Mt. Sinai
Mount Sinai is the name for a collection of peaks and also the biblical name for the peak on which Moses received the Ten Commandments (Jebel Musa). To reach the summit, visitors can take the 3,750 stone carved steps made by St. Catherine's Monestary monks, and take in the view from 7,497 ft. Here you can find the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1934 on the site of the original chapel, built in AD 363. At the foot of the mountain is St. Catherine's Monestary, completed in AD 565 atop the supposed location of Moses' burning bush
Exodus 19 (read through chapter 32)
1:
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2:
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3:
And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4:
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5:
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6:
And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7:
And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8:
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9:
And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10:
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11:
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13:
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14:
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
15:
And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
16:
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
17:
And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
18:
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
19:
So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
20:
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
21:
And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
I Kings 19 -
Elijah traversed 40 days to Mt. Sinai from Beersheba
1:
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2:
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3:
And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4:
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5:
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6:
And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7:
And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8:
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9:
And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10:
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11:
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13:
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14:
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
15:
And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
16:
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
17:
And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
18:
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
19:
So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
20:
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
21:
And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
Mt. Sinai - holiness of God
At the remote location of Mt. Sinai one has an incredible feeling of solitude reminiscent of the holiness of God. The holiness of God is so because the sum of all moral excellency is found in Him. He is absolute purity and perfection. In Psalm 27:4, God's holiness is referred to as His beauty. His holiness is the antithesis of all moral blemish and defilement (sin). "This is a transcendental attribute because it runs through all of the other attributes. It is an attribute of attributes." - Stephen Howe.
God is holy in all of His works and His creation as can be seen in the scriptures below. His law manifests His holiness and conversely this means that He hates transgression or sin against His law. God alone is the source and fountain of all holiness. His sanctifying power alone can make someone or something holy and acceptable in His sight. In mankind the effectual application of Christ's blood alone to the sinner can make one holy. Through the new birth in Christ (John 3), the Holy Spirit sanctifies -- makes one holy -- the Christian.
Rev. 15:4
4:
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
I John 1:5
5:
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Exodus 15:11
11:
Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Habbakuk 1:13
13:
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
II Chronicles 20:21
21:
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 145:17
17:
The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Romans 7:12
12:
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Psalm 19:8,9
8:
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9:
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psalm 85:13
13:
Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Psalm 111:9-10
9:
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
10:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Because He is holy he hates all sin
Proverbs 3:32
32:
For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Proverbs 15:26
26:
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.
Psalm 5:5
5:
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
To be exalted
Psalm 89:7
7:
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
Psalm 99:5
5:
Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
Psalm 2:11
11:
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Isaiah 6:1-5
1:
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2:
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3:
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4:
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5:
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Leviticus 10:3
3:
Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
We are bidden to be holy
I Peter 1:15,16
15:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16:
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Exodus 19 - 32, 1 Kings 19