the tree, which should
be put into water to make it fresh. It was one more testing of the people
and the trust of the Israeli people.
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD
your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his
commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the
diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm
trees, and they camped there near the water.
(Ex., 15, 26-27)
The Lord is fulfilling the promise and once again saves the Israeli people
guiding them to the promised land. The Lord made the Israelites His people
and the Lord demanded trust and obedience, fulfillment of laws and commandments
to protect the Israelites. The Lord helped and warned and the words of
the Lord would soon be formed into blessings and curse: those who followed
the commandments would be blessed while those who didn't – would be cursed.
The Lord brought the Israeli people to Elim, the land with 12 water wells
and 70 palm trees. When the Israel turned into the people of priests,
the twelve tribes of Israeli people would be the sources of water for
seventy peoples of the earth.
The Israelites left Elim and went along the desert. Again people started
to blame Moses asking for food. The Lord sent them quail and manna, making
the first day of rest on Saturday. But the people of Israel was too slow
learning the commandments of the Lord. They came from Sin desert and arrived
at Rephidim, but there was no water again.
So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to
drink."
(Ex., 17, 2)
Then Moses cried out to the LORD , "What am I to do with these people?
They are almost ready to stone me." The LORD answered Moses, "Walk
on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and
take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I
will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and
water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did
this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
(Ex., 17, 4-6)
We may take a note that the Lord is cultivating the belief in Israeli
people: starting with Moses, Aaron and Mariam the belief is passed to
some elders, who go after Moses in search of the Lord. There is no command
to bring people to the rock as the lack of belief in the people would
not be helping Moses but it would protect him in his mission. Moses should
strike the rock with his staff to get the water, the Lord would be standing
on the rock giving him the required help. It reminds of a school, teaching.
The Lord is teaching Moses and through Moses the Lord teaches the whole
nation, the Lord shows the belief, which would unite every person with
God and would give him the necessary help. In forty years after the wandering
in the desert there would be a similar situation but the people would
be different and there wouldn't be a command to make the similar act.
The Lord saved His people when Amalekites started to fight against the
Israelites in Rephidim. Joshua with the soldiers fought the Amalekites,
while Moses held up his hands with the help of Aaron and Hur till the
sundown till Joshua could overcome the Amalekites.
Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said,
"For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will
be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."
(Ex., 17, 15-16)
As the father-in-law of Moses heard it that God helped Moses and his people
and helped them to get out of Egypt, he came to Moses with his wife Zipporah
and his two sons. Moses met his father-in-law, asked him about his health
and then they entered the tent and Moses told him everything about the
help of God and how God saved them numerous times. Jethro was delighted
and blessed the name of the Lord and made offering to God. Then he and
the elders of Israel ate bread in the presence of God. Next day as he
saw that Moses was dealing with personal matters of the people, he advised
Moses to teach the decrees and laws of God to people and to pass all the
other matters to judges. Moses followed the advise of Jethro and selected
trustworthy men and put them over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens
of Israelites. The people came to them and they settled all the issues.
Some time later Jethro parted from Moses and came to his home land
THE COVENANT
In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt-on the very
day-they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim,
they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert
in front of the mountain.
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain
and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and
what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what
I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you
to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of
all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth
is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These
are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
(Ex., 19, 1-6)
Moses descended from the mountain and he summoned the elders and told
them what the Lord had said to him. The salvation of mankind, the return
of God, was planned by the Lord with assistance of the Israeli people.
The Lord wanted to make the Israelites the nation of priests. The teaching
given by the Lord was a the seed, it contained the future to be developed
from this seed. The plan was fulfilled despite the numerous treasons of
Israeli people: Hebrews were the first preachers of Christianity and they
were the first Christian priests. But the Israeli people fulfilled one
more very important mission – the Israelites kept the word of the Lord
and brought it through the thousands of years.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate
them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by
the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai
in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain
and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch
the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid
on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only
when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain."
(Ex., 19, 10-13)
The people of Israel gives consent to follow the way showed by the Lord
fulfilling all the commandments and the Covenant. The Lord promised Moses
to appear in a cloud and to talk to him from the mountain to make all
the people believe in God. The people had to get prepared for this appearance:
people had to wash their clothes and to be prepared spiritually – they
should not touch women in those days. During those three days prior to
the appearance of the Lord the people had to become spiritually clean.
But as on the whole the people stayed unpurified and the appearance of
the Lord would consecrate the mount Sinai no unclean creature – a man
or an animal – should come to the holy place under the fear of death.
