Exodus 24: The Covenant Confirmed
Israel pledges obedience, the covenant is sealed in blood, and Moses ascends into the glory-cloud on the mountain for forty days.
Exodus 24 (WEB)
1 He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
2 Moses alone shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, neither shall the people go up with him.”
3 Moses came and told the people all Yahweh’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do.”
4 Moses wrote all Yahweh’s words, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to Yahweh.
6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient.”
8 Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words.”
9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
10 They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.
11 He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
12 Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.”
13 Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God’s Mountain.
14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”
15 Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16 Yahweh’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 The appearance of Yahweh’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 24 (KJV)
1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2 And Moses alone shall come near the Lord: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.
4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.
9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
16 And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 24 (ASV)
1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off:
2 and Moses alone shall come near unto Jehovah; but they shall not come near; neither shall the people go up with him.
3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the ordinances: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do.
4 And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto Jehovah.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken will we do, and be obedient.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which Jehovah hath made with you concerning all these words.
9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10 and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the very heaven for clearness.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: and they beheld God, and did eat and drink.
12 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the law and the commandment, which I have written, that thou mayest teach them.
13 And Moses rose up, and Joshua his minister: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: whosoever hath a cause, let him come near unto them.
15 And Moses went up into the mount, and the cloud covered the mount.
16 And the glory of Jehovah abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Summary
God calls Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders to come up and worship from a distance, while Moses alone draws near. Moses tells the people all the LORD's words and ordinances, and with one voice they pledge, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do.” Moses writes it all down, builds an altar with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes, and young men offer burnt and peace offerings. Moses takes half the blood and sprinkles it on the altar; then he reads the Book of the Covenant aloud, and the people again affirm their obedience. He sprinkles the rest of the blood on the people, declaring it the blood of the covenant the LORD has made with them. Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders go up and see the God of Israel, with a pavement like sapphire under his feet; God does not strike them down, and they eat and drink in his presence. Yahweh calls Moses higher to receive the stone tablets, and Moses, with Joshua, ascends. The glory of the LORD settles on Sinai like a cloud, appearing as devouring fire to the watching people, and Moses enters the cloud, remaining on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Main Characters
- Moses — The mediator who reads the covenant, sprinkles the blood, ascends into the glory-cloud, and remains with God forty days and nights.
- The seventy elders — Israel's leaders, with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, who go partway up the mountain, see the God of Israel, and eat and drink in his presence.
- The children of Israel — The people who twice pledge to do all the LORD has spoken and are sprinkled with the blood of the covenant.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God of Israel whose glory settles on Sinai like devouring fire, who graciously meets the elders and calls Moses up to receive the law.
Key Verse
Exodus 24:8 (WEB)
Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words.”
Lessons Learned
- A covenant with God is entered with solemn commitment and wholehearted response.
- The covenant is sealed with blood, foreshadowing that fellowship with God comes at a cost.
- God graciously allows his people, through their representatives, to see him and live.
- Communion with God is pictured as eating and drinking in his presence.
- The blood of the covenant points ahead to the new covenant in the blood of Christ.
- God's people respond with commitment. “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do” (Exodus 24:3, WEB). The covenant calls for a wholehearted yes to the God who has redeemed them.
- Covenant is sealed in blood. “This is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you” (Exodus 24:8, WEB). Fellowship with the holy God is established through sacrifice.
- Grace lets sinners see God and live. The elders “saw the God of Israel… they saw God, and ate and drank” (Exodus 24:10-11, WEB). God mercifully does not consume them but welcomes them to his table.
- God's glory is awesome and inviting. His glory appeared “like devouring fire,” yet Moses “entered into the midst of the cloud” (Exodus 24:17-18, WEB). The same glory that terrifies also draws the mediator near.
- Why does Israel's response, “All the words… will we do,” come both before and after the blood is applied?
- What is the significance of the blood being sprinkled on both the altar and the people?
- What is remarkable about the elders seeing God and then eating and drinking before him?
- How does the glory-cloud on Sinai display both the danger and the welcome of God's presence?
- Jesus called his blood “the blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:28); how does that deepen your view of the Lord's Supper?
- The people pledge obedience both at the reading of the words and again as the covenant is ratified (24:3, 7), framing the blood ceremony with their commitment. The covenant is mutual and serious: God gives his words, and the people bind themselves to obey.
- Half the blood goes on the altar (God's side) and half on the people, joining the two in covenant (24:6-8). The shared blood signifies that God and his people are now bound together, and that the relationship is established through sacrificial death.
- Sinners normally cannot see God and live, yet the elders behold him and share a covenant meal unharmed (24:10-11). God's restraint and welcome are sheer grace, a foretaste of communion with God, fulfilled when Christ brings us to the Father's table.
- The glory appears as devouring fire to the people below, yet Moses is invited into the very cloud (24:17-18). God's holiness is genuinely dangerous to sinners, yet through the mediator there is access. Awe and welcome meet at the mountain.
- This is a personal-application question. At the Last Supper Jesus took the cup as “the blood of the covenant… poured out for many” (Matthew 26:28). Invite members to see the Supper as the new-covenant counterpart to Sinai, sealing our fellowship with God in Christ's own blood.