Moses the Lawgiver

It is easy to focus on the miracles and the escape across the Red Sea, but there was much more to come, in the life of Moses.  The Israelites had been slaves for over 400 years, and they were now called-upon to survive in the Desert of Shur, located in the northwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula. It was a far cry from the “land of milk and honey” they’d been promised, and food and water were in short supply.  When the people grumbled that they were better off as slaves, Moses turned to God to provide drinkable water and manna from heaven. (Ex. 16:12)

In the third month, they came to Mount Sinai and God called Moses up the mountain, where he remained for forty days and nights to receive God’s law—the Ten Commandments, inscribed on tablets of stone. They are: (1) You shall have no other Gods before me (2) You shall not make an idol or graven image  (3) You shall not use God’s name in vain (4) You shall remember the Sabbath Day, and keep it holy (5) Honor your father and mother (6) You shall not kill (7) You shall not commit adultery (8) You shall not steal (9) You shall not bear false witness (10) You shall not covet anything that belongs to someone else, including their spouse. (Ex. 20)

As you can see, the first four Commandments address your relationship with God, and the last six address your relationship with people. Different religions interpret these Commandments differently; for example, in some religions the Sabbath is observed very strictly—no non-religious activities allowed—while for many Christian denominations the Fourth Commandment’s only requirement is attendance at Church.

Many scholars believe that the Second Commandment is the reason we don’t see any sort of depiction of Jesus for about 300 years after His death—no graven images.  The Sixth Commandment—you shall not kill—has been a cause for confusion, in that the very next chapter of Exodus has Moses listing those times when it is acceptable to put a criminal to death. (Ex. 21:14-17)

In any event, while Moses was busy getting the law straight from God, the Israelites became impatient and decided to make an idol—a golden calf figure—and throw a big party celebrating their new god. You can only imagine Moses’ frustration, when he came down the mountain to witness this; in a fit of rage he threw the tablets down and broke them. (Ex.32:15) After about three thousand troublemakers were slain, he ascended the mountain again to get another set of tablets. (Ex.32:25; 34:1)  

Moses led the Israelites through the desert for forty years, but he died just before they finally reached the Promised Land.  According to the Bible, God himself buried Moses, and no one knows the exact location of his burial. (Deut. 31:5-6)

The next three Books of the Bible—Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—set forth the detailed laws that Moses decreed for his people, as well as his speeches later in life to a new generation that hadn’t witnessed the earlier miracles. His story alone constitutes about one-seventh of the entire Bible.

Next: The Promised Land, and a whole new set of troubles.