Jesus said: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true [John 5:31]." Every time I recall Jesus saying this, I'm reminded how many times Moses bore witness of himself; and, in turn how many times he did so– presumably– at the LORD's insistence. Every time Moses told his people, "I am the LORD your God," he did so because he was told to, he says. Moses also says the LORD told him, "[Aaron] shall be thy spokesman unto the people ["prophet" (Exodus 7:1)]… and thou shalt be to him instead of God [Exodus 4:16]." Moses also writes of himself, "(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) [Numbers 12:3];" this last, apparently, of his own volition.
Moses' epitaph, in Deuteronomy, says, "Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated [Deuteronomy 34:7]." He may have died as sexy as James Dean; however, Deuteronomy reads like Moses' memory was slipping a bit; and his epitaph in the New Testament seems to read, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
There are numerous places in Deuteronomy where Moses remembers things differently than they were originally recorded by him. The whole of Deuteronomy is the record of Moses' final oration to his people before being presumably killed by the LORD, personally, (while Michael and Satan "disputed about the body of Moses," according to Jude).
In this instance, Moses is rehearsing the events which allegedly occurred "in Horeb [Deuteronomy 5:2]" what time the children of Israel received 'the ten commandments' from the LORD. In Deuteronomy, Moses says, "(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the work of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) [Deuteronomy 5:5]". This does not equate with the record of these things written by Moses in Exodus. Here, in Deuteronomy, Moses says he "stood between the LORD and [the people]" because of the people's fear. In Exodus, Moses says the LORD, shall we say, made him do it.
The text in Exodus relevant to these events begins in chapter 19, three days before the day on which 'the ten commandments' were allegedly spoken from the mount. In Exodus, Moses says the reason the LORD delivered 'the ten commandments' in the dramatic fashion in which he allegedly did so was for the purpose of obtaining for Moses eternal credibility with "the people" by being real impressive with a show; but this is no ordinary song- and- dance. Moses and his people have to play along. The LORD's a real special guy, so everyone has to be clean and show proper respect. The LORD requires a number of things from "the people"-- compliance with a threat of death among these– without which it will be impossible for him to do Moses this 'solid'.
In formulating his requirements, the LORD tells Moses, in part, "thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death [Exodus 19:12]:" this three days before the special day he's set aside in legalese praise of Moses.
The day of this shocking- and- aweing, rocking 'n' rolling party in praise and support of Moses, Moses says he went up the mount, and the LORD told him, "Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish [Exodus 19:21]." To which, Moses says he responds, "The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it [Exodus 19:23b - f]." He's done what he's been told to do. Why does he have to do what he's told to: especially on the holiday observed in his own honor?
According to Moses (in Exodus), the LORD responds to Moses' presumption upon his own honor, as it were, with: "Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them [Exodus 19:24b - h]." Furthermore, in Exodus, Moses goes on to say, "So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them [Exodus 19:25]": as he was told to.
Yet, in Deuteronomy, Moses says, "I stood between the LORD and you… for ye were afraid… and went not up into the mount;" as if– instead of setting boundaries– he were taunting them with their fear, on the day of the event; not only on the day of his own death.
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