‘washes away’ the stain that makes them unholy. (Isa. 1:18; Acts 22:16) The means by which God can thus express his tender mercy and loving-kindness while yet maintaining his perfect justice and righteousness is considered under RANSOM; RECONCILIATION; REPENTANCE and related articles.

AVOIDANCE OF SIN

Love of God and love of neighbor is a principal means for avoiding sin, which is lawlessness, for love is an outstanding quality of God; he made love the foundation of his Law to Israel. (Matt. 22:37-40; Rom. 13:8-11) In this way the Christian can be, not alienated from God, but in joyful union with him and his Son. (1 John 1:3; 3:1-11, 24; 4:16) Such are open to the guidance of God’s holy spirit and can “live as to the spirit from the standpoint of God,” desisting from sins (1 Pet. 4:1-6) and producing the righteous fruitage of God’s spirit in place of the wicked fruitage of the sinful flesh. (Gal. 5:16-26) They can thus gain freedom from sin’s mastery.—Rom. 6:12-22.

Having faith in God’s sure reward for righteousness (Heb. 11:1, 6), one can resist the call of sin to share its temporary enjoyment. (Heb. 11:24-26) Knowing the inescapability of the rule that “whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap,” since “God is not one to be mocked,” the person is protected against the deceitfulness of sin. (Gal. 6:7, 8) He realizes that sins cannot remain forever hid (1 Tim. 5:24) and that “although a sinner may be doing bad a hundred times and continuing a long time as he pleases,” yet it will “turn out well with those fearing the true God,” but not with the wicked one who is not in fear of God. (Eccl. 8:11-13; compare Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 23:17, 18.) Any material riches the wicked have gained will buy them no protection from God (Zeph. 1:17, 18), and, indeed, in time the sinner’s wealth will prove to be “something treasured up for the righteous one.” (Prov. 13:21, 22; Eccl. 2:26) Those who pursue righteousness by faith can avoid carrying the “heavy load,” the loss of peace of mind and heart, the weakness of spiritual sickness, that sin brings.—Ps. 38:3-6, 18; 41:4.

Knowledge of God’s word is the basis for such faith and the means of fortifying it. (Ps. 119:11; compare 106:7.) The person who moves hastily without first seeking knowledge as to his path will ‘miss the mark,’ sinning. (Prov. 19:2) Realizing that “one sinner can destroy much good” causes the righteous person to seek to act with genuine wisdom. (Compare Ecclesiastes 9:18; 10:1-4.) It is the wise course to avoid bad associations with those practicing false worship or immorally inclined persons, for these entrap one in sin and spoil useful habits.—Ex. 23:33; Neh. 13:25, 26; Ps. 26:9-11; Prov. 1:10-19; Eccl. 7:26; 1 Cor. 15:33, 34.

There are, of course, many things that can be done or not done, or that can be done one way or another, without any condemnation of sin. (Compare 1 Corinthians 7:27, 28.) God did not hem man in with multitudinous instructions governing minute details as to how things were to be done. Clearly, man was to use his intelligence and also had ample latitude to display his individual personality and preferences. The Law covenant contained many statutes; yet even this did not rob men of their freedom of personal expression. Christianity, with its strong emphasis on love of God and neighbor as the guiding rule, similarly allows men the widest possible freedom that the righteous-hearted person could desire.—Compare Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 8:21; see FREEDOM; JEHOVAH (A God of moral standards), page 890.

SIN, II

The name of a wilderness on the Sinai Peninsula and of an Egyptian city.

1. A wilderness region to which the Israelite camp, approximately one month after their exodus from Egypt, transferred after leaving Elim and a campsite by the Red Sea. After this wilderness there were several more camping sites, including Dophkah, Alush, and Rephidim, before coming to Sinai. (Ex. 16:1; 17:1; Num. 33:9-15) It was in the wilderness of Sin that murmuring and complaints arose in the camp because of the lack of meat. Here Jehovah caused a flock of quail to “cover the camp,” and here the Israelites ate manna for the first time. It was also at this point that the sabbath law was put into effect.—Ex. 16:2-30.

The exact location of the wilderness of Sin is uncertain, though it is obviously along the southwestern border of the Sinai Peninsula. Geographers generally favor the sandy tract known as Debbet er-Ramleh, lying along the foot of the Sinai plateau. This desert plain is also near the suggested site of Dophkah.

2. Sin was among the cities of Egypt due to feel the sword brought on that land by the hand of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. (Ezek. 30:6, 10, 15, 16) It is called the “fortress of Egypt.” Some connect the name with the Egyptian sinw, or swn, meaning “fortress,” while others relate it to a similar-sounding word (sin), meaning “mud” or “clay.” Most authorities today accept the identification found in the Latin Vulgate, namely, Pelusium (meaning “mudcity”). Pelusium was an ancient fortress city situated in a key defense position against invasion from the Asiatic continent. Its location is generally accepted to coincide with present-day Tell el Farama, a site about twenty miles (c. 32 kilometers) SE of Port Said on the Mediterranean seacoast. Caravans or armies coming down the Philistine coast thus found this fortress guarding the entrance to Egypt. Assyrian King Ashurbanipal refers to it in his annals. Today the ancient site is surrounded by sand and marshes.

SIN

or Shin [ש].

The twenty-first letter in the Hebrew alphabet, later, outside the Hebrew Scriptures, used also as a number to denote three hundred.

This letter was used to represent two sounds, and, in later periods, these were distinguished by the use of a diacritical mark. A dot placed over the left-hand “horn” [שׂ] gave the pronunciation of “s,” while a dot placed over the right-hand “horn” [שׁ] gave the pronunciation of “sh.”

In the Hebrew, each of the eight verses of Psalm 119:161-168 begins with this letter.

SINAI

(Siʹnai).

1. A mountain in Arabia (Gal. 4:25), apparently also called Horeb. (Compare Exodus 3:2, 12; 19:1, 2, 10, 11; see HOREB.) In the vicinity of Mount Sinai the Israelites and a vast mixed company, with numerous flocks and herds, encamped for nearly a year. (Ex. 12:37, 38; 19:1; Num. 10:11, 12) Besides accommodating so great a camp, numbering perhaps over three million persons, the area around Mount Sinai also furnished sufficient water and pasturage for the domestic animals. At least one torrent descended from the mountain. (Deut. 9:21) Evidently at the base of Mount Sinai there was an area large enough for the Israelites to assemble and to observe the phenomena on the mountaintop. In fact, they could withdraw and stand at a distance. Even from the camp itself the top of Mount Sinai was visible. (Ex. 19:17, 18; 20:18; 24:17; compare Deuteronomy 5:30.) Bounds set around the mountain served to prevent both the people and their animals from touching the mountain.—Ex. 19:12, 13; compare Exodus 34:3.

IDENTIFICATION

The exact location of Mount Sinai or Horeb is uncertain. Tradition links it with a red granite ridge centrally situated in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula between the two northern arms of the Red Sea. This ridge measures approximately two miles (3 kilometers) from NW to SE and has two peaks, Ras es-Safsaf and Jebel Musa. The area in