The forbidding wilderness of the Sinai desert. Moses brought hundreds of men, women and children, with some herds given to them by sympathetic Egyptians, on foot through this inhospitable wilderness. The location of Meribah-Kadesh, the place of the ‘waters of strife’, remains a matter of dispute. According to Deuteronomy 1:2 it was eleven days’ march away from Mount Sinai.
Episode 6 of 11 in the Series
The Story of Moses
Introduction
The Israelites have at last escaped slavery in Egypt, but now another test lies before them: the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. The food and flocks they have brought out with them cannot sustain them for ever, especially if they have no water.
SIX weeks had passed since leaving Egypt, and out in the desert food was scarce. The Israelites began to grumble; but when the morning dew evaporated, it left behind tiny balls of bread-like stuff they called manna, that tasted of honey.* In the evening, countless quails suddenly appeared. The manna kept coming every day thereafter except the Sabbath.
The grumbling soon began again, this time about water. God showed Moses how to bring water from a standing stone, but Moses did it with a swagger that displeased God. For that moment of weakness, neither Aaron nor Moses would be chosen to lead Israel into the Promised Land.*
In the third month after leaving Egypt, Moses brought the Israelites to Mount Sinai, where he had seen the burning bush.* Then the mountain had been quiet; now it quaked with thunder, and echoed with a sound like trumpets; its peak was blanketed in thick cloud, and splintered by lightning.
And leaving the people trembling below, Moses went up.
Based on Exodus 14-15.
Manna spoiled overnight, being truly ‘daily bread’; but some manna was kept preserved in a jar and deposited in the Temple, where it remained until the Temple was sacked by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Jesus Christ described himself as ‘bread from heaven’. For this reason, the Virgin Mary is likened to the jar of manna.
Exactly what Moses and Aaron did wrong has been debated for generations. God told them to ‘speak’ to the rock, yet Moses struck it twice with his staff. Moreover, Moses exclaimed testily, “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?”, as if the power lay with them rather than God – which it obviously did not, because they had been as helpless and afraid as anyone until they prostrated themselves before the tent of the congregation.
The Biblical narrative treats Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai as two names for the same peak. The site has traditionally been identified with the mountain peaks at the the southern end of Sinai Peninsula, between two arms of the Rea Sea.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Come. Have. Time.
2 Even. Mount. Pass.
3 Do. Keep. Scarce.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Appear.
Seem.
2.
Call.
Visit.
3.
Each.
Every.
4.
Grumble.
Groan.
5.
Lightening.
Lightning.
6.
Profession.
Calling.
7.
Seen.
Scene.
8.
Silent.
Quiet.
9.
Since.
Ago.
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Keep. 2. Show. 3. Stand. 4. See. 5. Even. 6. Lead. 7. Like. 8. Mount. 9. Saw.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
trns (5+2)
tarns. terns. trainees. trains. turns.
outruns. tureens.
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