Prophet Samuel

Prophet Samuel

The story of how Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt is a long one, and is full of adventures.  Even after the people had reached the land of their ancestors, they could not live in peace, for they had to fight to gain control of their country.  Gradually, they managed to spread our over the land of Canaan, building homes and farms for themselves.  Even so, their neighbors, especially a group of people called the Philistines, were always a problem. But God was with the people, and in order to help them, He sent Samuel.  This is the story of that man named Samuel.

In Ramah, not far from Jerusalem, there lived a man named Elkanah.  He had two wives, which was not uncommon in those days; one named Peninnah, had children, but the other named Hannah, had none.

Each year the whole family went up to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was placed, to offer sacrifices; and each year Hannah felt sadder and sadder because she had no children to take with her.  Penninah was not kind about it and used to tease her, so much so that Hannah often wept.

One year Hannah went unhappily into the house of the Lord of Shiloh, and prayed to God that He would send her a son, “I will dedicate him to You for his whole life,” she said.

Eli, the old priest there, saw her distress and her lips moving, and thought at first that she must be drunk.  But when he went up to her, Hannah told him of her trouble.  “Go in peace,” said Eli, “and may God answer your prayer.”

God did.  In due course Hannah had a fined baby boy, whom she named Samuel.  As soon as he was old enough, Hannah fulfilled her promise and took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.  “Do you still remember me, Eli?” Hannah asked Eli.  “This is the child whom God sent to me in answer to my prayer.  I have brought him here to dedicate him to the Lord.”

So Samuel became a helper to old Eli, and Eli was very glad of his aid.  He did have two sons of his own, but they were worthless and dishonest men who had no respect for God or His house.

Every year Hannah came and saw Samuel, and brought him a new robe; and God blessed her further by sending here three more sons and two daughters.

Time passed and Eli grew old and was almost blind.  He slept in his own room in the Lord’s house, while Samuel slept near the Covenant Box in the Sanctuary.

One night, after Samuel had fallen asleep, he was suddenly awakened by a voice calling, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Thinking it was Eli, Samuel got up and ran to the old man.  “Here I am,” Samuel said.  “You called me.”

“No, I did not call you Samuel”.  Eli said. “My son, just go back to bed and sleep again.”

Samuel obeyed, but before long he heard the voice again, “Samuel!”

Again he got up and ran to Eli, but Eli said, “I did not call, my son; go and lie down again.”

Samuel did so, and the voice called him a third time, and Samuel, feeling puzzled, went again to Eli.  By now, Eli had begun to understand that it was the voice of God who was calling Samuel.  So he said to the boy, “Go back and if you hear the voice again, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’.”

Samuel returned to bed, and sure enough, the voice called again, “Samuel! Samuel!”, and Samuel replied as Eli had told him.  Then God gave Samuel a sad message.  He told him that Eli’s family would have to suffer punishment because of the wickedness of Eli’s sons.

Samuel stayed in bed until morning, when he got up and opened the doors of the house of the Lord.  At first he was afraid to tell Eli of God’s message, but Eli asked him, and Samuel told him everything.

Eli looked sad, but said, “He is the Lord, He will do what He knows is best.”

Samuel grew up to be a prophet, a fine man who preached God’s word.  Not everyone listened, however; there were still many who worshipped idols and refused to obey God’s Laws.

One day, when Samuel as an old man, the people went to him and asked him to appoint a king over them.  Samuel prayed to God for help.

Now, there lived a rich man named Kish, who was of the tribe of Benjamin, and he had a handsome son named Saul.  Saul was a head taller than most other people, so he was easily noticed in a crowd.  It so happened that Kish’s donkeys had wandered away and were lost; so Kish said to Saul, “Take one of the servants and go and look for those donkeys.”

Saul and the servant set off, and walked from about three days, but still they did not find the animals.  Finally Saul said, “Let’s go back, or my father will worry about us, as well as the donkey.”

“Wait a moment,” said the servant.  “There is a holy man living in this area; let us just see if he can help us.”  So they set off for the town in which the holy man lived.

The holy man was none other than Samuel, and on the day before, God had told him that he would send a man whom Samuel was to anoint King of Israel.  When Samuel saw Saul coming towards him, God said to him.  “This is the man I am referring to.”

