And when you heard the voice out of the darkness while the mountain was blazing with fire, all the heads of your tribes and your elders approached me, And when you heard the voiceThe phrase "heard the voice" refers to the Israelites' direct encounter with the divine at Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word for "voice" is "קוֹל" (qol), which can also mean sound or noise. This emphasizes the powerful and awe-inspiring nature of God's communication. In the biblical context, hearing God's voice was a profound and terrifying experience, signifying His immediate presence and authority. This moment underscores the seriousness of the covenant being established and the direct revelation of God's will to His people. from the midst of the darkness
The "midst of the darkness" signifies the mysterious and overwhelming presence of God. Darkness in this context is not merely the absence of light but a symbol of the divine mystery and the unknowable aspects of God. In the Hebrew tradition, darkness often accompanies theophanies, or appearances of God, highlighting His transcendence and the human inability to fully comprehend His nature. This setting serves to remind the Israelites of the holiness and otherness of God, who is both near and yet beyond human understanding. while the mountain was blazing with fire
The imagery of the mountain "blazing with fire" is a powerful symbol of God's holiness and purity. Fire in the Hebrew Bible often represents God's presence, as seen in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and the pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). The Hebrew word for fire, "אֵשׁ" (esh), conveys both the destructive and purifying aspects of God's presence. This fiery manifestation at Sinai serves as a visual representation of God's power and the seriousness of the covenant being established with His people. all the leaders of your tribes and your elders
The mention of "leaders of your tribes and your elders" highlights the communal and representative nature of the covenant. In ancient Israel, leaders and elders held significant authority and responsibility. Their presence signifies the collective acceptance and accountability of the entire nation. The Hebrew word for elders, "זְקֵנִים" (z'kenim), implies wisdom and experience, suggesting that those who approached Moses were respected figures who could convey the gravity of the situation to the people. came to me
The phrase "came to me" indicates the people's response to the divine encounter. Moses, as the mediator between God and Israel, plays a crucial role in communicating God's laws and instructions. The act of coming to Moses reflects the people's recognition of his leadership and their need for guidance in understanding and responding to God's revelation. This moment underscores the importance of godly leadership and the role of intercessors in facilitating a relationship between God and His people. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who is recounting the events at Mount Sinai where God gave the Ten Commandments. 2. IsraelitesThe people of Israel who were present at Mount Sinai and heard God's voice. 3. Leaders of the Tribes and EldersRepresentatives of the Israelite community who approached Moses after hearing God's voice. 4. Mount SinaiThe mountain where God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses amidst fire and darkness. 5. The Voice of GodThe divine voice that spoke from the midst of the darkness, signifying God's presence and authority. Teaching Points Reverence for God's HolinessThe Israelites' reaction to God's voice highlights the importance of reverence and awe in the presence of a holy God. We should approach God with humility and respect, recognizing His majesty and power. The Role of MediatorsThe leaders and elders approached Moses as a mediator between them and God. This foreshadows the ultimate mediation of Jesus Christ, who bridges the gap between humanity and God. The Fear of the LordThe fear experienced by the Israelites is a reminder of the "fear of the Lord," which is the beginning of wisdom. It is a healthy respect and acknowledgment of God's authority and righteousness. Community LeadershipThe involvement of tribal leaders and elders underscores the importance of godly leadership within a community. Leaders are called to guide others in understanding and responding to God's word. God's CommunicationGod communicates with His people in various ways, and His voice demands a response. We should be attentive to how God speaks to us today through Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the reaction of the Israelites to God's voice at Mount Sinai inform our understanding of the "fear of the Lord" in our own lives? 2. In what ways does Moses' role as a mediator between God and the Israelites point to the work of Jesus Christ in the New Testament? 3. How can we cultivate a sense of reverence and awe in our personal and communal worship today? 4. What responsibilities do leaders within the church have in helping others respond to God's word, and how can we support them? 5. Reflect on a time when you felt God was communicating with you. How did you respond, and what can you learn from the Israelites' response at Mount Sinai? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 19-20These chapters provide the detailed account of the events at Mount Sinai, including the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Israelites' reaction to God's presence. Hebrews 12:18-21This passage reflects on the fear and awe experienced by the Israelites at Mount Sinai, contrasting it with the new covenant through Christ. Psalm 18:9-11Describes God's majestic presence in terms of darkness and fire, similar to the imagery at Mount Sinai. People MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, HorebTopics Ablaze, Burn, Burned, Burning, Chiefs, Dark, Darkness, Elders, Fire, Heads, Hearing, Leading, Midst, Mountain, Pass, Tribes, VoiceDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 5:22-24 4810 darkness, natural Deuteronomy 5:22-26 1454 theophany Deuteronomy 5:22-27 6636 drawing near to God Deuteronomy 5:23-27 4269 Sinai, Mount Library Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of PrayerThe Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 "They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 5:23 NIVDeuteronomy 5:23 NLTDeuteronomy 5:23 ESVDeuteronomy 5:23 NASBDeuteronomy 5:23 KJV
Deuteronomy 5:23 Commentaries
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