What was the difference between Moses getting the commandments at Sinai and the apostles and believers getting the Holy Spirit at Pentecost?
Pentecost was the celebration of Moses getting the Torah from God as well as the seasonal harvest festival with the winter wheat coming in.
Let’s look at what it was like at Sinai at that time:
Exo 19:16 And it happened on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain. And the voice of the trumpet was exceedingly loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God. And they stood at the lower part of the mountain. 18 And Mount Sinai was smoking, all of it, because Jehovah came down upon it in fire. And the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.The people were afraid of coming close to the mountain, afraid of God and His glory coming on them. They thought they would die if He came closer. They elected to have Moses go up to God instead of them. They didn’t believe Moses when he told them that that there was nothing to fear, that God would cause them not to sin. The Israelites refused. They wanted Moses to deal with it. They didn’t want God’s power coming on them.Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw, they trembled, and stood afar off. 19 And they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said to the people, Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and so that His fear may be before your faces, so that you may not sin.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel.
Let’s turn now to Acts and the apostles:
In this case, God Himself came to them and the same phenomena occurred as at Sinai but this time the people wanted to receive the gift from the Lord and God. He sanctified them by giving them the power. This was no mistake that it happened at Pentecost, same gifts, but this time, the people accepted the gift and giver. The results were believers who became new creatures in the Lord. At this Pentecost, God came down to the people and the people joyfully accepted His gift rather than asking for a mediator between them and God.Act 2:1 And in the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed; and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
At this time the Lord was able to use the Holy Spirit to teach and instruct the apostles in how He wanted His church established.
Before Jesus’ death, all the apostles and followers thought was this is the Messiah and he’s going to kick Rome in the rear and establish the throne of David and we’re in the cabinet of His kingdom. They had no clue what the Lord wanted back then. Peter even tried to dissuade the Lord from going to Jerusalem and dying once he figured it out. How could the Messiah possibly die, now, just when they were getting a good following? Jesus had to break the yoke of Judaism from them, to teach them His commands and His Kingdom rather than what they thought was true.
Remember, they knew He was the Messiah, they were wrong in the timing of His Kingdom and what He would do while on earth. They felt at the crucifixion that all was lost. There was no hope. Questions, fright, shock at the turn of events.
It was after His death and resurrection he said:
They just didn’t get it. Still. They needed more knowledge and understanding from the Lord about what they were going to do.Luk 24:25 And He said to them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all things that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?
Which leads us to His parting words in Luke:
Here is where He says that all was fulfilled in the Law of Moses and the Prophets. It is finished as He said on the cross.Luk 24:44 And He said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms about Me. 45 And He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures.
Here He tells them that indeed it has gone according to plan, according to the scriptures. He has redeemed all nations. They are to wait to have power from on high come upon them in Jerusalem. Their instructions now will come from the Holy Spirit where He said before His crucifixion:Luk 24:46 And He said to them, So it is written, and so it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be proclaimed in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send the promise of My father on you. But you sit in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.
The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Notice He didn’t say that now they will proclaim the laws of Moses or the Torah or become better Jews. No, He said that the gospel goes to all nations, all peoples now.Joh 14:25 I have spoken these things to you, being present with you. 26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.
The Jews had their opportunity while he was on the earth, as a man, to accept their Messiah. And like the golden calf at Sinai, they chose to worship a false god of their own making. The faithful, like the tribe of Levi, stood with the Lord and remained.