THE GREAT INITIATES - MOSES The vision of Sinai

[Guest guest]

« THE GREAT INIITATES », part I

Edouard SCHURE

Kessinger Publishings Rare Reprints

ISBN 0-7661-3146-7

 

MOSES

 

Chapter IV

 

 

THE VISION OF SINAI

 

A sombre mass of granite, looking so bare and ravine-cleft beneath the shining

sun that one might say it had been furrowed with lightening-flashes, and carved

out by the thunder : such is the summit of Sinai, the throne of Elohim, say the

children of the desert. Over against Sinai rise the peaks of Serbal, less lofty

than the other, though also rugged and wild looking. In its sides are deep caves

and copper mines. Between the two mountains lies a dark valley, a chaos of

stones, which Arabs call Horeb, the Erebus of the Semitic legend. This vale of

desolation is gloomy and dark, when night and the shadow of Sinai fall on it,

and even gloomier still when the mountain is topped with the helmet of clouds

darting forth sinister gleams. Then a terrible wind howls down the narrow gorge.

There Elohim is said to overthrow such as attempt to resist him, and fling them

into the abyss, into which fall torrents of rain. There, too, say the

Midianites, roam the malevolent shades of the giants, the Refaim? Who hurl down

rocks on such as attempt to scale the sacred mount; Popular tradition also has

it that God of Sinai at times appears in the lightning flash, like a Medusa

head, adorned with eagles' plumes. Woe to those who behold his countenance!

Death is their portion.

 

Thus spoke the nomads to one another at night, beneath the tents, when their

camels and wives lay wrapt in slumber. The truth was that only the boldest among

Jethro's initiates ascended to the cave of Serbal, often spending several days

in fasting and prayer. Sages from Idumea had found inspiration there. It was a

spot associated from bygone ages with supernatural visions, with Elohim or

spirits of light. No priest or hunter would ever have consented to conduct the

pilgrim to it.

 

Moses had fearlessly mounted by the ravine of Horeb. With intrepid heart he had

crossed the valley of death and its chaos of rocks. Like every human effort,

initiation has its phases of humility and of pride. After climbing the sides of

the holy mountain, he had reached the summit of pride, for he had attained to

the height of human power, he already felt himself one with the supreme Being.

The purple sun was shedding his ardent rays over the volcanic pile of Sinai, and

the violet shadows were spread about the valleys, when Moses found himself at

the entrance to a cave, whose mouth was protected by a scanty growth of

turpentine-trees. He was preparing to enter when he was almost blinded by a

sudden flash of light enveloping him. It appeared to him that the ground was

burning beneath his feet, and that the granite mountains had become changed into

a sea of flame. At the entrance to the grotto an apparition of dazzling light

looked down on him, barring the path with his sword. Moses sank with his face on

the ground, thunderstruck. His pride was now wholly broken. The Angel's glance

had pierced him with its light. Then, with that profound intuition which is

aroused in a visionary state, he had understood that this being was about to

impose on him a terrible task. He would have liked to escape his mission, and

return underground like a vile worm.

 

But a voice was heard, saying, " Moses! Moses! " And he replied, " Here I am! "

 

" Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place

whereon thou standest is holy ground " .

 

Moses hid his face in his hands; he was afraid of meeting the Angel's gaze.

 

The Angel said to him: " Thou who seekest Elohim, wherefore tremblest thou before

me? "

 

" Who art thou? "

 

" A ray of Elohim, a solar Angel, a messenger of Him who is now and will be

hereafter. "

 

" What dost thou command me to do? "

 

" Thou shalt say to the children of Israel: The Eternal, the God of your fathers,

the God of Abraham, Of Isaac, and of Jacob hath sent me to you, to bring you out

of the land of slavery. "

 

" Who am I that I should bring out the children of Israel from Egypt? "

 

" Go, " said the Angel, " for I will be with thee. I will put the fire of Elohim

into thine heart, and His word on thy lips. For forty years hast thou called

upon Him, and thy voice has reached unto Him. See, I lay hold of thee in His

name. Son of Elohim, thou art mine for ever. "

 

Moses, emboldened, exclaimed: " Show me Elohim! Grant me to see His living fire! "

 

He raised his head, but the flaming sea had vanished; swift as lightning, the

Angel had disappeared. The sun had gone down upon the extinct olcanoes of Sinai;

a silence of death was over the vale of Horeb, and a voicewhich seemed to roll

along the vaults of heaven, losing itself in the infinitude of space, said, " I

am That I am. "

 

Moses came out of this vision overwhelmed with awe. For a moment, he believed

that his ody had been burnt up in the fire of the ether. But his spirit was

stronger. On descending to the temple of Jethro, he found himself ready for his

work. His living idea went in front of him, like the Angel armed with the fiery

sword.