THE Israelites went on traveling through the wilderness: The wilderness was very large, and it would be a long while before they could get to Canaan.
They soon came to a very high mountain. It was called Mount Sinai. It was the same mountain where Moses had seen the bush on fire when he was keeping his sheep. Now he had brought the children of Israel to that very place where God first had spoken to him.
The Israelites placed their tents near the bottom of the mountain; for the cloud had stopped, and so the Israelites knew that they ought to wait in that place.
God told Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, for He had something to say to him. So Moses went up. Then God said to him, You see how kind I have been to the children of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt; go down and ask them whether they will do what I desire them; for if they will, they shall always be My own dear people."
So Moses went down and asked them if they would obey God. And they said, "Yes, we will do all that the Lord tells us.”
Then Moses went up to the top of the mountain again, and told God what the people had said. "They say we will do all that He commands.”
Then God said, "I am now going to let the people hear My voice, and they shall see Me speaking to you, Moses: Go down, and tell them to get ready.”
So Moses went down and said, "In three days you will hear God's voice, and see Him in a cloud at the top of the mount. Get ready, and wash your clothes.”
So the people washed their clothes, that they might all stand in clean white clothes before the Lord. Moses desired men to put rails all round the mount, that no one might go up the mount, or even touch it. No, even the sheep must not eat the grass upon that mount, for it was the mount of God.
In three days, early in the morning, the people heard a loud voice, and they all trembled. Moses desired them to come out of their tents, and to look upon God.
What a dreadful sight they saw! The mountain was shaking and moving up and down. On the top a great fire was seen, and a thick cloud, and such a smoke went up as filled the sky with blackness and darkness. There were thunders and lightnings, and a sound came out of the fire. It was like the sound of a trumpet, and every moment it grew louder and louder. Even Moses himself was frightened, and said, "I tremble, and am afraid."
The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the top of the mount”
So Moses went up, and all the people saw him go. He went up on the shaking mount, and into the midst of the smoke.
When Moses came up, God said to him (but God did not speak very loud), Go, tell the people not to come up after you, for they must not come up this mountain.”
And Moses said, "I have put rails round the mount.”
But still God said, "Go and tell them not to come near"; for God knew how bold and disobedient the people were.
So Moses went down and said, "Do not dare to touch the mountain, or you will be killed.”
Then God spoke very loud indeed, so that all the people heard; and as they heard, they trembled.
Could you have seen that mountain, you would not wonder that they trembled as they stood round it.
What did God say in that loud voice? You have often heard the words at church. These are the words that God said: "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (or from the place where you were slaves).
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
Thou shalt not make images, and worship them (such images are called idols).
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, because in it God rested from His works.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery (that is, a man must not take away another man's wife, nor must a woman go away from her husband, and have another husband).
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (that is, no one shall tell lies of other people).
Thou shalt not covet (or wish for other people's things).
This was what God said on the mount, and then He said no more.
The people were glad when God had left off speaking, for they could not bear the sound of that terrible voice; but while He was speaking, they had gone farther and farther away.
Soon they came to Moses, and they said to him, "Ask God never to let us hear His voice again, it frightens us so much. We wish God to tell everything to you, Moses, and you can tell us what He says.”
So Moses went up again to the dark cloud at the top of the mount, and told God what the people had said "They do not wish to hear Thee speak to them again," said Moses.
And God said, "They have done well in not wishing to hear My voice. I will speak to you, and you shall tell them; and oh that they would obey Me, and that I might bless them always!"
You see that God wished the people to be good and happy; but He knew that they did not love Him in their hearts.
Moses did really love God. God talked to him a great deal. God told Moses to come up to Him quite alone, and to stay with Him at the top of the mountain; and so Moses stayed with God forty days and forty nights, and all that time he neither ate bread nor drank water; but God kept him alive, and talked to him out of the thick cloud.
At the end of the time God gave Moses a book. What kind of book? It was not made of paper like the books you have seen. It was made of stone. It had only two leaves, and on those leaves very little writing. God had made this stone book, and God had written in it with His own finger.
You would like to know what was written in it. God had written in. it all the words He had spoken in the loud voice from the cloud. The ten things God had told the Israelites are called the Ten Commandments.
He had written them down that Moses might read them to the children of Israel, so that they might never forget God's commandments.
Neither ought we to forget God's commandments. They are written up in our churches, that we may read them. Did you ever see them? I should like you, my dear children, to learn these commandments; and I will tell you the meaning of them over again.
One of these commandments was, "Thou shalt have no other gods but Me." God wished the Israelites to love Him better than anything else. But they did not. We shall hear of their wickedness. We ought to love God better than everything else; for there is no one so kind and so good as God.
Hymn 23
God, how terrible wert Thou
When from the mountain's burning brow
Thy voice was heard!
Thunders and lightnings with Thee came
And thickest smoke and raging flame
Around appeared.
Well might each heart with terror thrill,
And loud—more loud—and louder still
The trumpet grew.
Well might a thousand lips implore
To hear Thine awful voice no more,
Lest death ensue.
And yet the voice they could not bear
Is heard above—by angels fair,
With great delight;
When Adam dwelt in Eden's ground,
He heard that voice, nor did the sound
His soul affright.
But when Thy law he disobeyed,
For fear of Thee—in deepest Shade
He hid his head;
Thy thunderings' roar and lightnings blaze,
Would thus no righteous Soul amaze,
Nor fill with dread.
And Israel, too, had broke Thy law—
So trembled when they heard and saw.
Thy dreadful power;
The God Who made the thunders roll,
They knew could plunge each Sinful Soul
Where flames devour.
And have I not deserved to die?
How shall I dare to venture nigh
Thine awful throne?
My sins would fill my soul with dread,
Did not the blood that Jesus shed,
For all atone?