Today in the Bible

Tishrei 10, 5784; from sunset September 24, 2023, to sunset September 25, 2023

Judaism recognizes the day that Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the second set of tablets as the first Day of Atonement. They place this event on the 10th day of the seventh month. We’re taking an early look at it in order to work our way slowly through the importance of Yom Kippur.

Moses Returns Again from Mount Sinai

After God gave Israel the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, Moses was called up to the mountain and was there for forty days.  During that time, God showed him the furnishings of the Tabernacle.  When Moses returned from the mountain, he found the people worshipping the golden calf.  He broke the tablets of the Covenant and called together those who were on the LORD’s side.  The sons of Levi stood with him and, in the end, three thousand died because of their great sin.  After these events Moses made the statement, “Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.  So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement (אֲכַפְּרָה) for your sin.”

Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!  Yet now, if You will forgive their sin– but if not, I pray, blot me out (“machah” – מָחָה) of Your book which You have written.”

And the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out (“machah” – מָחָה) of My book. – Exodus 32:30-33 (NKJ)

Moses held his ground and did not relent, just like Jacob wrestling with the angel of the LORD, it’s a “I will not let go until You bless me” moment.  God finally agrees and we now pick up the story on the day that Moses comes back down the mountain, with a second set of tablets, having negotiated for the atonement of the sins of Israel.

So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water.  And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.

So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.  Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.  And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.  But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone.  So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him. – Exodus 34:28-35 (NAS)

According to the traditional timeline, Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the second set of stone tablets, having made atonement for the sin of the people, on the 10th of Tishrei – the Day of Atonement.  When God made a list of His Appointed Times, this was one of them.  A day He wanted to remember and a day He wanted us to remember too.

A couple of lessons ago, we highlighted the key concepts and imagery of Yom Kippur.  If we go back and read through our text for today, we can see several of them.  Let’s make a list.

• There was sin
• There was talk of “blotting out” – our word “machah” (מָחָה) that we learned from Noah
• There was atonement
• Moses fasted for 40 days (afflicted his soul)
• Moses face shone
• Moses “covered” and “uncovered” his face – like a change of clothing?

We’re still a few days away from Yom Kippur and still have a few more stories to bring in. We hope you’ll continue studying with us.