Journey to Mount Sinai (Jabal Al Lawz). God Supplies His People’s Needs.

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Journey to Mount Sinai (Jabal Al Lawz). God Supplies His People’s Needs.

Bible Reading: Exodus 15:27—16:18; 17:1-16; 19:1-8. 
See “The Exodus Case” (TEC) p.233-277.

Aim: To discover archaeological proofs for the events of the Exodus. To learn lessons from each event.

Introduction: Go to www.youtube.com and search for “Mount Sinai- proof of the supernatural”.

What evidence from archaeology supports the events of the Exodus journey to Mount Horeb (Sinai)?

Israel having crossed the Red Sea to Baal Zephon on the east coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, now enters the wilderness of Shur (NW Saudi Arabia), and after three day’s journey run out of water (Exodus 15:22). 

1. At Marah they find bitter, salty water, so Moses prays to God. “he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,” Exodus 15:25.

Lesson: When we pass through bitter experiences, die to self and bring Christ into our problems. On modern Arabian maps, there is a place near Jabal Al Lawz called “Ain Marra” (the bitter spring). 

2. At Elim they find 12 wells and 70 palm trees (Exodus 15:27). Today in this same area there is an oasis of 12 wells and about 250 palm trees. (See TEC p.237). 
Israel left Egypt on the 15th day of the first month. 

They leave Elim on the fifteenth day of the second month “they took their journey from Elim,… on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 16:1. Lesson: When we pass through trials, God often comforts us with blessings afterwards. (Angels.Mat.4:11) 

3. They now enter the Desert of Sin on their way to Mount Sinai (Horeb). Israel accuse Moses and Aaron of “ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:3. God promised “in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full;” Exodus 16:8. Quail’s meat and manna bread was God’s answer. 

Psalm 78:23-25 calls manna “angels’ food”. Manna means “what is it”? 

Manna tasted like coriander seed (16:31). It was their diet for 40 years. Josephus tells that ‘It supplied the want of other sorts of food to those that fed on it.’ (Antiquities, Book 3, chap 1.6,p67).

Lesson: God supplies the needs of His people in greater ways than we expect. 4. At Rephidim, meaning encampment, they lacked water, so they get angry at Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).

God is teaching His people to trust Him to supply their needs. Moses brings the problem to God (17:4).

God tells Moses, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” (17:6). 

Notice: 

i) Who stood on the rock? It was Jehovah God the Son who later was born of Mary as Jesus Christ.

ii) “The rock of Horeb” means that it was a large rock and it was close to Mount Horeb. 

iii) Moses smitting the rock is a picture of Jesus Christ being smitten on the cross to pay for our sins.

iv) Water flowing out of the rock pictures eternal life made available from Christ’s death on the cross.

v) Josephus calls this pleasant, sweet water a river (Antiq. 3.1.7). The translator of Josephus’ works, William Whiston (1667-1752) comments that this rock can still be seen in the area of Horeb, being too big to be moved by horse and cart. Hence it was an obvious rock for all to see. Erosion should still be visible.

Is this rock visible today? There is one rock that is west of Horeb that fits the evidence. It is 20 metres tall, split down the middle, on a small hill, & the rock at the foot of the crack has been eroded (TEC 243-246).

Lesson: Don’t get angry at those seeking to help you. God supplies our needs in unexpected ways.

5. War with the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-16). The Amalekites attacked Israel at Rephidim.

The Amalekites raised camels and lived from assault and robbery. Arab tradition considers the Amalekites to be the oldest tribe in Arabia & the founders of Medina, Mohammad’s city. This battle proves that Israel was in Arabia (Midian) after crossing the Red Sea. Israel was now armed with weapons from the dead Egyptians at the Red Sea. Moses appoints Joshua as army commander. Moses climbs a hill at Rephidim to pray for victory. As long as Aaron and Hur kept Moses’ hands uplifted in prayer, Israel wins the battle.

Josephus states how Joshua appointed soldiers to protect the water, women, children and the camp. 

Israel prepared all night for the battle which lasted all the next day until nightfall when Israel took their camp and a vast amount of riches, silver, gold, brass vessels, weapons, cattle, furniture and battle confidence. No Hebrews were killed, but the slain Amalekites were too many to number. Moses built an altar to offer sacrifices to God, which he named “Jehovah-Nissi” meaning “Jehovah the Conqueror” (Ant.3.2.5 p.69).

