Exodus 24 Study Notes
General
What did Moses build at the foot of the mountain the morning after writing down the LORD's words (24:4)?
Answer: An altar, and twelve standing stones, one per tribe
Moses first put in writing everything the LORD had said. Early the following day he put up an altar below Sinai and set up twelve pillars, one for each of Israel's twelve tribes (24:4; compare Genesis 49:28). The pillars showed that the whole nation was part of this covenant, a solemn agreement between God and His people. Then young Israelite men presented whole burnt sacrifices and offered bulls as fellowship sacrifices, offerings celebrating peace with God (24:5), the very kinds of sacrifices God had named when He gave instructions about the altar (Exodus 20:24). Writing God's words down made them a lasting record; Moses would later hand the written law to the priests and elders (Deuteronomy 31:9).
- Exodus 24:4-5 (BSB)“And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.”Moses writes down God's words, builds an altar with twelve pillars, and has young men offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.
- Genesis 49:28 (BSB)“These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.”Israel's tribes are twelve, the number the pillars represent.
- Exodus 20:24 (BSB)“You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.”God had just commanded an altar on which Israel was to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.
- Deuteronomy 31:9 (BSB)“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.”Moses' writing of the law continues to the end of his life, when he gives the written law to the priests and elders.
Theological
What does Moses erect at the foot of Sinai in preparing the covenant ratification (24:4)?
Answer: An altar with twelve pillars representing the tribes
Having inscripturated the LORD's words, Moses rises early, erects an altar below the mountain, and sets up twelve pillars, one per tribe (24:4; compare Genesis 49:28), signifying that the whole nation is party to the covenant. Young Israelite men then present whole burnt sacrifices and bulls as fellowship offerings (24:5), the very sacrifices prescribed in the altar law (Exodus 20:24). The written word becomes the covenant's enduring document, later committed by Moses to the priests and elders (Deuteronomy 31:9).
- Exodus 24:4-5 (BSB)“And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.”Moses writes down God's words, builds an altar with twelve pillars, and has young men offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.
- Genesis 49:28 (BSB)“These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.”Israel's tribes are twelve, the number the pillars represent.
- Exodus 20:24 (BSB)“You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.”God had just commanded an altar on which Israel was to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.
- Deuteronomy 31:9 (BSB)“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.”Moses' writing of the law continues to the end of his life, when he gives the written law to the priests and elders.
General
What did the people promise after Moses read the written covenant to them (24:7)?
Answer: To do everything the LORD had said and to be obedient
Moses read aloud the covenant scroll, the written record of God's words, and the people promised to do everything the LORD had said and to obey (24:7). But very soon, while Moses was still on the mountain, they made a golden calf and worshiped it (Exodus 32:7-8). Their promise could not change their hearts. That is why God later promised a new covenant, not like the one they broke, in which He Himself would write His law on His people's hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33). Hebrews quotes this promise and explains that Israel did not remain faithful to the covenant made at Sinai (Hebrews 8:8-9). The new covenant rests on what God does, not on how strong our promises are.
- Exodus 24:7 (BSB)“Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, who replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.””Moses reads the Book of the Covenant aloud, and the people promise to do and obey all of it.
- Exodus 32:7-8 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’””Within weeks the people had made and worshiped a golden calf, breaking their pledge.
- Jeremiah 31:31-33 (BSB)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.”God promises a new covenant, unlike the one Israel broke, in which He writes His law on their hearts.
- Hebrews 8:8-9 (BSB)“But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide by My covenant, and I disregarded them, declares the Lord.”Hebrews quotes Jeremiah, noting that Israel did not continue in the Sinai covenant.
Theological
What response do the people give to the public reading of the covenant document (24:7)?
Answer: A pledge to do everything the LORD has said and to obey
Upon hearing the covenant document, the people pledge to do everything the LORD has said and to obey (24:7). Yet within the forty days they have made and worshiped the calf (Exodus 32:7-8): the vow, resting on the people's own resolve, could not secure their faithfulness, and Hebrews says God faulted the people themselves (Hebrews 8:8-9). Hence the promise of a new covenant unlike the one Israel broke, in which God Himself writes His law on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-33), a promise Hebrews cites, whose own words note that Israel failed to keep the Sinai covenant. The new covenant's security lies in God's sovereign, heart-renewing grace rather than in the people's vow.
