Exodus 19-35 (and a bit more)

Question 1

What are some of the oddities/complexities about Exodus 19?

Answer 1

1) repetitions that begin the chapter
2) placing before them a decision “if”
3) division of the nation from all priests to specific priests

Question 2

Ex 19:1-2 do what?

Answer 2

establish a time frame. the people remain here at sinai for nearly a year.

Question 3

What happens verses 2-3

Answer 3

the people camp and Moses goes up the mountain.

Question 4

Were verses 3-8 an independent unit?

Answer 4

“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

Question 5

What is similar between the view of the covenant in Exodus 19 and the abrahamic covenant?

Answer 5

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.”

Question 6

If the Israelites would listen and keep the covenant……?

Answer 6

then they would be a treasured possession

Question 7

What does verse 6 say about the people of Israel?

Answer 7

that they will be a kingdom of priests. they would all be priests and they would be a holy nation that is set apart.

Question 8

how to the people respond in verse 8 to being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation?

Answer 8

they respond enthusiastically with a yes

Question 9

What happens in verse 9?

Answer 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)

Question 10

What happens in verses 10-15?

Answer 10

–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”)

Question 11

What are the people warned against in verses 12-13?

Answer 11

not to go up until the rams horn blows.

Question 12

what happens when the horn blows, where are the people, and where are they supposed to be?

Answer 12

They stay in the camp and do not go up into the mountain where they are supposed to go.

Question 13

What does Moses do in verse 17?

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

How was the mountain described in verse 18?

Answer 14

covered in smoke (similar to the description of the abrahamic covenant in Gen 15) because God has descended.

the entire mountain is trembling

Question 15

What happens in verse 19?

Answer 15

there is a great blowing of the horn and Moses and God are talking.

Question 16

What is the change in verse 21?

Answer 16

Now the Lord is testifying against the people lest they break through to the Lord to see and a multitude fall from them

Question 17

What has changed in verse 22?

Answer 17

There are now specific priests who draw near to the lord rather than them being a nation of priests.

Question 18

What does Mose indicate in verse 23?

Answer 18

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)”

Question 19

who can and can’t go up the mountain in Verse 24

Answer 19

Moses and Aaron can come up but the people and the priests cannot come up.

Question 20

What does Moses do in verse 25?

Answer 20

He goes and speaks to the people.

Question 21

When was the administration of the covenant transformed?

Answer 21

in the midst of the chapter

Question 22

What was the cov. in the beginning of the chapter?

Answer 22

it was a cov. without stipulations and without priests.

Question 23

What was the cov. by the end of the chapter (vs.20-25)

Answer 23

the people are distinct from the priests and they receive law not from the Lord but from Moses who stands between them and God.

Question 24

What other section of the Bible talks about exodus 19?

Answer 24

Deuteronomy 5

Question 25

What is the simple view of these passages?

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

What is the complex views of these passages

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

What does Moses become?

Answer 27

a mediator between God and the people

Question 28

What happens in the transition between 19:25-20:1?

Answer 28

The speakers changes, and Moses gives the 10 commandments

Question 29

Why are the commandments situated in chapter 20 when they probably transpired at 19:19?

Answer 29

slide 163

Question 30

what does 20:18 turn back to?

Answer 30

the scheme of the people’s fear

Question 31

how does 20:18 show the peoples fear

Answer 31

syntactically, this text resumes what occurred in 19:19

Terminology–voices, ram’s horn, flames, smoke

Question 32

How do the commandments begin in 20:23?

Answer 32

with idolatry

Question 33

What does Moses become in Exodus 24?

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

What happens in 24:17-18?

Answer 34

Moses disappears in the glory of God

Question 35

What does 19:1-19 show?

Answer 35

Narrative–> distance (ch20 gives the 10 commandments)

Question 36

What does Exodus 20:18-21 show?

Answer 36

Narrative–> distance (More laws in chapter 21-23)

Question 37

What does Exodus 24 show

Answer 37

Narrative –> distance (chs. 25-31)

Question 38

What does Exodus 32-34 show?

Answer 38

Narrative –> distance (35-40; lev 1-16)

Question 39

What does Leviticus 17:1-7 show?

Answer 39

Narrative –> distance (lev 18-27, Num 1-10)

Question 40

Exodus 25-31 give what?

Answer 40

Instruction for tabernacle and priesthood

Question 41

what does sailhamer say about exodus 20-31?

Answer 41

“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)

Question 42

What occurs in Exodus 32

Answer 42

Gold calf narrative

Question 43

What happened in Exodus 35-40

Answer 43

Tabernacle instructions are carried out
Exod 40:35, Moses was not able to ender the tabernacle

Question 44

What was the cause of the change in the covenant relationship?

Answer 44

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.

Question 45

What happens when Moses is gone?

Answer 45

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.