Saul went up to Samuel and asked where the holy man lived.  “I am he,” said Samuel.  “Come and eat with me; and don’t worry about the donkeys, for they have been found.  The man the people of Israel had wanted so much are you?”

“But I belong to the smallest tribe in Israel---the tribe of Benjamin,” said Saul, “and my family is not very important.”

Samuel took Saul and his servant inside, where there were about thirty people, and they sat down to a meal.  After this, Saul was given a bed for the night---up on the roof where it was cooler.  Saul felt very puzzled.

Next morning, Saul and his servant were up early, ready to be on their way; Samuel went to the edge of the town with them.  There he said, “Tell you servant to go on ahead.”

When the servant had gone, Samuel took a jar of oil and poured in on Saul’s head saying, “The Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people Israel.”  And he gave him a certain signs to prove it was true.

King Saul began his reign well, and although there were some people who did not at first respect him, when they found he was a good leader, they began to obey him.  Later on, however, he became self-willed and arrogant, and did not live up to the high hopes which people had of him.

Before long, the Philistines were again assembling to fight the Israelites.  They mustered a huge army of war chariots and horsemen and countless soldiers, and many of the Israelites were terrified and deserted Saul.

Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days for him to come, but Saul though he knew better and when he saw the people scattering from him, he began to offer a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel.  As soon as he had finished, Samuel arrived.  He was displeased and told Saul that this disobedience would cost him his kingship, and that God would find another man to become in his place.

The battles against the Philistines went on, but Saul did not continue to be a strong king, for he had disobeyed God’s commands.

Then God said to Samuel, “Take some oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man whose name is Jesse, for I have chosen one of his sons to be the next king.”

Samuel was rather worried about this.  “How can I go there, My Lord?” he asked.  If Saul hears about the message, he will surely kill me.”

“Take a calf with you,” said God, “and go there to offer sacrifice.  Then I will show you what best thing you should do.”

Samuel did as God had instructed, and when the elders of the town came out to meet him, he invited then to join in the sacrifice.

When he saw Jesse and his family, he particularly noticed his son Eliab, and thought to himself, “Surely this is the man whom the Lord has chosen.”

But God said to Samuel, “Do not just look at his appearance or his height, because is not the man.  I, the Lord, do not see as men see.  Men look at the outward appearance, but I look at a man’s heart.”

Then Jesse brought out his son Abinadab, but Samuel knew that he was not the chosen one either.

Seven of Jesse’s sons came out to Samuel, but the Lord did not choose any of them.  “Are all your sons already here? “Is there anyone else whom I have not seen?”” asked Samuel. 

“There is only the youngest,” said Jesse, “but he is out looking after the sheep.”

“Send and fetch him,” said Samuel, “for we won’t start the sacrifice until he comes.”

So Jesse’s youngest son, David was brought in.  He was a handsome youth, with beautiful eyes; and God said to Samuel, “This is the one I have chosen; anoint him.”

Samuel took a horn of oil and anointed David in front of his brothers who may have thought that this meant David would become Samuel’s follower, and in time became a prophet like himself.  God’s spirit came to David on that day, and Samuel then returned to Ramah.

Meanwhile, evil forces had taken charge of Saul, who often became depressed and even violent.  His servants thought it might help if he could be soothed with music, so they said, “give us the order, sir, and we will find someone who can play the harp.  Then when the evil spirit torments you, the musician can play his harp and you will be all right again.” Saul agreed, and asked for a musician to be brought to court.

One of the servants had an idea.  “There is a man named Jesse in Bethlehem,” he said, “and he has a son who is a good musician.  He is also brave and handsome.”

“Go and bring him,” Saul ordered.

Messengers went to Jesse, and Jesse sent David to the king’s court, with gifts of a young goat, a donkey laden with bread, and a leather skin full of wine.

Saul liked David, and sent a message to Jesse to say how pleased he was with his son.  From then on, whenever Saul felt tormented by the evil feelings, David was sent for and would bring his harp and play it; and Saul would soon feel better again.