- Exodus 24:7 (BSB)“Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, who replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.””Moses reads the Book of the Covenant aloud, and the people promise to do and obey all of it.
- Exodus 32:7-8 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’””Within weeks the people had made and worshiped a golden calf, breaking their pledge.
- Jeremiah 31:31-33 (BSB)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.”God promises a new covenant, unlike the one Israel broke, in which He writes His law on their hearts.
- Hebrews 8:8-9 (BSB)“But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide by My covenant, and I disregarded them, declares the Lord.”Hebrews quotes Jeremiah, noting that Israel did not continue in the Sinai covenant.
General
True or False: Exodus 24:18 says Moses spent forty days and nights on the mountain.
Answer: True
This is true. As he climbed, Moses passed into the cloud and stayed up there for forty days and nights (24:18). Deuteronomy adds that during that time he went without food and water (Deuteronomy 9:9). Meanwhile, the people below grew impatient at the delay and asked Aaron to make them gods (Exodus 32:1), which led to the golden calf. Jesus also went without food for forty days and nights in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2), a period that brings Moses' long fast on Sinai to mind.
- Exodus 24:18 (BSB)“Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”Moses enters the cloud and remains on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
- Deuteronomy 9:9 (BSB)“When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water.”Moses later recalls that during those forty days he ate no bread and drank no water.
- Exodus 32:1 (BSB)“Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!””The people, seeing Moses delayed on the mountain, turned to Aaron to make gods.
- Matthew 4:2 (BSB)“After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.”Jesus also fasted forty days and forty nights in the wilderness.
Theological
True or False: According to Exodus 24:18, Moses spent forty days and nights on the mountain.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses enters the cloud and remains on the summit for forty days and nights (24:18), a period Deuteronomy describes as one without bread or water (Deuteronomy 9:9). The length of his absence becomes the occasion of Israel's apostasy when the people, seeing him delayed, demand gods from Aaron (Exodus 32:1). Christ's own forty-day fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2) offers a striking parallel to Moses' fast on the mountain.
- Exodus 24:18 (BSB)“Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”Moses enters the cloud and remains on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
- Deuteronomy 9:9 (BSB)“When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water.”Moses later recalls that during those forty days he ate no bread and drank no water.
- Exodus 32:1 (BSB)“Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!””The people, seeing Moses delayed on the mountain, turned to Aaron to make gods.
- Matthew 4:2 (BSB)“After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.”Jesus also fasted forty days and forty nights in the wilderness.
General
According to Exodus 24:15-17, what did the LORD's glory look like to the Israelites below?
Answer: Like a devouring blaze on the summit
As Moses climbed, the cloud covered the mountain, and the LORD's glory rested on Sinai. The cloud stayed six days, and then on the seventh God called Moses from inside it. To the Israelites watching from below, the LORD's glory looked like a devouring fire on top of the mountain (24:15-17). Scripture calls God Himself a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), meaning He is holy and jealous, burning against all that rivals Him. Hebrews remembers how frightening Sinai was, so that even Moses trembled (Hebrews 12:18-21), and it tells Christians that God is still a devouring fire, to be worshiped with reverent fear (Hebrews 12:28-29).
- Exodus 24:15-17 (BSB)“When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites.”The cloud covers Sinai six days, God calls Moses on the seventh, and the glory looks like consuming fire to Israel.
- Deuteronomy 4:24 (BSB)“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”The LORD Himself is called a consuming fire.
- Hebrews 12:18-21 (BSB)“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.””Hebrews recalls the terror of Sinai's fire, so great that even Moses trembled.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 (BSB)“Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. “For our God is a consuming fire.””Hebrews calls Christians to worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Theological
How did the LORD's glory appear to Israel in 24:17?
Answer: As devouring fire at the summit
The cloud covers the mountain and the LORD's glory settles on Sinai; after six days God calls Moses from the cloud on the seventh, while to Israel the glory appears as devouring fire on the summit (24:15-17). The LORD is Himself a devouring fire and jealous for His honor (Deuteronomy 4:24). Hebrews recalls the terror of Sinai that made even Moses tremble (Hebrews 12:18-21), and, while contrasting it with the new covenant's Zion, still insists that God remains a devouring fire, to be served with godly fear and reverence (Hebrews 12:28-29).
- Exodus 24:15-17 (BSB)“When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites.”The cloud covers Sinai six days, God calls Moses on the seventh, and the glory looks like consuming fire to Israel.
