Day 2 – Location, location, location

“𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘨𝘺𝘱𝘵, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘰 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:1-2 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝

No one really knows exactly which mountain in the Sinai Peninsula is Sinai from Exodus. For centuries, scholars, explorers, geologists, archaeologists, and pilgrims have sought the location of Mount Sinai – the infamous mountain where God gave the law to Moses and His people. Several sites have been proposed, but no site has been archaeologically confirmed as the place where God met with Moses.

From the Bible texts, we have a general idea about the location. We know it is beyond the boundaries of Egypt, because they came into the Wilderness of Sinai and camped before the mountain. Scripture also hints that Sinai was not in Midian, as Moses’ Midianite in-laws leave Sinai to return to their own land. The most common site identified is in the south-central part of the Sinai Peninsula. The mountain, today called 𝘑𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘢 (“the mountain of Moses”), has an elevation of 2285,086 meters above sea level. In AD 530, St. Catherine’s Monastery was constructed at the northern foot of Jebel Musa, and the ancient library was the source of Codex Sinaiticus, one of the major Greek texts used to aid Bible translation.

Mount Sinai also figures in the story of the prophet Elijah. When fleeing Queen Jezebel, Elijah stopped to rest in the desert. There, an angel of the Lord fed him, and strengthened by that food, he travelled for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. Scholars believe (and old translations) that Elijah stayed in a cave in the Sinai Peninsula, where he met the Lord. The parallels between Elijah’s experience and Moses’ are significant: both prophets were sustained by God for 40 days and nights. Both met with God and heard His audible voice. Both were in the same location.

The exact location may be unknown, but what happened at Sinai changed the world. Exactly where it happened is of small consequence. Geographical locations do not bind God, and He will meet you when you seek Him. The question is, are you willing to climb the mountain in your life (sometimes multiple times) to seek His face?

Pray with me: Father, thank You for showing us that location is not what matters, but the encounter with You is. Guide us, Lord, when we seek You in our climb and sustain our bodies, souls, and spirits as You did for Moses, the Israelites, and later Elijah. We want to meet You and hear Your voice. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Pastor Iriza