 

 

 

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The Baby Moses In The Bulrushes

The Baby Moses

Baby Moses found at the Nile River

Some years later, after Joseph had died, a new pharaoh came to rule over Egypt.  By this time Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites, had been living in Egypt for many years, and there were now a great number of them.

The new pharaoh knew nothing about Joseph and all that he had done to save the people from starvation, and he said, “These Israelites are getting so many that they might join up with our enemies.  We must find a way to suppress them.”

So the Egyptians put slave-drivers over the Israelites to make them work harder and harder, and they made them build store-cities for pharaoh.  The more cruelty they were treated, however, the more the Israelites seemed to increase in numbers.  The Egyptians grew to fear them and they made their lives miserable by being cruel and forcing them to work even more.

In the end Pharaoh issued an order that all baby boys born to the Israelites should be killed as soon as they were born.  The nurses to whom this order was given refused to obey it, because they feared God, so finally the Pharaoh made an order to all the people saying that every new baby boy born to the Israelites should be drowned in the River Nile, but that they could let girls live.

Naturally the Hebrews were most unhappy about this law.

One family already had two children---a girl named Miriam and a boy named Aaron---and to them another baby boy was born.  He was a fine baby, and the mother could not bear to see him drowned, so she managed to keep him hidden for three months.

As he grew bigger, the time came when she could hide him no longer, and so she and the family had to think of another plan.  She made him a little basket from the bulrushes or reeds which grew at the side of the Nile and which were often used to make boats.  Then she covered the basket with a tar-like substance to the river.  There she hid the basket among the reeds which were growing at the water’s edge.

The baby sister, Miriam, waited a little distance away to see what would happen to her baby brother.

Presently, pharaoh daughter came down to the river to bathe, and as she and her servant walked along the riverbank, she suddenly spotted the basket in the reeds.  She sent one of her slave-girls to fetch it.  The girl brought it and when it was opened, the princes saw the baby boy.  He began to cry and the princess felt sorry for him.  “This is a Hebrew baby,” she said. 

Then the sister Miriam had an idea.  She ran forward from where she had been hiding and said, “Shall I go and ask one of the Hebrew women to come and look after him for you?”

“Yes, please do so,” answered pharaoh’s daughter, and clever Miriam hurried off and brought back her own mother.

“Take this baby and look after him for me,” said the princess, “and I will pay you for doing so.”

The baby’s mother was delighted to have her own baby back again, although she may have realized that the princess would want to keep him in due course, when he was older.  However, in the meantime, the mother gladly took back her own baby to nurse him in safety.

Later, when the boy was older, she took him again to Pharaoh’s daughter, and the princess adopted him as her own son.  “I drew him out of the water,” she said, “and so I will call him Moses. (The name Moses sounded rather like the Hebrew word meaning “to draw out”).

So Moses grew up as prince in pharaoh court, though he never forgot his own people.

When he was a young man, he went out to see how the Hebrews were living under the hard conditions of the Egyptians.

He was horrified when he happened to see an Egyptian kill one of the Hebrews.  In his anger, Moses in his turn killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand.  He thought no one had seen him, but that did not make his wrong-doing any better.

The next day, he went out again, and this time he saw two Hebrew men fighting.  We went up to them and asked one of them, “Why are you fighting with one of your own countrymen?”

The man answered rudely, “Who made you a judge and ruler over us?  Are you now going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?”

Then Moses was frightened.  “People know what I did,” he thought to himself.

His wicked deed reached the ears of pharaoh himself who thought that Moses deserved to be killed for what he had done.  Moses was terrified and fled from the country, and went to live in the land of Midian.  When reached there, he sat down by well, and at the same time the seven daughters of the priest of Midian, a man named Jethro, came down to draw water for their father’s sheep and goats.  Some shepherds tried to drive them away, but Moses went to their rescue and saw that they got the water for their animals.

When they reached home, their father asked how it was that they were back early that day.  “An Egyptian helped us,” they said.  “He even helped us fetch water.”

“Why you left that man there?” asked Jethro.  “Go back and invite him to come and have a meal with us,” he said hospitably.

So the girls went and brought Moses to their home.  He agreed to live with them and helped to take care of Jethro’s sheep and goats.  After a time, he married one of the daughters whose name was Zipporah.