- Deuteronomy 4:24 (BSB)“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”The LORD Himself is called a consuming fire.
- Hebrews 12:18-21 (BSB)“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.””Hebrews recalls the terror of Sinai's fire, so great that even Moses trembled.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 (BSB)“Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. “For our God is a consuming fire.””Hebrews calls Christians to worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
General
True or False: According to Exodus 24:11, God struck down some of Israel's leaders for looking at Him.
Answer: False
This is false. The text says God did not raise His hand against Israel's leaders; they beheld Him and shared a meal (24:11). People in Scripture often expected to die if they saw God, as Manoah did (Judges 13:22), and Jacob was amazed that he survived (Genesis 32:30). Here, instead of judgment, the leaders share a meal in God's presence, a sign of peace and fellowship after the covenant was sealed with blood. Jesus, after giving the cup of the covenant, spoke of drinking it again with His people in His Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29).
- Exodus 24:11 (BSB)“But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.”God does not strike the leaders of Israel; they see Him and eat and drink.
- Judges 13:22 (BSB)““We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!””Manoah assumes he will die because he has seen God, showing the expected danger this verse notes was not realized.
- Genesis 32:30 (BSB)“So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.””Jacob likewise marvels that his life was spared after seeing God.
- Matthew 26:29 (BSB)“I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.””Jesus links the covenant cup to a future meal with His people in the Father's kingdom.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 24:11 records that God struck some of Israel's nobles for beholding Him.
Answer: False
This is false. God does not stretch out His hand against Israel's nobles; they behold Him and share a meal (24:11). Against the expectation that seeing God means death (Judges 13:22; compare Genesis 32:30), the covenant just ratified by blood issues in a peaceful meal in His presence, a covenant fellowship meal. Christ, having given the cup of the covenant, points forward to drinking it new with His people in the Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29).
- Exodus 24:11 (BSB)“But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.”God does not strike the leaders of Israel; they see Him and eat and drink.
- Judges 13:22 (BSB)““We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!””Manoah assumes he will die because he has seen God, showing the expected danger this verse notes was not realized.
- Genesis 32:30 (BSB)“So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.””Jacob likewise marvels that his life was spared after seeing God.
- Matthew 26:29 (BSB)“I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.””Jesus links the covenant cup to a future meal with His people in the Father's kingdom.
General
In Exodus 24:12-14, whom did Moses leave in charge of settling disputes while he was on the mountain?
Answer: Aaron and Hur
God called Moses to come up the mountain and receive the stone tablets bearing the law and commands He had written to teach the people (24:12). God later gave Moses those two tablets, written by God's own finger (Exodus 31:18). Moses took his helper Joshua with him and told the elders to wait, leaving Aaron and Hur in charge so that anyone with a dispute could go to them (24:13-14). These two had stood with Moses before, holding up his hands during the battle with Amalek (Exodus 17:10-12). Joshua, here serving as Moses' assistant, would one day lead Israel after Moses died (Joshua 1:1-2).
- Exodus 24:12-14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute can go to them.””God calls Moses up to receive the stone tablets; Moses goes with Joshua and leaves Aaron and Hur to handle disputes.
- Exodus 31:18 (BSB)“When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”God later gives Moses the two tablets written by the finger of God.
- Exodus 17:10-12 (BSB)“Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.”Aaron and Hur had earlier held up Moses' hands in the battle against Amalek.
- Joshua 1:1-2 (BSB)“Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.”After Moses' death the LORD commissions Joshua, Moses' assistant, to lead the people across the Jordan.
Theological
Whom does Moses appoint to hear disputes during his absence on the mountain (24:14)?
Answer: Aaron and Hur
The LORD summons Moses to receive the stone tablets bearing the law and commandment He has written for Israel's instruction (24:12), fulfilled when He gives the two tablets inscribed by His finger (Exodus 31:18). Moses ascends accompanied by his attendant Joshua and leaves Aaron and Hur to hear disputes (24:13-14), the same pair who had upheld his hands against Amalek (Exodus 17:10-12). Joshua's presence as Moses' minister anticipates his succession (Joshua 1:1-2).
- Exodus 24:12-14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute can go to them.””God calls Moses up to receive the stone tablets; Moses goes with Joshua and leaves Aaron and Hur to handle disputes.
- Exodus 31:18 (BSB)“When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”God later gives Moses the two tablets written by the finger of God.
