Posted on 01/25/2019 8:40:52 AM PST by jjotto
The narrative you are about to read is unique in the history of mankind. It is an event never repeated by any other nation or religion...
...Scene: The entire world is silent. All of nature is on hold. Not a bird chirps! Not a frog burps! The Jewish people (who somehow slept that night!) are en route to their divine encounter at the mountain.
Soon will be enacted the most important event in human history.
Suddenly there is thunder, lightning and a loud shofar blast. The mountain is smoking like a furnace and trembling like a volcano. The people are terrified. The Divine Presence descends on the mountain in the form of a great fire.
All the people hear Moses being summoned to converse with the Almighty. They have clear evidence, without doubt, that Moses is the prophet of God.
God tells Moses to fence off the mountain so the people cannot run up.
The first Commandment is proclaimed. The entire nation attains prophecy by hearing the words of the Almighty directly. But they cannot absorb the intensity and their souls "pop out" of their bodies.
The angels resurrect them, and the people run for their lives. The angels return the people to the mountain, and the second Commandment thunders forth. Again their souls "pop out," again the angels revive them, and again they flee in fright (Talmud - Shabbat 85b).
Finally the people request that Moses transmit the remainder of the Torah because they are afraid of death (Exodus 20:16). They tell Moses: "You have had your credentials established. We know you are in contact with God and we trust you." (Notice how the first two commandments are given in the 2nd person, and the last 8 in the third person.)...
(Excerpt) Read more at aish.com ...
A careful reading of the text will show that God did distinguish between the Ten Commandments and the commandments that immediately followed, but rather it was the people who begged to hear further commandments from Moses rather than from the frightening voice of God.
I started reading Dennis Prager’s “Exodus: God, Slavery and Freedom” last week.
As a child, I learned in Southern Baptist Sunday school the OT stories which I so much enjoyed. Prager’s book adds so much depth to these stories. I am very thankful that I decided to read the book. It touches my soul and makes me think on these things.
“No morality without God”, ping....
It is a great book
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.