Many years later the pharaoh of Egypt died, but the people of Israel were still suffering in their slavery, and they asked God to help them.  God remembered the promises He had made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, and He promised He would send someone to deliver them from their bondage.

 

 

 

The Story Of David

King David

David and King Saul

The fierce battles with the Philistines continues, and at last the Israelites and Philistine armies found themselves facing one another across the mountains with the Valley of Elah between  them.

One morning there came out from the Philistine camp two men.  The first was a soldier carrying a shield, but it was the man behind him who made the Israelites gasp with horror.  He was an enormous giant of a man, nearly 10 feet tall, and dressed in a bronze javelin. His great thick spear had a wicked looking head of iron on it.  The name of this giant was Goliath, and the Israelites trembled at the sight of him.

He stood and glared across at the ranks of the Israelites; then he roared across to them in a terrible voice, “What do you think you are all doing there lining up for battle?  I am a Philistine and you are Saul’s slaves.  Choose one of your numbers and send him to fight me!  If he can kill me, then we will be your slaves; but if I win, then you shall be our slaves and serve us.  I dare you to send somebody to do battle with me!”

The Israelites were terrified and did not dare send anybody.  They were pretty sure who would win when they looked at Goliath!  No one in their army could have a hoe of beating him; so nobody went out to see him.

Goliath continued to roar his challenge at them.  Every morning and every evening for the next forty days he bellowed across at the Israelites.  Saul and his arming were dismayed and felt more and more discouraged.

Now Jesse was too old to go and fight in Saul’s army, but his three eldest sons had gone---Eliab, Abinadab and third son whose name Shammah.  David was still taking care of his father’s sheep.

One day Jesse said to David, “Go to your brothers in the army and take them some food---some roasted grain and loaves of bread.  See how they are getting on, and bring back something to prove to me that they are well.  Take ten cheeses for their commanding officer also.”

Early next morning, David got up, ready for his journey.  He left someone else in charge of the sheep and set off with the food which his father had given him.

When he reached the camp, both armies were just preparing for battle.  David handled the food to the officer in charge of supplies, and ran in among the soldiers to find his brothers.  As he was chatting to them, Goliath came out for his twice-daily challenge to the Israelites, clanking his armor and roaring defiance.  The Israelite soldiers were becoming worn down by this performance, and they ran away, trembling.

David asked the soldiers near him what it was all about and they said, “King Saul has promised a big reward to anyone who kills this giant, and he will also give his daughter to marry and free him of taxes.”

“Who is this heathen Philistine to dare to defy the army of the living God?” David scornfully said.

Some of the soldiers told Saul what David had said, and the king sent for him.  “Your majesty,” said David.  “I’ll volunteer to go and fight  this giant. No one should feel afraid of him.”

“No, no,” said King Saul.  You are just a mere boy.  He’s been fighting soldier all his life.”

“But sir,” said David, “I look after my father’s sheep, and if a bear or a lion comes to seize a lamb, I rescue the lamb, and kill the bear or lion.  I’ve killed many such, and I’ll kill this Philistine.  The Lord has saved me from lions and bears, and He will save me from this Philistine.”

Saul was so impressed on what he witness.  “All right,” he said, “you can go and try.  You know, no one else has offered.  You may wear my helmet and my armor.  And God will be with you.”

When David was dressed in Saul’s armor, he found he could not walk in it; it was so heavy, and he was not used to wearing armor.  So he took it all off and went to meet Goliath with only his stick and his sling.  On the way picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in this shepherd’s bag.

As soon as Goliath saw who was coming to fight him, he laughed with scorn.  “What’s the stick for, boy?” he shouted.  Do you think that I am just a dog?”

David replied, “You are coming to me with might---your sword and spear and javelin.  But I come to you in the name of the living God, the God of Israel whom you have defied.  I will defeat you, and the whole world will know that Israel has a true God.”

With that, he ran towards Goliath, taking one of the stones from his bag.  He aimed it straight at Goliath’s forehead, and it struck the giant who fell on his face on the ground.  David ran over and, taking Goliath’s own sword from its sheath, he killed the giant.

When the Philistines saw what had happened to their champion, they turned and fled, hotly pursued by the Israelites who won a great victory.

