Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”…4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.… 5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”…
In the other books of the Pentateuch/Torah, Sinai is the usual name, though Horeb also occurs: see Exodus 3:1; Exodus 17:6; Exodus 33:6, applying both to the “Mount of God” and to the desert of Rephidim some 20 miles to the Northwest.
Another name for Mount Sinai/Mount Horeb in the Bible
is ‘the waste’.
Mount Horeb in Hebrew: הַר חֹרֵב Har Ḥōrēḇ; Greek in the Septuagint: Χωρήβ, Chōrēb;
So, how many times did Moses climb up the mountain?
The 1st Climb is recorded in Exodus 19:1–8:
After the Israelites left Egypt, in the third month, they arrived at Mount Sinai Exodus 3:12. Moses ascended the mountain and God offered a covenant between Himself and the Israelites. Moses was to tell the people these words from the LORD: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” Exodus 19:4–6. Moses did as instructed, implying he descended the mountain. The Israelites agreed to this covenant Exodus 19:7–8.
The 2nd Climb Exodus 19:8–9:
Moses reported the Israelites’ response back to God, implying he ascended Mount Sinai again. God replied, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever”Exodus 19:9.This conveyed the message that Moses was God’s anointed leader for the people of Israel. Moses reported this to the people, implying he descended the mountain.
The 3rd Climb Exodus 19:10–19:
Some scholars believe that God speaking to Moses in Exodus 19:10 is part of the earlier conversation. Exodus 19:14 says that Moses descended the mountain, which could be the descent implied in Exodus 19:9 or a separate descent. Whatever the case, God tells Moses to consecrate the Israelites and set boundaries around the mountain because He is going to make an appearance. Moses does as instructed. On the third day, “Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder” Exodus 19:17–19.
The 4th Climb Exodus 19:20—20:20:
From the thunder, God asks Moses to ascend the mountain again and advises that Moses go back down and warn the people not to break the barriers. Moses replies that the people cannot come up because they have set limits and have been warned. God tells Moses to go back down and bring his brother Aaron back up with him. Moses goes down and tells the people,Exodus 19:25. It seems that Moses is at the bottom of the mountain with the people when God delivers the Ten Commandments/Sayings in Exodus 20:1—17. “When all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die'”
“the glory of Yahweh was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel” Exodus 24:17.
Exodus 20:18–19. Moses tells them not to be afraid “for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin” Exodus 20:20. The people keep their distance and Moses draws near to the manifest presence of God in Exodus 20:21.
The 5th Climb Exodus 20:21—23:33:
This time, Moses “approached the thick darkness where God was” Exodus 20:21, and God gives him a collection of laws to share with the people of Israel, as well as a promise to send an angel with them and give them the land of CanaanExodus 23:20–33.
The 6th in Exodus 24—31:
Moses is again summoned to ascend Mount Sinai. This time, in addition to Aaron, he is also instructed to bring Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel with him.
The next day, Moses builds an altar and erects twelve stone pillars to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. He offers burnt offerings to God and reads the Book of the Covenant, the Torah he had been given on Mount Sinai, to the Israelites, who agree that they will obey what God had commanded.Exodus 24:4–8.
Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders ascend the mountain. God reveals Himself to Moses and all the men he brought with him. They “saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank” Exodus 24:10–11.
God commands Moses to come further up Mount Sinai and leave the other men behind. Joshua, Moses’ assistant and the future leader of the Israelites into Canaan, was allowed to come up part of the way, Exodus 24:12–13.God summons Moses into the cloud at the top of the mountain where Moses stayed for forty days and forty nights, Exodus 24:15–18.
During this time, Moses is given the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone by God Himself, Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:1, 28. He also gives Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, and the altar, as well as specific instructions for the priestly garments and their consecration, Exodus 24–31. He tells Moses to emphasize the Sabbath as a sign between the people of Israel and the Lord, Exodus 31:12–17.
When Moses and Joshua come back down the mountain, they are greeted by the idolatry of the Israelites worshiping the golden calf,Exodus 32. God had told Moses this was happening, and Moses interceded with God for the people. When Moses goes down the mountain and sees for himself, his “anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain”.
Exodus 32:19. He also destroyed the golden calf and disciplined the Israelites.
Exodus 32:20–29.
The 7th time is in Exodus 32:30–35:
Moses returns to the Lord at Mount Sinai to intercede on behalf of the Israelites and “make atonement for [their] sin” Exodus 32:30, that God might grant them mercy. In a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, Moses offers his own life in exchange for those of the Israelites, Exodus 32:32. God does not accept his offer, and sends a plague on the Israelites. God then commands they depart and that He will give them the land of the Canaanites but will not go with them. “When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments” Exodus 33:4. Moses, again, intercedes and pleads for God’s presence to go with them, Exodus 33:12–23. God agrees, even to Moses’ request to show him His glory.
The 8th climb is in Exodus 34:
During this final ascent, God has Moses remake stone tables and then rewrites the Ten Commandments on them, replacing the ones Moses had broken in his anger, Exodus 34:1–2, 28. God describes Himself to Moses as
“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” Exodus 34:6–7.
Moses stays on the mountain with God for another forty days and forty nights, miraculously “he neither ate bread nor drank water”. Exodus 34:28.
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him”. Exodus 34:29–30.
The times Moses climbed up to Mount Sinai were important in that they reveal the the Fathers process of making a covenant with Israel, creating that covenant and directions for life, in the form of laws for social order; and speaking both with and through Moses to the people. The giving of the Torah shows the holiness of God and what the nature of sin is, Romans 7:7. The Torah/Law served as the schoolmaster for the Israelites for the generations that lived before Messiah Yeshua/Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, Galatians 3:24–25.
Moses speaking to God on behalf of the people was prophetic of how Messiah now intercedes before God on our behalf, Deuteronomy 18:18; Romans 8:34.
The climbs up to Mount Sinai show us some attributes of Who He is. It reveals that He is Holy, righteous and loving and One Who longs for a covenant relationship with His chosen people.
Moses was on Sinai 3 times for 40 days:
After the Giving of the Torah, Moses went up Mount Sinai for 40 days.
After the Golden Calf, he went up another 40 days, and then he went up before the Lord God the final time for yet another 40 days to secure complete forgiveness.
We do not have to climb Mt.Sinai or any other mountain top to spend time in the presence of a loving Heavenly Father. He has made the Way for us through Messiah. We should not take lightly the privilege we have in communing with the Lord whenever we want to. We are not summoned to spend 40 days in fast whenever His Spirit wants to speak to us.
1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1John 3;1..
Let our hearts always be tender and open to hear His voice, and let us be obedient to obey; and turn aside quickly to receive His instructions…
Yes Lord…Here I am – Hineni!
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Deliverer and soon returning King; and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Moses received the call from God
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