- Exodus 17:10-12 (BSB)“Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.”Aaron and Hur had earlier held up Moses' hands in the battle against Amalek.
- Joshua 1:1-2 (BSB)“Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.”After Moses' death the LORD commissions Joshua, Moses' assistant, to lead the people across the Jordan.
General
What did Moses do with the sacrificial blood in Exodus 24:6-8?
Answer: He put half in bowls and threw the other half on the altar, later applying the saved half to the people
Moses divided the sacrificial blood. He put half into bowls and threw the other half against the altar (24:6). After the people pledged to obey, he took what was in the bowls and threw it over the crowd (24:8). The altar stood for God and the crowd represented themselves, so the same blood touched both sides of the covenant. In God's law, blood stands for a life given up, and He appointed it to make atonement, meaning to cover sin and make peace with Him (Leviticus 17:11). Hebrews says that the covenant at Sinai, too, began with blood (Hebrews 9:18).
- Exodus 24:6 (BSB)“Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splattered on the altar.”Moses divides the blood of the sacrifices, putting half in bowls and throwing half on the altar.
- Exodus 24:8 (BSB)“So Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.””Moses then applies the reserved blood to the people.
- Leviticus 17:11 (BSB)“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”Blood makes atonement because the life is in the blood.
- Hebrews 9:18 (BSB)“That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.”Even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
Theological
How does Moses use the sacrificial blood in 24:6-8?
Answer: He divides it, casting half on the altar and afterward applying the rest to the people
Moses divides the blood: half he sets in basins, half he casts against the altar (24:6), and after the people's pledge he casts the reserved blood on them (24:8). The one blood binds both parties, the altar representing God and the people themselves, in a covenant sealed by sacrificial death. Blood is appointed to make atonement because the life is in it (Leviticus 17:11), and Hebrews observes that the Sinai covenant, too, was inaugurated only with blood (Hebrews 9:18).
- Exodus 24:6 (BSB)“Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splattered on the altar.”Moses divides the blood of the sacrifices, putting half in bowls and throwing half on the altar.
- Exodus 24:8 (BSB)“So Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.””Moses then applies the reserved blood to the people.
- Leviticus 17:11 (BSB)“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”Blood makes atonement because the life is in the blood.
- Hebrews 9:18 (BSB)“That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.”Even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
General
When Jesus spoke at the Last Supper about His blood, which moment in Exodus 24 was He echoing?
Answer: Moses applying blood to the people and naming it the covenant's blood (24:8)
After the people promised to obey, Moses threw the blood on them and declared that it was the covenant's blood, sealing the agreement the LORD had made with them on the basis of His words (24:8). Hebrews retells this scene and explains that the Sinai covenant began with blood, because forgiveness never comes apart from blood being shed (Hebrews 9:18-22). At the Last Supper Jesus took up Moses' words and applied them to Himself: His own blood is the covenant blood, shed for many so that sins are forgiven (Matthew 26:28). What the blood at Sinai pictured, Christ's death actually accomplished. Peter describes believers as chosen to obey Jesus and to be sprinkled with His blood (1 Peter 1:1-2).
- Exodus 24:8 (BSB)“So Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.””Moses applies the blood to the people and names it the blood of the covenant the LORD has made with them.
- Hebrews 9:18-22 (BSB)“That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship. According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”Hebrews recounts this very scene and concludes that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
- Matthew 26:28 (BSB)“This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”At the Last Supper Jesus echoes Moses' words, calling His own blood the blood of the covenant, poured out for forgiveness.
- 1 Peter 1:1-2 (BSB)“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”Believers are chosen for obedience to Christ and sprinkling with His blood, the new-covenant counterpart to Sinai.
Theological
Which words of Moses in Exodus 24 does Jesus echo when He institutes the Lord's Supper?
Answer: His declaration over the blood cast on the people, naming it the covenant's blood (24:8)
Moses casts the blood over the assembly and declares it the covenant's blood, ratifying the LORD's covenant on the terms of His words (24:8). Hebrews expounds the scene: the Sinai covenant too was inaugurated with blood, since remission never comes apart from bloodshed (Hebrews 9:18-22). Christ deliberately takes Moses' formula on His lips, identifying His own blood as the covenant blood, shed for many unto the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28), the substance to which Sinai's blood was the shadow. The elect are chosen for obedience to Christ and for sprinkling with His blood (1 Peter 1:1-2), the effectual new-covenant application of what Sinai foreshadowed.
