The Israelites were in a desert wilderness, a foreign land to them. God was trying to create them into a nation. God loved them and according to the scriptures (above) God chastens (tests) every son He receives. As each test is completed obedience is created as they learn to trust the Lord more and more. God was starting with a clean slate and was, in a sense, writing His laws on their hearts. Moses was suffering and growing himself as he faced the brunt of their unbelief. When the 40 years were complete, the children of those who would take Canaan land were trained in obedience for Joshua to lead. The trials that come upon us, that we consider sufferings, are producing the same thing—mature Sons who can take the Kingdom. ”The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:16-18). As we read and study the Old Testament Israelites we realize we are reading the story of all true believers who are being trained by the same God in the same way. “Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on the arm of her beloved?” (Song of Solomon 8:5).
The Israelites were camping comfortably at Rephidim, after they had gotten sufficient water from the rock struck by Moses. There they experienced their first attack from a foreign nation. The Amalekites were nomads in the desert south of Canaan. They were descendants of Esau through Eliphaz (Gen. 36:12). They apparently were attempting to dislodge the Israelites from this pleasant oasis and to secure the territory for themselves. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand” Their victory was secured in an unusual manner. With Moses stationed at the top of a hill it came about when Moses held his hands up that Israel prevailed, and when he let them down, Amalek prevailed. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and its people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek. But Moses’ hands grew heavy so then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set” Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner; and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.” The Israelites fought the Amalekites for many years. It was not until the time of David that the Amalekites were totally defeated” (Ex 17:8-16).
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law from Midian, came with his sons, his wife and Moses wife and sons to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped. Moses told his Father-in-Law all the success Israel was having in the wilderness and Jethro rejoiced. “When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. “When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws. Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone” (Ex 18:14-18). So Jethro gave Moses some advice on delegation. “You should select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. “Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you” (Ex 18:21-22). So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
Three months after Israel had left Egypt they came into the wilderness of Sinai and camped in front of the mountain, Mt. Sinai. Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, reaffirming His promises to them saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. This was in a few words the Old Covenant between God and Israel. Again all God wanted from His people was their love and obedience. The Lord told Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. Moses told the people to consecrate themselves in 3 days because the Lord was going to do something big. He also set bounds around the mountain saying “whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death”. So it came about on the morning of the third day there were loud sounds, thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. The people stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. Then the Lord said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break forth upon them” (Ex 19:3-25).
The Ten Commandments
These are the 10 commandments which the Lord gave to Moses while he was on Mt. Sinai in their original form. “Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, [graven image] or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments”. All of the surrounding nations had idols and false gods which they worshipped and served. The truth is that the idols had Satanic origin because Satan wanted to be worshipped (Matt 4:8-10). This monotheistic idea was new to the earth as all surrounding nations had many idols relating to things on the earth; the same earth God had cursed in Genesis. .
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.