Exodus 19-35 (and a bit more) Flashcards
What are some of the oddities/complexities about Exodus 19?
1) repetitions that begin the chapter
2) placing before them a decision “if”
3) division of the nation from all priests to specific priests
Ex 19:1-2 do what?
establish a time frame. the people remain here at sinai for nearly a year.
What happens verses 2-3
the people camp and Moses goes up the mountain.
Were verses 3-8 an independent unit?
“It has been generally recognized that these verses have a compositional integrity of their own. Indeed, the unit is a remarkable example of poetic symmetry and artistic beauty. The passage now serves as a topical introduction to the chapter, although the actual literary connection remains somewhat loose.”
–Childs, Exodus, 360
What is similar between the view of the covenant in Exodus 19 and the abrahamic covenant?
there are no laws, they are supposed to hear the words and keep the covenant just like Abraham was likewise supposed to “keep the covenant.”
If the Israelites would listen and keep the covenant……?
then they would be a treasured possession
What does verse 6 say about the people of Israel?
that they will be a kingdom of priests. they would all be priests and they would be a holy nation that is set apart.
how to the people respond in verse 8 to being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation?
they respond enthusiastically with a yes
What happens in verse 9?
The Lord is coming to the people in a display of darkness and clouds so that the people may hear and believe (in Moses)
What happens in verses 10-15?
–God commands Moses to het the people ready and to clean them up
–Moses sets boundaries for the people
–When the trumpet blows, people are to come up
–What God said, Moses did (except he added “Don’t touch a woman”)
What are the people warned against in verses 12-13?
not to go up until the rams horn blows.
what happens when the horn blows, where are the people, and where are they supposed to be?
They stay in the camp and do not go up into the mountain where they are supposed to go.
What does Moses do in verse 17?
He calls the people to come out and meet God and the Israelites station themselves at the bottom of the mountain, not on the mountain.
How was the mountain described in verse 18?
covered in smoke (similar to the description of the abrahamic covenant in Gen 15) because God has descended.
the entire mountain is trembling
What happens in verse 19?
there is a great blowing of the horn and Moses and God are talking.
What is the change in verse 21?
Now the Lord is testifying against the people lest they break through to the Lord to see and a multitude fall from them
What has changed in verse 22?
There are now specific priests who draw near to the lord rather than them being a nation of priests.
What does Mose indicate in verse 23?
that the people are not able to come up because the Lord testified against us (This “testifying” occurred in vs 21) saying “border the mountain and make it holy (this was not the command in not 12)”
who can and can’t go up the mountain in Verse 24
Moses and Aaron can come up but the people and the priests cannot come up.
What does Moses do in verse 25?
He goes and speaks to the people.
When was the administration of the covenant transformed?
in the midst of the chapter
What was the cov. in the beginning of the chapter?
it was a cov. without stipulations and without priests.
What was the cov. by the end of the chapter (vs.20-25)
the people are distinct from the priests and they receive law not from the Lord but from Moses who stands between them and God.
What other section of the Bible talks about exodus 19?
Deuteronomy 5
What is the simple view of these passages?
allows the people direct access to God and his mountain as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. There appear to be no or few laws.
What is the complex views of these passages
viewed the nation with priests and even those priests (and the people) were unable to come to God. People could not come up to mountain because the mountain was holy.
What does Moses become?
a mediator between God and the people
What happens in the transition between 19:25-20:1?
The speakers changes, and Moses gives the 10 commandments
Why are the commandments situated in chapter 20 when they probably transpired at 19:19?
slide 163
what does 20:18 turn back to?
the scheme of the people’s fear
how does 20:18 show the peoples fear
syntactically, this text resumes what occurred in 19:19
Terminology–voices, ram’s horn, flames, smoke
How do the commandments begin in 20:23?
with idolatry
What does Moses become in Exodus 24?
Moses has become the one who meets with God alone and then takes commandments, words, book of the covenant back to the people to teach them.
What happens in 24:17-18?
Moses disappears in the glory of God
What does 19:1-19 show?
Narrative–> distance (ch20 gives the 10 commandments)
What does Exodus 20:18-21 show?
Narrative–> distance (More laws in chapter 21-23)
What does Exodus 24 show
Narrative –> distance (chs. 25-31)
What does Exodus 32-34 show?
Narrative –> distance (35-40; lev 1-16)
What does Leviticus 17:1-7 show?
Narrative –> distance (lev 18-27, Num 1-10)
Exodus 25-31 give what?
Instruction for tabernacle and priesthood
what does sailhamer say about exodus 20-31?
“We have seen above in the depiction of the Sinai covenant that an emphasis was placed on the need for a mediator as well as a priesthood. The people, in their fear of God, stood “afar off.” Just as the people could no longer go up into the mountain to meet with God (19:21-22), they could also not go into the tabernacle to meet with him. Thus, according to the logic of the narrative, it was Israel’s fear that had created the need for a safe approach to God, that is, one in which the people as such were kept at a distance and a mediator was allowed to represent them. It was precisely for this reason that the tabernacle was given to Israel.” (1992, 58)
What occurs in Exodus 32
Gold calf narrative
What happened in Exodus 35-40
Tabernacle instructions are carried out
Exod 40:35, Moses was not able to ender the tabernacle
What was the cause of the change in the covenant relationship?
The people feared God and refused to go up in the mountain. There was a change in the covenant relationship. Whereas initially Israel was to have a direct and open relationship to God, after they feared him and refused to go up, they became a kingdom with priests and were given laws through Moses, the mediator.
What happens when Moses is gone?
the people fall prey to idolatry behind Aaron’s leadership. The golden calf affects further change in the relationship of God to his people. Aaron’s culpability in the manner is emphasized in the narrative. In spite of the instructions concern Aaron’s priesthood in Exod 25–31, the people commit idolatry and require a covenant renewal including a new “10 Words.” In a narrative-legal format, Chapters 35–40 detail Moses’ instructions to carry out the building of the tabernacle. Lev 1–7 recounts law that deal with the priesthood.
