The situation:
Moses led all these exslaves out into the desert with
the idea that they were free.
Freedom! Wow I can do anything I want too!
Well not quite. We may not have to take "orders" from a master.
But we still have to get along with our community,
So Moses has all these "free"
rowdies doing anything they want. The results being--
they lie (bear false witness), steal, rip off each others wives, and end up killing each other.
All in the name of freedom. Its more like anarchy.
The following are my opinions and logic.
Note: I am not an athiest,
But if God can't stand to be questioned,
"ask and you shall receive"
Its not god-- its a greedy priesthood thats demanding ignorance.
Moses climbs up Mt. Sinia, to figure out what to do.
So he kicks back-- smokes a little "burning bush",
and figures out the obvious conclusions.
If the people didn't lie, steal, and rip off each others wives. They wouldn't kill each other.
Resisting the temptation to lie and steal, would increase will power,
which would strengthen the bubble of their reality, as projected by their beliefs.
But that's too much physics for a superstitious uneducated rabble to understand,
so the only way to get it across is to scare them with the unchallengeble
statements of
This is the source of the "Ethnic God problem"
19 of the Book of Exodus verse 5.
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:
for all the earth is mine.