About 300 metres from the split rock of Horeb, on the plain, stands a stone altar (TEC 248), likely built by Moses where he prayed, to commemorate this victory. 
This was the last camp before Mount Horeb (Sinai).

Lesson: Satan uses evil people to oppose and hinder our work for God. 

Prayer gives victory in battles.

6. Moses meets Jethro at Rephidim in Midian (Exodus 18:1-27). Moses from age 40-80 was exiled in Midian (Arabia). It was on Mount Horeb (Sinai) where Jehovah appeared to him at the burning bush to send him to lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses took his wife Zipporah and their two sons Gershom and Eliezer to Egypt (Exodus 4:20), but coming out of Egypt, he sent them on to be with his father in law Jethro (Reuel) the high priest in Midian, while Moses crossed the Red Sea. 

When Moses meets Jethro, he describes how God delivered Israel from Egypt (18:8). Jethro suggests Moses to “provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge:” (18:21,22). 

Lesson: Consult Godly advisors. Delegate some work to others.

7. At Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai) (Exodus 19:1-25). Israel journeys from Rephidim into the wilderness of 
Sinai to camp before Mount Horeb to worship God (19:1,2). Israel left Egypt on the 15th day of the first month (Numbers 33:3). They arrive at Mount Horeb on the 15th day of the third month (Exodus 19:1), the journey taking two months. It took a week to reach Nuweiba and they spent 7 weeks in north-west Arabia. 

God has tested Israel by hunger, thirst and a war. This mount is known as “Mount Horeb”, “Mount Sinai”, “The mountain of God” and “Jabal Al Lawz”. Horeb means “dry or desolate”. See map TEC p.251-253. 

i) Israel camped on the east side of Horeb. On the Israelites route and at Horeb, many stone circles have been found. These were either for tents or for cattle enclosures. See photos in TEC p.255,256.

ii) God promises that if Israel obeys and keeps God’s covenant, then Israel will be a peculiar treasure (5).
Israel tells God “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do” (19:8). God promises to come in 3 days (11). 

iii) God tells Moses to set bounds “that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it:” (19:12).
Stones picturing untied shoes marking a holy place have been found at the base of Mt Horeb (TEC 257).

iv) Josephus says that Horeb is the highest mountain in the area (2580 metres). The top is flat where God met Moses and the 70 elders (24:9).

v) Moses built an altar at the foot of Horeb (24:4). At the foot of Horeb, we find a stone altar with two pathways for sheep and oxen (20:24) leading to the altar to be sacrificed (TEC 258-259). “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen:” (Exodus 20:24).

vi) 12 Stone Pillars. Moses “builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.” (24:4). Today, within the sacred area below the rock face we see 10 stone pillars standing in a semicircle, with two empty places for missing pillars. 

Some are upright & some are fallen over (266).

vii) A one acre flat plateau exists on Mount Horeb where Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 elders met Jehovah God the Son who came down to eat and drink with these men (24:1-18). (TEC 252,260,261). “they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” (Exodus 24:10,11)

viii) The Cave where Elijah lived when he met God is found here on Horeb (TEC 261). “he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 

And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there;” I Kings 19:8,9. ix) The Water supply. When Moses struck the rock in Horeb, so much water flowed out for 2 million people and cattle, that it collected as a 7 metre deep lake at the foot of the mountain (TEC 262). To ensure good quality drinking water, double-walled wells 6 metres wide, were dug along the banks of this lake below Mt Horeb. Sand and gravel between the walls acted as a water filtration and purification system.

x) The Altar to the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-35). 

When Moses was in Mt Horeb receiving God’s laws for 40 days, the Israelites grew impatient and pressured Aaron to build an Egyptian golden calf and altar to worship. Moses saw it as he descended the mount. Moses destroyed the calf, but the altar still remains with many Egyptian bull carvings on it (TEC 263,265). Saudi authorities have enclosed this sacred area. xi) Mt Horeb on fire. “mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, ….the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount:” (Exodus 19:18). The top of Horeb is black, caused by the intense heat and fire of God, but the rest of the mountain is brown, separated by a clear border line (TEC 251,272-276).

Black obsidian rock, which is formed at high temperatures then dipped in water, is found on top of Horeb. 

Conclusion: God helps us and brings us through life’s trials.

Archaeology proves the Bible to be true.