"God tells Moses to take Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel's elders up to Mt. Sinai and bow/worship the Lord at a distance. Moses alone is to approach God. Moses tells all the Israelites the commands and ordinances of the Lord. The people of Israel agree to follow the commands. Moses then writes everything down to keep track of the various laws. The next morning Moses sets up an altar with 12 pillars symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Israelites offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls to the Lord. Moses sprinkles bull blood on the people symbolizing God's covenant with them. God then tells Moses to ascend the mountain of God again as God intends to give Moses stone tablets with the Ten Commandments and other laws and instructions for the Israelites. Moses remains on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights."
Exodus 24 Amplified Bible (AMP)
People Affirm Their Covenant with God24 Then God said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Aaron’s older sons), and seventy of Israel’s elders, and you shall worship at a [safe] distance. 2 Moses alone shall approach the Lord, but the others shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”
- TRIBE OF PRIESTS. The Levites or Tribe of Levi were a priestly tribe. Here, we read how God used Moses, along with Aaron and his sons (who were Levites) in Mt. Sinai, where God encountered Israel and established His Laws and Commandments for the preparation of the claiming of the 'promised land', that will become the nation wherein the Messiah will come from (Jesus, the Son of God). They were joined by 70 elders (or leaders) of Israel. They shall worship at a safe distance, so in a way, they stand in the gap, and they were like prayer intercessors for all the Israelites.
- THE STRENGTH OF MOSES. How awesome it is that Moses was able to obey God and do all the things that God instructed and commanded him. For a while I pondered about the amount of strength, stamina, patience, and diligence that it took Moses to do everything God said as the mediator or messenger to all the Israelites (with the help of Aaron and the elders/leaders). It all came from God. Maybe Moses did not felt tired, hungry or close to giving up at Mt. Sinai, because God was sustaining him all throughout. Praise God! As a mediator/messenger, Moses was a type and picture of Lord Jesus.
- 12 PILLARS OF STONE. This chapter, and specifically the events at Mt. Sinai are full of significant symbolism from God. From 70 elders, to 12 pillars of stone to represent the 12 tribes of Israel, in the altar built by Moses wherein they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. The blood of the sacrificed young bulls represents the blood of the lamb, that will take away the sins of the world, one day-- Lord Jesus, the Son of God (John 1:29). But for now, the people were in the Abrahamic Covenant, and Mosaic Covenant (Sinaitic covenant). Though the people promised and made a covenant to the Lord that “Everything that the Lord has said we will do, and we will be obedient.” (v.7), the promised Son of God will be the one to fulfill it in our behalf. Because we failed, we sinned, we disobeyed-- we cannot save ourselves, we need a Savior. And He already came for us, He has pour out His blood on the cross, sacrificed as the perfect lamb, finished the work, defeated death, and redeem us all. All we need to do is to believe and be saved by grace, follow God's ways with the help of the Holy Spirit given to us.❤️
9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up [the mountainside], 10 and they saw [a manifestation of] the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, just as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the Israelites; and they saw [the manifestation of the presence of] God, and ate and drank.
- PAVEMENT OF SAPPHIRE. I was like, whaaaaaat! Wow😍😍😍🙌 They said heaven will have golden streets (Revelation 21:18-21, The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.), so what Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the 70 elders saw, was a glimpse of heaven? Waaaah, I can't. This is so amazing. The scripture says clearly that they have seen the 'manifestation' of the God of Israel, and under His feet was like clear skies. They have seen God in a glimpse and they were not destroyed. God was truly powerful!
Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminum oxide (α-Al2O3) with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. It is typically blue, but natural "fancy" sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors; "parti sapphires" show two or more colors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire
Footnotes: Exodus 24:13 The Hebrew verb “to stand” or “arise” is an instruction to prepare to fulfill a command, somewhat similar to the military command “attention.”
- 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS. God was rigorously preparing Moses before fulfilling God's commandment of receiving the stone tablets with the 'law and the commandments' that God had written. More symbolism! The glory and brilliance of the Lord rested on Mt. Sinai, and the cloud covered it for 6 days (for the people's protection). And on the 7th day, Moses was called from the midst of the clouds, he entered, and stayed there for 40 days and 40 nights. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus' preparation as well, before the appointed time that He will go about teaching people about God's word, healing the sick, raising the dead, making disciples, and ultimately sacrificing and giving His life in the cross, to crucify all the sins of the world, and give us salvation, redemption, restoration, reconciliation and eternal life. Fulfilling the ultimate promise of God. (For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6)
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:1-4
"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry." Luke 4:1-2
"And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:41-44
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:
First, the word of God must be written: Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. God’s word was important enough that it was not be left up to human recollection and the creative nature of memory. It had to be written down.
i. God did not make an individual covenant with its own arrangement for each Israelite. There was one covenant. The same is true today under the New Covenant. You do have a personal relationship with God; you don’t have your own private agreement with Him that contradicts the revealed words of the Lord.
ii. With the same idea God spoke through Habakkuk: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2:2)
b. Who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord: Second, covenant was only made in the context of sacrifice. Sacrifice admits our own sin and failing before God, and it addresses that need through the death of a substitute.
i. He sent the young men: “This is a primitive touch, coming from before the time of a specialized priesthood…There is nothing magical in the choice of young men for the task: it is purely a practical consideration. To bind cattle to a stone altar required strength and agility. A young man was a natural warrior, so he was a natural ‘priest’.” (Cole)
c. He took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people: Third, covenant was made when God’s word is heard and responded to. Our covenant with God is based on His words and His terms, not our own words and terms.
d. Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people: Fourth, covenant was made with the application of blood. As the nation received the blood of the covenant, the covenant was sealed.