After this great victory, David was taken into the presence of King Saul.  While he was at the court, he met Saul’s son, Jonathan, and came to like him very much.  A firm bond grew up between them and they swore eternal friendship.  Saul treated David almost like another son, and David did so well in all the missions that he was given that Saul made him a commander in the army, and everyone was delighted with the news as David was very popular.

When the army returned home after their victory over the Philistine, the people danced and sang for joy.  “Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands,” they cried.  Now Saul did not like to hear this and he began to grow jealous of David.  He even began to be afraid of his success.  But the people all loved David because he was such a great leader.

In due time, David married Saul’s daughter, Michal; but Saul grew more and more moody and had many attacks of bitter jealousy against David for no reason at all.

One day Jonathan found out that Saul was actually plotting to kill David, so he warned David to go and hide.  “I will talk to my father, and I will find out anything, I will tell you,” he said to David.  They he went to his father, and reminded him of all the great things David had done.  Saul listened and understand, and decided that David should not be killed.  So David came out of hiding and served the king once more.

It was not for long, however; another time, Saul’s jealous mood returned, and he hurled a spear at David as he was playing the harp.  David managed to dodge it and so was not hurt.  That night Saul sent some men to David’s house to kill him; but David’s wife, Michal, heard of it, and let David down from a window so that he escaped.  Then she took the figure of an idol from the house and put it in the bed, so that when the soldiers came looking for David, they were tricked and David was able to make his escape in the midst of the confusion.

Naturally, David grew very worried about these attempts on his life, and he asked Jonathan one day, “What have I done”  What crime have I committed that makes your father want to kill me?  I have always been his loyal servant.

Jonathan wanted to do all he could to help his friend and thought that his father would tell him what he was about to do; but David thought that as Saul knew he and Jonathan were friends, he would not tell Jonathan anything about his plots against David.

The next day was the Feast of the New Moon, and David was supposed to dine with the king.  He decided not to go, but to hide in the fields instead.  He said to Jonathan, “If your father notices that I am not there, tell him that I have gone to Bethlehem to attend the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.  “If he says “All right”, then I’ll be safe.  If, however, he is angry, then you will know that he plans some evil against me.”

Jonathan agreed to let David know what happened.  Saul noticed David’s absence and asked Jonathan about it.  When Jonathan said David had gone to Bethlehem, Saul flew into a rage and said “Bring him here immediately, for he must die!”

“But why?” asked Jonathan reasonably. “What wrong has he done with you?”

For an answer Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, but did not hurt him.

Jonathan was upset and ashamed of his father’s evil mood, and the next day he went out into the fields and let David know that he must flee and escape Saul’s anger.  “God be with you,” said Jonathan to David.  “The Lord God will be with us and our descendants for ever.”

For a long time there was war between Saul and his men and David and his followers.  Yet on two occasions when he had a chance to kill Saul, David would not do so; no doubt he remembered that Saul had once treated him like a son, and moreover, had he not been anointed king by Samuel, acting one God’s instructions?

In the end, King Saul was killed in a battle against Philistine.  Three of his sons were killed in the same battle, and one of them was Jonathan, David’s beloved friend.

 

 

Joseph Interprets the King’s Dreams

Joseph The Dreams Interpreter

Joseph interprets the King's Dreams

When two full years had passed, the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream.  He was standing by the Nile River, when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began to feed on the grass. After them, there were seven other cows, ugly and gaunt.  They came up out of the Nile River and stood on the bank.  And those ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. The king woke up after this dream.  He had another dream when the king fell asleep again.  There were seven heads of grain, good and healthy which were growing on a single stalk. After them were another seven other heads of grains sprouted which were thin and scorched by the east wind.  The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good and healthy full heads of grain. The king woke up again after this dream and he realized that he had only been dreaming.  He was worried, so he called up all the magicians and wise men of Egypt in that morning.  He has narrated his two dreams to the magicians and wise men, however no one could explain to him the meaning of his dreams.

The wine steward told the king: “Today I have done wrong and I must confess.  Your highness, you were once angry with me your servant and the chief baker and you imprisoned both of us in the house of the captain of the guard.  Each of us had a dream in one same night, and each of our dreams has its own meaning. A young Hebrew, the slave of the captain of the guard was there with us that time.  We narrated to him our dreams, and then he interpreted our dreams for us.  All the things turned out exactly as what he said:  you have restored me to my position, but you have executed the baker.”

The Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the prison.  After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came into the king’s presence.  The king said to Joseph, “I have had two dreams, and no one could ever explain them to me.  I have been informed that you can interpret dream.”

“I cannot interpret that Your Majesty, but God will give a favorable interpretation.” Joseph answered to the king.

The Pharaoh said, “I dreamed that I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began feeding on the grass.  Then seven other cows came up which were ugly and gaunt.  They were the ugliest cows I have seen  in the entire land of Egypt.  The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the fat ones, but no one could have known it, because they looked just as bad as before. Then I woke up again after that dream. I also dreamed that I saw seven heads of grain, good and healthy, growing on one stalk.  Then seven heads of grains grain sprouted; thin and scorched by the east wind, and the thin heads of grain swallowed good and healthy full heads of grain.  I informed the magicians about these dreams, but none of them could explain them to me.”

Joseph said to the Pharaoh, “The two dreams mean the same thing; God has told you what he is going to do.  The seven fat cows represent the seven years, and the seven full heads of grain are also seven years; they all have same meaning.  The seven thin cows which came up later and the seven thin heads of grains scorched by the desert wind on the other hand represent the seven years of famine.  God has shown to you what he is going to do, just like what I have told you. There will be seven years of great abundance all over the land of Egypt.  There will be seven years of famine after that and all the good years will be forgotten, because the famine will ruin the country. The years of abundance will be totally forgotten, because the famine which follows will be so terrible.  The recurrence of your dream means that the matter has already been fixed by God and He will make things happen in the near future.

“And now the Pharaoh should choose some man with wisdom and insight and put him in charge of the country.  During the seven years of plenty harvest you must also appoint other officials and take a fifth of the crops.  During the good years that are coming, you have to order them to collect all the food and give them authority to store up grains in the cities but have them guarded.  The foods that were stored will be reserve supply for the country during the seven years of famine which are going to come on Egypt.  The people will not starve in this way.”

(Quoted from Genesis 41: 1-36, Today’s English Version & New International Version)

 

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

Moses with the Ten Commandments

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Under God’s guidance, Moses led the people on, away from the Red Sea, and across a great stretch of desert called the Wilderness of Shur. The land was hot, dry and barren, full of sand dunes, scrubland and rocks, and with hardly any water.  When they had been traveling from three days, the Israelites became very thirsty and were delighted when they found water at a place called Marah.  When they drink it, however, they found it very bitter. “What are we going to drink?” they grumbled to Moses.

Moses prayed to God, and God showed him a tree whose bark and leaves are able to sweeten bitter water.  Moses threw some of this into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

From Marah, the Israelites moved on to Elim, where they found twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and here they were able to camp and rest for a while.  They could not stay long, however, for they had to continue their journey, and soon they were grumbling again.

“We’re hungry,” the people complained.  “At least we had food in Egypt, but now you have brought us here we shall all starve to death.”

God told Moses, “I shall send food for you.  Each day the people must go out and gather enough for one day.  On the sixth day of the week, they are to gather twice as much as usual.”

That evening a large flock of little brown birds called quail flew in the Israelites’ camp; and the people found that their flesh was good to eat.

In the morning, when the dew had gone, the ground was covered with a thin flaky substance, like small white seeds, and as delicate as hoar-frost.

“Manna?” asked the Israelites, which means, “What is it?” and so “manna” became its name.

Moses said, “This is the food which God has provided.  You are each to gather as much as you need for the day, but no extra.

Manna from Heaven

The Israelites began gathering, and some gathered more and some less; but it made no difference. Those who had gather more found that they did not have too much; and those who had gathered little found that there was enough for their needs.  Any which was left on the ground melted in the heat of the sun by midday.  In spite of Moses’ order, some people tried to save some for the next day, but found that it rotted overnight.

