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Chapter 5 ON FROM SINAI - FOR 40 YEARS

The people could not stay for ever at the Holy Mountain of Sinai where they had entered into a Covenant relationship with YHWH. The area was too inhospitable for habitation, even by nomadic groups. They needed to 'move on' and to start working out the implications of their promise to obey his commandments in everyday life. Their Story, however, does not continue in the Pentateuchal literature until Numb.10.11, except for one strange story in Ex.32.

A lot of legal material has been 'written back' to this time at Sinai by later generations, still engaged in working out YHWH's Law in their own changing times. The Editors of the Pentateuch have put it all under the on-going authority of Moses at Mt. Sinai.

a) EX.20.1-17 - The original Ten Words (Decalogue), with Deuteronomic additions.

b) EX.20.22 - 23.33 - The so-called Covenant Code from the Northern E.code: This is indeed ancient law and echoes Hammurabi with its casuistic judgments, 'an eye for an eye' etc. It reflects the people's early experiences in agricultural Canaan more than in the Wilderness.

c) EX.34.10 - 26 Ritual laws (how to worship), from the Southern J-code, again reflect early days in Canaan and is thought to be another Decalogue.

d) EX.25-31, 35-40, LEViticus, NUM.1-10, 28-31, 33-36, All from the Priestly-code, (the Priests probably WERE the Pentateuchal Editors!).

e) DEUTeronomy (particularly chs 12-26) was written in the style of a sermon to the Israelites from the mouth of Moses by the prophetic schools of the North.

The Golden Calf: The story in Exodus.32 is very strange at first sight. It is set immediately after the Covenant ceremony while Moses was still up on Mt. Sinai. Aaron agreed to the people's demands 'to make gods for us'; he gathered all the available gold in their possession, smelted it and poured it into a mould to give them a golden calf. He built an altar and arranged a festival for YHWH with feasting, drinking and revels. YHWH was compromised, and Moses arrived back in great anger. The Covenant was blatantly broken almost as soon as it had been ratified! Moses broke the two tablets of stone bearing YHWH's commands, called the Levites to help him punish the people in the name of YHWH, killed 3,000 people, and then pleaded with YHWH to forgive them. YHWH did, after sending a plague, and the Covenant was re-made. Two more tablets of stone replaced the originals.

Reflections on the story:

1. Carved stone pillars were well known in the ancient Middle East, marking victories, treaties, boundaries, and recording law codes, but was this likely on Sinai? (NB. As yet, there is still no Hebrew language in existence, and only Moses could read and write, - in Egyptian.)

2. It is unlikely that there were gold-smelting facilities at Mt. Sinai

3. There are too many similarities for comfort with later stories in 1.Kgs.12.

4. It is more likely that this describes an event soon after their arrival in Canaan, where the temptation to worship YHWH as if he were a Canaanite fertility god was alluring. Even the bull-image often reflected the Canaanite god, EL, and particularly at the shrine of Beth-EL.

5. The story is suitably set at Sinai, however, for a major theological development: (only possible in 'Sacred History); YHWH is caught in a dilemma. Should he destroy the rebellious people, or should he ignore their sin as if it had never happened? The tension is resolved by the declaration of his merciful character, after punishment in the short term. So the Covenant was re-made, and new tablets carved.

6. Why did Aaron, the staunch supporter of Moses, and the God of the Exodus and Covenant, become such a weakling that he helped the people to break the key promise they had made so recently? As this story is in the Northern E-code it is not too surprising that their hero, Moses of the prophetic tradition, is paramount in the story while Aaron of the priestly tradition, is less creditable!

This is a story bearing witness to the profound truth that human folly is redeemable only by divine forgiveness.

Leaving Sinai: Without an image of their invisible God, the people needed some form of assurance that they would not 'leave him behind' when they departed.

The E-code, prophetic tradition tells us that YHWH's 'Cloud' travelled along with them, and rested in their camp at the 'Tent of Meeting' where Moses could commune with him whenever necessary.

The J-code, priestly tradition tells us that YHWH 'tabernacled' among his people in a holy Sanctuary, a curtained ARK. (This later developed into the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple.) The Ark of the Covenant was originally a wooden box, empty, (apart from some stones from Sinai?), on which throne the invisible YHWH could be carried when they moved camp. (cp. Abraham's Family God and the teraph).

Before they finally set off, Moses invited his father-in-law to join their ranks and enjoy the Promised Land with them. He would be an expert guide through the wilderness too. When YHWH's Cloud lifted, it was time to go, and the tribes set out in a grand processional order - (Num. 10.35f records the liturgical formularies for moving the Ark, and for setting it down again, almost like a battle cry).

Crisis time at Kadesh-barnea. Life was hard in the wilderness, but at the oasis of Kadesh-barnea in the Negeb, to the south of Canaan, the people settled for several years. Here they were able to take stock of their changed situation, and begin to work out how to worship the imageless YHWH, and how to live by his commands. This was the time of crisis. Either they would grow together into a 'people' or they would disintegrate. Moses's leadership was challenged several times; it is likely that some left to return to Egypt; also that others joined them.

Spies were sent to survey Canaan, their Promised Land, but most of them returned disheartened by the strongly fortified towns there. Ex-slaves do not make good fighters, and it proved necessary to wait for the newer younger generation to grow up. Miriam and Aaron died, Moses also was an old man now.

Onwards to Transjordan. They gradually travelled around the east of the Dead Sea, and in time won their first victories over King Sihon and King Og. Eventually they came to the plains of Moab, opposite Jericho on the far side of the River Jordan. Read and enjoy the story of Balaam and his talking donkey in Num.22-23! The reality was the king of Moab's fear of the incomers, and his efforts to hire a mercenary diviner to utter a curse on them, but his efforts failed.

Moses had to take strong action against some Israelites who were beginning to inter-marry with the Moabites and to join in with the worship of their wives' gods.

The Pentateuch ends in Deut.34 with the death of Moses, appropriately on a mountain top, (always thought to be near to God), on Mt Nebo from where he could see over the river where his people's future would be, if they remained loyal to their Covenant God.