Page 32 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

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directed the movements of the people during this period. God frequently told Moses what to do
during Israel’s journey to the promised land.

During this period, Moses also served as God’s appointed leader. Moses’ authority involved legal and
64
judicial administration. Early on in the wilderness wanderings, Moses sat all day and provided
65
judgment on cases that members of God’s people brought before him (Exod. 18:13). Ultimately,
however, on the counsel of his father-in-law, Jethro, Moses established a legal system with a hierarchy
of courts. This allowed him to delegate much of this work to others. Moses also occasionally served as
66
the commander-in-chief of the military in this period.

As we have seen, this means the people of God went from being under a Pharaoh to being under Moses.
Under Moses, they went to him directly for a time, and then Moses delegated this job to handpicked
men. Under this government structure, there were also leaders in the tribes. In the tribes, families likely
came under the authority of a patriarch.

Religious practice in the wilderness wandering

During this period, God promoted holiness in the life of the people. God provided specific laws, which
67
were to serve as a directive for living. God also provided festivals and feasts during this period as well
as a tabernacle, which provided the basis for the Israelites’ corporate worship. Finally, God also
established the priesthood. The priests of Israel offered sacrifices on behalf of the people of God and
represented the people to God.

God gave the Mosaic Law at Sinai to Moses. The giving of the law was accompanied by several dramatic
68
signs (Ex. 19:18-20; 20:18; 24:17-18). As is well known, the law is detailed and regulates much of
Israel’s life. On receiving the law, the people of Israel strongly committed themselves to following it.
There are many parts of the law that deserve detailed comment—far more than we can go into here.
The first part of the Law is the Ten Commandments. As noted, God also provided legislation about
special days, festivals, and feasts. There were a number of these. These days and festivals included: the
Sabbath, the Feast of Passover, the Harvest or firstfruits, Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of
Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Space does not period us to comment
on each of these days and festivals, but it should be clear that there was a deeply ordered and symbolic
calendar that Israel was a part of.

The Tabernacle was the central site of Israelite worship during this period. God communicated several
details about the tent. As is well-known, there was a holy place and a most holy place inside the
tabernacle. In the holy place, there were three pieces of furniture—the table for the bread of the
Presence, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense. Inside the most holy place was the Ark of the
covenant. It was the central feature of the most holy place. The ark of the covenant was filled with

63 Ibid., 88.
64 Ibid., 89.
65 Ibid., 89.
66 Ibid., 89.
67 Ibid., 90.

68 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 90.

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