Scenes From the Promised Land

Sinai​—Mount of Moses and Mercy

WHEN you think of Mount Sinai, you probably have Moses in mind. Why? Because Moses received God’s Law on a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula. Which mountain? Quite possibly the one shown above.a

In the southern part of the peninsula, about midway between the arms of the Red Sea, is a ridge with two peaks. The general location fits the Biblical accounts involving Moses. One peak is called Jebel Musa, meaning “Mountain of Moses.”

Various Biblical accounts make that name quite appropriate. Do you recall that Moses was shepherding Jethro’s flock when an angel appeared in a flaming bush? Where was that? The Bible says that it was at ‘the mountain of the true God, Horeb,’ which is also named Mount Sinai. (Exodus 3:1-10; 1 Kings 19:8) After Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, he brought them here. Exodus 19:2, 3 says that “Israel went camping there in front of the mountain. And Moses went up to the true God, and Jehovah began to call to him out of the mountain.”

That was Moses’ first climb up Mount Sinai, and he did more than walk a short way up the slopes. We read: “Jehovah came down upon Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain. Then Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mountain.”​—Exodus 19:20.

Thousands of modern-day tourists have struggled up marked trails at night to reach the peak, lingered to watch the sunrise, and then made their way down by lunchtime. Not so with Moses. God told him: “Come up to me in the mountain and stay there, as I want to give you the stone tablets and the law.” On that occasion “Moses continued in the mountain forty days and forty nights.”​—Exodus 24:12-18.

So it is understandable that Moses’ name is linked with this mountain, but why with “mercy”? Well, as Moses was up there receiving the Law, the people on the plain below (perhaps on the Plain of er-Raha in the photograph) took a foolish course. They pressured Moses’ brother into making a god. Aaron said: “Tear off the gold earrings . . . and bring them to me.” Thus they made a golden calf for worship. This angered the true God and led to the death of thousands. (Exodus 32:1-35) But Aaron was shown mercy and was spared. Why?

God’s comment at Exodus 32:10 suggests that he did not view Aaron as the prime mover in Israel’s wrongdoing. And when the showdown came, “all the sons of Levi” chose God’s side, which undoubtedly included Aaron. (Exodus 32:26) So despite Aaron’s bearing some guilt, he received of God’s mercy at the base of Mount Sinai.

Later, Moses expressed a desire to know Jehovah better and to see His glory. (Exodus 33:13, 18) While it was impossible for Moses to see God’s face, Jehovah did show him some of His glory, stressing that He “will show mercy to the one to whom [He] may show mercy.” (Exodus 33:17–34:7) It was most fitting for God to emphasize his mercy, for the Bible uses “mercy” most frequently in connection with God’s dealings with Israel, whom he brought into a covenant at Sinai.​—Psalm 103:7-13, 18.

Visitors to Mount Sinai today find at its base a monastery, which would hardly remind one of the true worship that Moses learned about on the mountain above. Rather, the religion in the monastery focuses on icons. The one shown here is “The Ladder to Paradise.” It is based on a book by Byzantine monk John Climacus. After spending about 40 years in a monastic cell, he became abbot of the monastery and wrote about a symbolic ladder to heaven. But notice that some clerics are depicted as being drawn by demons down to eternal torment in hellfire. Vivid, but unscriptural!​—Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Jeremiah 7:31.

In contrast with that false teaching, the truth is that the Almighty is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6) Moses drew close to this merciful God on Mount Sinai.

[Footnotes]

[Picture Credit Line on page 8]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Picture Credit Line on page 9]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Picture Credit Line on page 9]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.