v. The blood of Jesus’ covenant saves us: this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
vi. The blood of Jesus’ covenant is also the foundation for all our growth and maturity in Christ: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
iv. Our dealing with God through the New Covenant follows the same covenant pattern:
· Words of God read
· Sacrifice must be made
· Receiving God’s words
· Receiving the Blood of Sacrifice
a. And they saw the God of Israel: It is difficult to say exactly what they saw. What they saw under His feet suggests that at the most they saw the footstool of God. Most likely they saw some aspect of a heavenly vision of God, after the pattern of Isaiah (Isaiah 6) or Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1).
ii. The blue of the sapphire may suggest that the elders saw the sea of glass before the throne of God (Revelation 4:6). “Ezekiel 1:26 sees God as seated on a sapphire throne, over a crystal ‘firmament’ (verse 22), and the thought is taken up again in the book of Revelation.” (Cole)
iii. A paved work of sapphire stone: “To show that God had now changed their condition, their bricks, made in their bondage, to sapphire.”
d. And they ate and drank: God wanted them to eat and drink in His presence because He wanted to communicate a sense of fellowship with these leaders of Israel.
b. Indeed Aaron and Hur are with you: Moses had good reason to believe that these two men could supervise the camp of Israel. They already proved themselves as men capable of assisting Moses in prayer (Exodus 17:10-13). Yet Aaron and Hur didn’t do a good job guarding the camp – as will be demonstrated in the following chapters.
c. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel: Perhaps this looked like glowing, radiant embers of a hot fire (a consuming fire). The glorious presence of God on Sinai lingered the forty days Moses was on the mount. Though the people could not see God, and could not see Moses, God left them reminders of His glory and presence, to help them trust what they could not see.
i. Rested on Mount Sinai: “The Hebrew verb is ‘dwelt’. It is used in a technical sense later of God’s ‘shekinah’, the outward manifestation of His presence to men.” (Cole)
i. As harsh and as dangerous as the environment was, there was something of the glory of God in it. These images of the cloud, the smoke, the fire all a Biblical images of God’s revealed glory. They are connected to His cloud of shekinah glory, and also with Jesus’ presence among men.
ii. In all of this God said to Moses, “You can draw near. I will keep you safe and reveal Myself to you.” Under the New Covenant, in light of the Word of God, and under the sacrifice of Jesus, God dares us to draw near to Him.
i. God did not make an individual covenant with its own arrangement for each Israelite. There was one covenant. The same is true today under the New Covenant. You do have a personal relationship with God; you don’t have your own private agreement with Him that contradicts the revealed words of the Lord.
ii. With the same idea God spoke through Habakkuk: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2:2)
b. Who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord: Second, covenant was only made in the context of sacrifice. Sacrifice admits our own sin and failing before God, and it addresses that need through the death of a substitute.
i. He sent the young men: “This is a primitive touch, coming from before the time of a specialized priesthood…There is nothing magical in the choice of young men for the task: it is purely a practical consideration. To bind cattle to a stone altar required strength and agility. A young man was a natural warrior, so he was a natural ‘priest’.” (Cole)
c. He took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people: Third, covenant was made when God’s word is heard and responded to. Our covenant with God is based on His words and His terms, not our own words and terms.
d. Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people: Fourth, covenant was made with the application of blood. As the nation received the blood of the covenant, the covenant was sealed.
v. The blood of Jesus’ covenant saves us: this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
vi. The blood of Jesus’ covenant is also the foundation for all our growth and maturity in Christ: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
iv. Our dealing with God through the New Covenant follows the same covenant pattern:
· Words of God read
· Sacrifice must be made
· Receiving God’s words
· Receiving the Blood of Sacrifice
a. And they saw the God of Israel: It is difficult to say exactly what they saw. What they saw under His feet suggests that at the most they saw the footstool of God. Most likely they saw some aspect of a heavenly vision of God, after the pattern of Isaiah (Isaiah 6) or Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1).
ii. The blue of the sapphire may suggest that the elders saw the sea of glass before the throne of God (Revelation 4:6). “Ezekiel 1:26 sees God as seated on a sapphire throne, over a crystal ‘firmament’ (verse 22), and the thought is taken up again in the book of Revelation.” (Cole)
iii. A paved work of sapphire stone: “To show that God had now changed their condition, their bricks, made in their bondage, to sapphire.”
d. And they ate and drank: God wanted them to eat and drink in His presence because He wanted to communicate a sense of fellowship with these leaders of Israel.
b. Indeed Aaron and Hur are with you: Moses had good reason to believe that these two men could supervise the camp of Israel. They already proved themselves as men capable of assisting Moses in prayer (Exodus 17:10-13). Yet Aaron and Hur didn’t do a good job guarding the camp – as will be demonstrated in the following chapters.
c. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel: Perhaps this looked like glowing, radiant embers of a hot fire (a consuming fire). The glorious presence of God on Sinai lingered the forty days Moses was on the mount. Though the people could not see God, and could not see Moses, God left them reminders of His glory and presence, to help them trust what they could not see.
i. Rested on Mount Sinai: “The Hebrew verb is ‘dwelt’. It is used in a technical sense later of God’s ‘shekinah’, the outward manifestation of His presence to men.” (Cole)
i. As harsh and as dangerous as the environment was, there was something of the glory of God in it. These images of the cloud, the smoke, the fire all a Biblical images of God’s revealed glory. They are connected to His cloud of shekinah glory, and also with Jesus’ presence among men.
ii. In all of this God said to Moses, “You can draw near. I will keep you safe and reveal Myself to you.” Under the New Covenant, in light of the Word of God, and under the sacrifice of Jesus, God dares us to draw near to Him.
Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-24.cfm ©2013 David Guzik
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