Other people had to be saved of this uncleanness and the unclean people
and animals had to be punishment with stones or arrows, they were not
to be touched.
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning,
with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone
in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet
with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was
covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke
billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled
violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses
spoke and the voice of God answered him. The LORD descended to the top
of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went
up.
(Ex., 19, 16-20)
The Holy Presence at Sinai mount showed up at the complete range of human
perception, it was supposed to apply the maximum effort to secure the
commandments, laws and decrees in the people of Israel. The Israelites
should have all the commandments, laws and decrees as the basis of their
life. The majority of people were unclean and if they came close to the
mountain they would have killed. They were told not to come to the mountain
and not to look at the top of the mountain. The level of man's position
to God was defined by wish of God, by ritual and spiritual cleanness of
man. Moses descended from the mountain and told the people the commandments
given by the Lord.
And God spoke all these words:
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the
land of slavery.
"You shall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything
in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall
not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous
God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and
fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand
generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD
will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD
your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or
daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the
alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and
the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh
day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in
the land the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your
neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbor."
(Ex., 20, 1-17)
The commandments given by the Lord to Moses on mount Sinai are the first
stages of the spiritual stairway leading man to God. If we imagine that
these commandments are located as stages between God and man in the order
given by the Lord we may find out that the first commandment which is
close to God, while the last one is close to man. The order for man will
be reverse. The last commandment proves it, it should be read in composition
with all the previous commandments.
"You shall not covet anything belonging to your neighbor…" –
man has to rule over his animal nature, his desires and it will allow
him to avoid false testimony, stealing, adultery and at last killing people.
"Honor your father and your mother…" – each nation can hope
for long historical survival if the nation has strong succession of generations.
This tight spiritual relation is the fundament of each nation and each
man, it gives the strength for survival. Honoring father and mother is
the fundament of love to them and then to all the other people. The man
who is not honoring his father and mother can't love other people or God.
"Remember the Sabbath day…" – It's the seventh commandment on
our way to God. Why did the Lord set the Sabbath day? It's said "Sabbath
to the Lord your God", it's the day when people had to preach to
God who had brought them away from Egypt, who had liberated them from
physical and spiritual slavery. The Lord gives people a chance to change
their life in physical and spiritual terms. As the man made a Covenant
with God he should fulfill all the commandments and decrees, but the man
is given a special day to preach to God and to think about God. The Lord
blessed this day and gave it to people, who should take rest and preach
and warship God on this day:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge
of the holy is understanding.
(Prov. 9,10)
Man is working from sunrise to sundown, he is not used to think and
the Lord gives a day for man to rest and to preach, the Lord opens a new
way to people in an attempt to pull people from animal living. Giving
the account of those who should take rest the Lord puts foreigners after
livestock as they are heathens worshiping idols. Usually people chose
animals for their idols. A man worshiping animal image is lower than any
animal for the Lord. The commandment about Sabbath day allows man to become
human, to develop spiritually!
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God…" – The
Lord set man closer, it's the chief value for any human life. We may recall
Cain saying: "Today you are driving me from the land, and I will
be hidden from your presence…" It shows that close position to God
is more important than the human life! The man should bear in his soul
the name of God as the most holy – it allows man to be close to God. There
are only two spiritual ways: the way to God, the Return, and the reverse
way – the Banishment. Any type of idol worshipping is the reverse direction
away from God, it was established in ancient times due to disbelief and
error as the truth was lost and the truth was not preached yet. But nowadays
we face the presence of conscious resistance to Got. These sins make people
as enemies to the Lord. Why did the Lord say He would punish "children
in the third and fourth generation for the sins of their fathers"?
The Lord is punishing four generations because mankind sinned four times
and it was four times banished away from God.
What is it, the love to God? Love to God is the gift of God! No man can
nourish this feeling in his soul as this feeling includes all the utmost
spiritual powers and wishes of life, fulfilled and unfulfilled. It's sacrificing
love to man and overwhelming creative powers. This feeling comprises all
the spiritual interests of man. This feeling is alien on earth, it could
be given only by the Lord! But man wishing to get this feeling should
be moving towards God, he should cover this way and the rest will be given
to him by the Lord.
"I am the LORD your God…" – The Lord releases man from physical
and spiritual slavery showing the new way, the Lord asks for faithfulness
as in the first line it's needed for the man himself. The man can cover
the long way only with the help of the Lord, any deviation from the Lord's
commandments means the way back.
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet
and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at
a distance…
(Ex., 20, 18)
The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the
thick darkness where God was. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell
the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken
to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make
for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. " 'Make an altar of
earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings,
your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored,
I will come to you and bless you.