Only on the sixth day of the week could they gather twice as much as usual and then it did not go bad; for the seventh day, the Sabbath day, was their day of rest, and they were not to gather food on that day.  Though some people did go out looking for the manna on the seventh day, there was none to be found.  God said to Moses, “How much longer will the people disobey My commands?  Remember that I gave you a day of rest, and that is why I will always provide twice the amount of food on the sixth day.  On the seventh day they must stay at home.”

God continued to provide manna for the Israelites for the whole of the next forty years until they reached the land of Canaan.

Food was one thing difficult to find in the dessert, but, as the Israelites had already discovered, water was another.  As they moved on, they again grumbled to Moses that they were thirsty.

“Why do you keep complaining like this?” asked Moses.

Once again the people said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to this miserable place?  Must we all die of thirst?” and they grew very angry.

“What can I do with them?” Moses asked God.

“Take some of the leaders and go on ahead of the people,” said God.  “Carry your rod.  I will stand before you on a rock on Mount Sinai.  Speak to the rock and water will flow out from it.”

Moses went as the Lord had said, but he was so angry with the people that instead of just speaking to the rock, as he had been told, he struck it with is stuff.  A stream of water flowed out, just the same, and the people and animals were able to quench their thirst.  But Moses had not obeyed God and so God told him that he would not be the one to lead the people into the promised land.

By now the Israelites had crossed much desert land and had come to the foot of Mount Sinai.  From the mountain God called Moses and said, “Tell the people that I have said these words, ‘You saw what happened to the Egyptians and how I have keep My covenant, you will be My chosen people, dedicated to Me alone.”

When the people heard this they replied, ”We will do all that the Lord has said.”

God then told Moses that the people were to make themselves ready for worship and were to put on clean clothes, for He Himself would come down on Mount Sinai. Moses was to put boundary round the mountain, and the people were not to cross it, or even go near it until they heard a trumpet sounding a long blast.

The people made themselves ready as instructed.  On the third day, there was thunder and lightning and thick cloud on the mountain, which indicated God’s power and presence, and a loud blast was heard on a trumpet.  All people trembled with fear.  Moses led them to the foot of the mountain, which was wrapped in fire and smoke and shook as if there was an earthquake.

Then God called to Moses alone to go to the top of the mountain; and Moses went up and was lost in view in the cloud.  He remained up there for forty days.

While Moses was on the mountain, God gave him the laws by which the Israelites were to live.  Among these laws were those which are known as the Ten Commandments, which were written on two tablets of stones by God Himself.

Mount Puting Bato

These are the Ten Commandments:

1.You shall have no other gods before me.

2.You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to it or serve it.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a day dedicated to the Lord your God; on it no one shall do any work.  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore He blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

5. Honor your father and your mother.

6. You shall not kill.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness (tell lies) against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet (long posses) your neighbor’s house or wife, or his manservant, of his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Moses as away for such a long time and the people grew tired of waiting.  They gathered around his brother Aaron and said, “We don’t know what has become of Moses, and we can’t wait any longer.  Let us make a god of our own.”

Aaron, on this occasion, was not firm, and he said to the people.  “Take off the gold earrings which you are wearing and give them to me.”

They did so, and Aaron took the huge pile of earrings, melted them down, and shaped the gold in a golden calf.  Forgetting all about the one true God, the people looked at the golden calf and said, “This is the god who led us out of Egypt.”

Aaron built an altar before it, and declared that the next day was to be a festival to the Lord.  Perhaps he, too, thought it represented the true God, though he should have known better.

Early on the next day, the people brought animals for offerings and they had a great feast.

High up on the mountain God said to Moses, “You must go down to the people, for they have already forgotten the way I commanded them, and they have made a calf of melted gold and are worshipping that.  I am very angry with them.”

So Moses set off back down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments. As he was getting near the foot of the mountain, he could hear shouting and noise coming from the people.  When he came close enough he saw that they were dancing round the golden calf, and he was so furious that he threw down the tablets and thy broke.

He seized the golden calf, melted it and ground what remained to powder.  Then he scattered the powder upon the water and made the Israelites drink it as a symbol of their shame and regret.

The next day he went back to God and asked His forgiveness for the sin which the people had committed in worshipping the golden calf.  At God’s command, he also cut two more tablets of stones, and God gave him the laws again.  As a token that they were forgiven, God renewed His promise, or covenant, to the people.