Mount Sinai

MOUNT SINAI

 

 

Today, we’re climbing a mountain — not just any mountain, but Mount Sinai — the place where God’s presence thundered, and His covenant was revealed.

 

So here’s the big question: where is the real Mount Sinai?

Well, no one knows for sure. Scholars suggest different locations — from the Sinai Peninsula to northwest Saudi Arabia. But the real question isn’t where Sinai is… it’s what happened there, and why it matters to us today.

 

Let’s rewind. Mount Sinai is where Moses first met God in the burning bush. That bush wasn’t consumed — a powerful symbol of God’s presence: holy, intense, yet sustaining. God tells Moses, “Take off your sandals, for the ground you’re standing on is holy.” Sinai teaches us this: God’s presence transforms ordinary ground into holy ground — and God still calls us to reverence today.

 

Fast-forward three months after Egypt. God brings Israel to this mountain — not just to give rules, but to say: “I carried you on eagle’s wings to bring you to myself.” God’s goal wasn’t just freedom from Pharaoh, but relationship with His people. That’s still His desire — not just to save us from sin, but to bring us close.

 

Then came the Ten Commandments. Not just laws, but a mirror to reveal the human heart. They expose our idolatry, our misuse of God’s name, our restlessness, and how we treat others. But they also show us something deeper — our need for a Savior.

 

Because even as Moses is up on the mountain receiving God’s word, the people below are already breaking it — building a golden calf, falling into chaos. God is furious. But Moses steps in as a mediator, pleading: “Forgive them… or blot me out.” That’s the heart of a true leader — and a glimpse of the heart of Jesus.

 

But Moses, as great as he was, couldn’t ultimately save the people. That’s why we need Jesus, the greater Mediator. Hebrews 3 tells us that Jesus is more faithful than Moses. Hebrews 12 says we’re no longer coming to a mountain of fear — but to a mountain of grace, where we can now boldly approach God’s presence through Christ.

 

So what’s the takeaway from Mount Sinai?

1.Take God seriously. His holiness hasn’t changed.

2.Remove the idols. Even good things become bad when they become ultimate.

3.Hold fast to Jesus. He passed every test. He’s our Mediator. He invites us into God’s presence — not with fear, but with boldness, mercy, and grace.

 

Let’s not live like Sinai never happened. Let’s live like Jesus finished what Sinai began.