(Ex., 20, 21-24)
The Lord gave people other laws and decrees later, those to rule spiritual,
moral and legal life of the Israelites.
The laws can be described by three concepts: warship God, honor your neighbor,
be righteous and make only good.
HOLY FESTIVALS
Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign
LORD.
(Ex., 23, 17)
The Lord established special festivals. Grown up men should come and
worship God and the Lord makes people to acknowledge their sins in His
Presence showing them the way to redeem these sins. The unified spiritual
condition of a people can be created at holy congregation in presence
of the Lord. This spiritual condition allows people to keep knowledge
about the deeds of the Lord and to set people for conscious fulfillment
of laws and commandments. The Lord established these festivals for centuries
knowing that the festivals would be filled with new content at each stage
of the Return. It's obvious that three festivals are connected with three
stages and one year of life of Israeli people (add the day of redemption)
symbolizes all the spiritual history of return to God.
The festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread is the first festival.
Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat
bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed
time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. "No
one is to appear before me empty-handed.
(Ex., 23, 15)
The feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread is set for glory of the Lord
as the Lord saved Israelites and brought them away from Egypt liberating
them from slavery. The Lord punished the Egyptians, but the Lord didn't
touch the firstborn of the Israeli people and showed the Israelites new
life. You may recollect your position. You were weak and the Lord brought
you to Him: "I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself…"
Now you should follow the commands, laws and decrees and come to the Lord.
The commandment about Passover contains the seed of the new meaning of
this feast for Christianity: "Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in
water, but roast it over the fire-head, legs and inner parts. Don't break
the bones of the lamb". These are the commandments about the lamb,
the blood of the lamb had saved the Israeli firstborn, this is the will
be sacrifice of Jesus Christ. People died during the flood, they were
not killed by sword breaking bones, they died in water and their bodies
wouldn't be injured. "As one of the soldiers with a spear pierced
his side and forthwith came there out blood and water". Water didn't
kill it purified earth of the sins, thus it was not allowed to cook lamb
in water. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the offering to purify and
redeem. It was the purifying sacrifice for the Israeli people and only
then for heathens, but Israelites would never accept it. The sacrifice
of Jesus Christ was redeeming the sins of mankind living before the flood.
All the four stages of the Return should be followed by human offerings
to purify and to redeem sins. What are the main features these people
should be characterized, the people who will give mankind to reach the
next spiritual stage? First of all, the Lord selects and teaches these
people and they come in due time. Second, as they are born they comprise
on wish of the Lord the great destructive power (sins of mankind) and
creative spiritual power, which are slowly growing in them. Gradually
they comprehend it and they should make their choice and the Providence
of the Lord shows up at that moment. They should chose their way consciously,
but not being forced. The voluntary choice will not cover priests: the
life of a priest belongs to God. In case the destructive power is not
used it will be eliminated by death and people get a chance to understand
and to accept the new spiritual Truth till the new sins overcome the mankind.
Each individual person will never get purification, he can only accept
the new Truth. If he accepts the new Truth he is following the way of
individual purification. This purification is called circumcision in Judaism
and Islam, but it's baptizing in Christianity.
The second feast – the Pentecost:
Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow
in your field.
(Ex., 23, 16)
The Lord gave Moses and Israeli people the tablets of stone with the
covenant on the feast of Harvest. But the test of Israeli people showed
that it was too early "to harvest", the people was not yet prepared
to follow the Lord and was apt to worship idols. Moses guided by the Spirit
of God, broke down the tablets of stone.
In a thousand and a half years the Lord granted the Holy Spirit to disciples
of Jesus Christ on the Feat of Harvest. And they got the wisdom and started
to preach in different languages, and thousands of people witnessed this
miracle and joined Christianity. Christianity was born on that day.
The third feast is the feast of Ingathering,
Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather
in your crops from the field.
(Ex., 23, 16)
Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron,
Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship
at a distance, but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must
not come near. And the people may not come up with him."
When Moses went and told the people all the LORD's words and laws, they
responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do."
(Ex., 24, 1-3)
Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the
mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes
of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings
and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD.
(Ex., 24, 4-5)
Moses had prophetic skills and he knew people and especially the Israeli
people. He wrote all the commandments and laws given by the Lord on that
very day not to loose a word. Moses couldn't trust anybody and he himself
went to build altar in accordance with the given commands. Moses wanted
to fix this event in the memory of the Israelites and he created twelve
stone pillars for each tribe of Israel. We may recall that Jacob used
to create monuments. Moses understood that the future of the covenant
would depend upon the younger generation and he sent young Israelite men
to make burnt offerings. Those young men included the firstborn sons saved
by the Lord. Bull as the burnt offering is offered to clean the inner
man, to clean the soul of animal lust and desire. The people had to be
clean to enter into covenant with the Lord, the people had to stop any
relation with the past traditions, with the worship of idols.
Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other
half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant
and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything
the LORD has said; we will obey."
Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This
is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance
with all these words."
(Ex., 24, 6-8)
Three times the Lord gives Israeli people commandments and makes the covenant
with them and people promise to fulfill the commandments. The Israelites
give their agreement and promise to fulfill the commandments, laws and
decrees to be the nation selected by the Lord – the nation of priests.
The Israelites had to bring the faith in God to all peoples living on
earth and to bring mankind through all the stages of the Return. As the
Israeli people confirmed the covenant for the third time Moses sprinkled
blood on the people – it's done only for priests. Starting that moment
the life of every Israelite belonged to God.
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel
went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a
pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise
his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they
ate and drank.
(Ex., 24, 9-11)
Israeli people stayed behind the line near the mount Sinai. Moses, three
persons selected for priests and seventy elders came up on the mountain.
All of those people could witness the glory of the Lord and something
blue was beneath it reminding of sapphire. The curtain in Tabernacle is
done of blue linen.
The Lord made a move towards people and appeared in human image to ease
the way for Return. But the Lord didn't want to limit the imagination
of people by this appearance. Before the Lord appeared in human image
He warned people not to make any images, not to worship them.
It was the first stage of coming to the mountain. The Lord showed Himself
to a great number of people and it proved the importance of the mission
the Lord prescribed to Israeli people: the Lord wanted Israelites to help
people to come back to God. Despite the fact that the Lord knew the outcome
of the covenant, the future, still the Lord made the covenant and tried
to warn the people not to make mistakes. The future sins couldn't be acknowledged
at that time. Jesus Christ knew Judas would betray Him but still Jesus
Christ took Judas as his disciple. The principle is the same: the man
should be blamed for the sin that he has done, but he can't be blamed
for his deeds he has not yet committed.
The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain
and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law
and commands I have written for their instruction." Then Moses set
out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. He
said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you.
Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to
them."
(Ex., 24, 12-14)
It was the second stage as Moses came up the mountain. Joshua was left
there, and it was similar to presence in Tabernacle. As the covenant was
made the time of testing arrived. The same happened to Jesus Christ: as
the Holy Spirit came upon Him Jesus was sent to the desert. This time
the Israeli people headed by Aaron was tested by the Lord. Moses had to
go up to receive tablets of stone with the law and commandments. Till
today the mankind has not understood what people received and then lost
in tablets of stone written by the Lord. What was it, the tablets of stone?
Suppose, the Israeli people guided by the Lord fulfilled the mission:
the Israeli people has led mankind through all the four stages of the
Return (at that moment as the covenant with the Lord was made the Israeli
people stood only at the first stage). In that case mankind would have
been given access to Eden, the initial position close to God, to the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil and to the tree of life. In that case
the tablets of stone represent the two symbolic trees: five commandments
close to man mean the knowledge of good and evil and the next commandments
beginning with the commandment:
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land
the LORD your God is giving you.
And the commandments should end with the meeting with the Lord as the
man covers the whole way:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land
of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.
A new unknown life should start after it.
When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and
the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai.
(Ex., 24, 15-16)
This is the third stage of coming up the mountain.
For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh
day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites
the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.
Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed
on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
(Ex., 24, 16-18)
It was the fourth stage as Moses came up to the mountain. Those were the
four stages of knowing the Lord Almighty, the Single God, Who appeared
to different people. The level of the Holy Revelation was defined by the
Wish of the Creator, by the level of spiritual stance of the man and by
the tasks the man had to solve. The narration proves that Moses passed
all the four stages to get close to God. The four Holy Presence of the
Lord at Sinai mountain showed to Moses disclosed the unpronounced name
of the Lord consisting of four letters.
As Moses passed the fourth stage he was on place which can be related
to Arc in Tabernacle or Eden in the book of Genesis. The way of Moses
upon the mountain is the prototype of the way of the Return, which would
be preached to mankind. The Lord led Moses along the whole way of the
Return in seven days. We may state that heathenism was below the mountain,
the first stage upwards was represented by Judaism, the second stage brought
people to Christianity, the third stage allowed people to understand their
relations to God, to church of the Return. The fourth stage is the coming
of Messiah and division of mankind. All the stages were reflected in the
design of Tabernacle.
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