Mount Sinai is one of the most sacred locations in Scripture. It is the mountain where God revealed Himself in majesty and power to Moses and the children of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt. Exodus 19:20 says, “Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.”
At Mount Sinai, God gave the Ten Commandments and established His covenant with Israel. The mountain was covered in smoke, and it quaked violently as the voice of God thundered. Exodus 20:18 recounts that the people trembled and stood afar off, overwhelmed by the holiness of God.
Moses spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain, receiving not only the commandments but also detailed instructions for the tabernacle and laws for the nation (Exodus 24:18; 31:18). The experience was so glorious that Moses’ face shone when he came down (Exodus 34:29).
However, while Moses was on the mountain, the people grew impatient and made a golden calf, committing great sin. When Moses descended and saw their idolatry, he broke the tablets in anger (Exodus 32:19), later returning to the mountain where God graciously renewed the covenant (Exodus 34).
Mount Sinai represents the awe and fear of God, the giving of the law, and the holiness required to approach Him. It stands in contrast with Mount Zion in the New Covenant, which represents grace and access through Christ (Hebrews 12:18-24).
