Exodus 24:1-18

I.    Exodus 24:1-8 - These verses confirm the laws given in chapter 20-23.

A.  Verse 1,2, 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.  Instructions to come before God.

1.   74 people - Leaders must worship God before the people will worship God.

2.   Afar off - Different stations of worship.

a.   Israel worships at the foot of Mt. Sinai.

b.   70 Elders worship in a special place, but afar off.

c.   Joshua goes a little farther, but not as far as Moses.

d.   Moses must worship afar off before he is allowed to come near.  Only a chosen few are allowed to be "giants" of God's people.

B.   Verse 3-8 - The covenant confirmed.

1.   Verse 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.  Moses told the people what God had told him (in chapter 21-23).  He didn't add or subtract from God's Word.

2.   Verse 3 - The people confirmed that they believed God had spoken to Moses.

3.   Verse 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.  Moses wrote the words of the law.

a.   Our memory of important facts becomes very cloudy with the passage of time.

b.   What is written remains for all time.

c.   Early in the morning to worship - don't put off serving the Lord.

d.   Builded and altar - according to the commands of God in Ex. 20:24-26.

e.   Under the hill - so the people would see it and take part in this covenant confirming.  Note: Even though this altar and pillars remained all the while Moses was gone (40 days and 40 nights), serving as a reminder of the covenant, Israel paid no attention to it and rebelled against God.

f.    Twelve tribes - all of Israel is involved in this covenant.

4.   Verse 5, And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.  Young men - We don't know who these are except that they work directly under Moses and apparently never take this position again.

5.   Peace offering of oxen - according to Lev. 7:11-21.  Verse 5 explains Ex. 24:11 - the elders took the flesh of the peace offering and ate it before the Lord.

6.   Verse 5,6, And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.  The covenant is sealed with blood.

a.   Half of the blood is put on the altar - shows God's part of the covenant.

b.   Half of the blood on the people (or upon their representatives - the 12 pillars) - shows Israel's part of the covenant.

7.   Book of the covenant (verse 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.  Moses wrote this book (verse 4) and read the laws again before the people.

a.   They replied with exactly the same response (compare latter part of verse 3 and the latter part of verse 7) except verse 7 adds "and be obedient".

b.   May God help us not to be forgetful hearers, but doers of the Word.

c.   Many times we say (with all good intentions) what we are going to do.

d.   Israel did this and failed - and we can too!!

8.   Verse 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.  The covenant confirmed.

II.   Verse 9-11, 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.  Preparation for receiving the additional covenant.

A.  They had to obey God - Ex. 20:18-21 - They had to replace their fear with trust.

B.   Saw God - They received a great blessing because they trusted instead of feared.

1.   Deut. 4:12 - Moses said they saw no similitude of God, but were very aware of his presence.

2.   I Tim. 6:16 - No man has seen or can see God.

3.   Ex. 33:18-23 - Moses was not allowed to see God, but saw the hind parts of His glory.

4.   Isaiah 6:1 - Isaiah said he saw God.

a.   It seems, rather that he saw God like the elders of Israel saw God -- in His glory.

b.   Not with physical eyes, but with the eyes of the Spirit.

c.   A person says, "I see", meaning, "I understand".

5.   Sapphire - a bright-blue stone, very, very precious (Job 28:16).  The things man considers exceedingly precious are but places to walk for our Lord.

C.   Were not consumed.

1.   They should have died.

a.   Ex. 33:20 - Moses will die if he sees God's face.

b.   Gen. 32:30 - Jacob saw God's face and lived.

c.   Judges 6:22 - Gideon saw an angel and thought he should die.

d.   Judges 13:22 - Samson's dad (Manoah) thought he would die for he had seen the angel of God.

2.   A picture of God's grace for these men were all sinners and symbols of all Israel, who were all sinners.

D.  Ate and drank - ate the peace offering and drank the wine which was always a symbol of the perfect blood of Christ.

III. Verse 12-18, 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.  Moses going in before God.

A.  His instructions.

1.   Come up to me - Moses is commanded to go farther than the 70 elders and receive special instructions.

2.   Be there - no specific time is given, but Moses is to go and wait on God.  Time spend waiting on God is not wasted.  There is nothing better we can do except sit at the feet of God.  I Sam. 13:8,9 - Saul got tired of waiting on god and his man and took matters into his own hands, and lost favor with God.

3.   Moses and Joshua went up - Moses went right on in, but apparently Joshua stayed just outside and waited for Moses.  Note:  The different positions.  Let none of us decide we ought to be in a position except God puts us there.  We can pay with our life.

B.   Verse 14 - Left Aaron and Hur in control.

1.   A good leader will always have somebody in control.

2.   I Kings 17:20 - David left the sheep with a keeper.

C.   Moses waited 6 days and entered on the 7th day.

1.   Let us learn to wait on God's call even if we think we know what to do.

2.   Verse 17 - Israel saw a devouring fire.  What a terrible sight this must have been.  No wonder they didn't know what had happened to Moses.  How soon we forget the Word of God!!