Encampment at Sinai - Condensed Biblical Encyclopedia

Encampment at Sinai Date. Taking the hints that have already been dropped, it is easy to determine the date of the beginning of the encampment at the mount of God: It was (130 + 105 + 90 + 70 + 65 + 162 + 65 + 187 + 182 = 1056) one thousand and fifty-six years from the creation of Adam to the birth of Noah ( Genesis 5:3-29 ). It was (500 + 102 = 602) six hundred and two years from the birth of Noah to the birth of Arphaxad ( Genesis 5:32 ; Genesis 7:6 ; Genesis 11:10 ). It was (35 + 30 + 34 + 30 + 32 + 30 + 29 = 220) two hundred and twenty years from the birth of Arphaxad to the birth of Terah ( Genesis 11:12-24 ). It was (130) one hundred and thirty years from the birth of Terah to the birth of Abram ( Genesis 11:26 Genesis 11:32 ; Genesis 12:1-4 ; Acts 7:1-4 ). It was (100) one hundred years from the birth of Abram to the birth of Isaac ( Genesis 21:5 ). It was (60) sixty years from the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob ( Genesis 25:26 ). It was (91) ninety-one years from the birth of Jacob to the birth of Joseph ( Genesis 41:46 Genesis 41:53 Genesis 41:54 ; Genesis 45:4-6 ; Genesis 47:1-9 ). It was (110) one hundred and ten years from the birth of Joseph to his death ( Genesis 50:26 ). It was (64) sixty-four years from the death of Joseph to the birth of Moses ( Genesis 12:1-4 ; Genesis 21:5 ; Genesis 25:26 ; Genesis 41:46 Genesis 41:53 Genesis 41:54 ; Genesis 45:4-6 ; Genesis 47:9 ; Genesis 50:26 ; Exodus 7:7 ; Exodus 12:40 Exodus 12:41 ; Galatians 3:17 ). It was (80) eighty years from the birth of Moses to the exodus ( Exodus 2:1-10 ; Exodus 7:7 ; Exodus 12:36-41 ). It was (48) forty-eight days from the exodus to the encampment at Mount Sinai ( Exodus 12:37-41 ; Exodus 16:1 ; Exodus 19:1 ; Numbers 33:3 ). (1056 + 602 + 220 + 130 + 100 + 60 + 91 + 110 + 64 + 80 + 48 days = 2513 years and 48 days).

It was therefore two thousand five hundred thirteen years and forty-eight days from the creation of Adam to the encampment at Mount Sinai.

Maturity of Gods Purpose'. At Mount Sinai, God's purpose began to take definite form. Moses went into the mountain, learned the will of God, returned and informed the people that the Lord had declared if they would obey his voice indeed and keep his covenant, they should be a peculiar treasure to Him, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; and the people answered with one voice, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" ( Exodus 19:1-8 ). Owing to the frailty of the human race it took twenty-five centuries to bring revelation up to this point of perfection. Keep in mind that the purpose of revelation is primarily to reveal God to man, and to make man understand his necessities. The only way to account for the long delay, therefore, is on the ground of man's weakness and want of interest brought about by sin. God's purpose had gradually been unfolded from the time of transgression. In passing sentence upon the serpent, He intimated his purpose to bruise the head of the serpent by the seed of the woman ( Genesis 3:14 Genesis 3:15 ). Take this sentence apart from its connection and how deep, how dark, how impenetrable it appears, and yet for two thousand years it was the only anchor of the drifting souls of the sons of men! However, taking it in connection with the thought of God's purpose, we can see the light where millions found only inexplicable mystery. Note, the seed of the serpent are evildoers ( Matthew 3:7 ; Matthew 12:34 ); the seed of the woman is Christ ( Isaiah 7:14 ; Galatians 4:4 ); bruising the head of the serpent refers to the triumphs of Christ and his people ( John 16:11 ; Romans 16:20 ; Hebrews 2:14 ; 1 John 3:8 ); bruising the heel of the seed of the woman refers to the brief triumph of Satan, sin and death ( Romans 1:4 ; Revelation 1:17 Revelation 1:18 ).

The first promise of the Redeemer was made to Abram ( Genesis 12:1-3 Acts 3:25 Acts 3:26 ; Galatians 3:8 Galatians 3:16 ). This confined the development of God's purpose to an individual. God also promised to make of Abraham a great nation, and in order to do this He promise him a son by his wife Sarah, and an innumerable posterity ( Genesis 15:1-13 ). In order to the maintenance and perpetuity of this nation He promised Abraham a country, set its bounds ( Genesis 15:18-21 ), and gave him circumcision as the national mark of distinction ( Genesis 17:1-14 ). From Abraham forward therefore, these people became the repositories of the oracles of God ( Romans 3:1 Romans 3:2 ). The promises were renewed to Abraham on Mount Moriah ( Genesis 22:1-18 ), to Isaac at Gerar ( Genesis 26:1-6 ), to Jacob at Bethel ( Genesis 28:10-19 ; Lord spoke to Jacob at Beersheba ( Genesis 46:1-4 ), but at Mount Sinai He spoke to the whole nation ( Exodus 19:1-25 ; Exodus 20:1-22 ).

Educating the Nation. The education of the Hebrews began when Abraham became a wanderer from his father's house ( Genesis 11:31 ; Genesis 12:1-4 Genesis 14:13 ). It was carried on in the school of adversity in the land of Egypt ( Genesis 15:8-16 ; Exodus 1:1-22 ), and it was consummated at Mount Sinai when the Lord spoke in the hearing of all the people ( Deuteronomy 5:1-22 ).

Earlier History Clarified. Viewed in the light of the revelations at Mount Sinai, many things in the previous history of the human race became much clearer. The brevity of the biography of many individuals is clearly accounted for in the fact that the individuals themselves were secondary considerations. Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses were made prominent largely because of God's purpose concerning the human race. On this account Ishmael and Esau occupied subordinate places ( Genesis 16:1-15 ; Genesis 21:1-12 Genesis 27:1-29 ; Romans 9:7-13 ).