How do the Israelites encounter God on Mount Sinai?
Do the people receive the revelation directly from God, or is it always mediated
by human interpreters?
Is Exodus clearly monotheistic?
Does the Bible forbid the taking of human life?
Application Questions:
Moses seems to be a constant intermediary between the people and God’s word. How does this pattern of communication relate to the ways we conceive of communication with God?
What does it mean not to “swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God” (JPS) or to “make wrongful use of the name of the Lord” (NRSV)? What is this commandment asking us to commit to, and how should we uphold it today?
God declares that we should not make idols of anything on earth or in heaven. Some communities have taken this as a prohibition on art altogether. What constitutes an idol for you personally? In your tradition?