- Exodus 24:8 (BSB)“So Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.””Moses applies the blood to the people and names it the blood of the covenant the LORD has made with them.
- Hebrews 9:18-22 (BSB)“That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship. According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”Hebrews recounts this very scene and concludes that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
- Matthew 26:28 (BSB)“This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”At the Last Supper Jesus echoes Moses' words, calling His own blood the blood of the covenant, poured out for forgiveness.
- 1 Peter 1:1-2 (BSB)“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”Believers are chosen for obedience to Christ and sprinkling with His blood, the new-covenant counterpart to Sinai.
General
In Exodus 24:9-10, what does the text describe the leaders seeing beneath God's feet?
Answer: Something like a sapphire pavement, clear as the heavens
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders went up, and the text says they saw Israel's God. Yet the only thing it actually describes is what was under His feet: something like a paved floor of sapphire, clear as the open heavens (24:9-10). Later God told Moses that no human can look on His face and survive (Exodus 33:20), and John says God has never been seen by anyone, but the Son has revealed Him (John 1:18). These fit together: the leaders were given a real sight of God's presence, but a limited one, not a direct gaze on His full glory. The careful wording, describing only what lay beneath Him, reflects that. Ezekiel describes his vision of God in the same cautious way, speaking of likeness and appearance (Ezekiel 1:26).
- Exodus 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.”Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders go up and see the God of Israel, with a sapphire-like pavement beneath His feet.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God later tells Moses that no one can see His face and live.
- John 1:18 (BSB)“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”No one has ever seen God; the only Son has made Him known.
- Ezekiel 1:26 (BSB)“Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.”Ezekiel likewise describes his vision of God's throne carefully, in terms of likeness and appearance, with sapphire.
Theological
What does 24:10 actually describe of the vision granted to Israel's leaders?
Answer: Something resembling a sapphire pavement beneath His feet, clear as the heavens
The seventy-four ascend and see Israel's God, yet the narrative describes only what lies beneath His feet, a work like sapphire pavement, clear as the heavens (24:9-10). This must be read with God's word to Moses that no human can look on His face and survive (Exodus 33:20) and with John's statement that God has never been seen by anyone, the only Son having made Him known (John 1:18). The leaders received a genuine but limited and mediated vision, not an unveiled sight of the divine essence; the text's restraint in describing only the pavement underscores this. Ezekiel's vision exhibits the same reverent reserve, speaking of likeness and appearance (Ezekiel 1:26). How exactly the vision was mediated the text does not say.
- Exodus 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.”Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders go up and see the God of Israel, with a sapphire-like pavement beneath His feet.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God later tells Moses that no one can see His face and live.
- John 1:18 (BSB)“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”No one has ever seen God; the only Son has made Him known.
- Ezekiel 1:26 (BSB)“Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.”Ezekiel likewise describes his vision of God's throne carefully, in terms of likeness and appearance, with sapphire.
General
True or False: When Moses reported the LORD's words and rules in Exodus 24:3, the whole nation replied as one that they would do them.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses reported to the people everything the LORD had said, including the laws of chapters 21 through 23, and the whole nation replied as one, promising to do all of it (24:3). They had made the same promise before God spoke the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:8), and Moses later reminded them of their pledge to listen and obey (Deuteronomy 5:27). Their promise was sincere in the moment, but the rest of Exodus shows how quickly it would be broken.
- Exodus 24:3 (BSB)“When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.””Moses reports God's words and ordinances, and the people answer together that they will do them.
- Exodus 19:8 (BSB)“And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD.”The people had made the same pledge before the Ten Commandments were given.
- Deuteronomy 5:27 (BSB)“Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.””Moses later recalls the people's promise to listen and obey whatever God said through him.
Theological
True or False: In 24:3 the people respond unanimously that they will do everything the LORD has said.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses recounts all the LORD's words and ordinances, the covenant code just delivered, and the people answer with a single voice, pledging to do them all (24:3). The pledge repeats their response before the Decalogue (Exodus 19:8) and is recalled in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 5:27). The narrative will soon show how fragile such a promise is when it rests on human resolve.
- Exodus 24:3 (BSB)“When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.””Moses reports God's words and ordinances, and the people answer together that they will do them.
- Exodus 19:8 (BSB)“And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD.”The people had made the same pledge before the Ten Commandments were given.
- Deuteronomy 5:27 (BSB)“Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.””Moses later recalls the people's promise to listen and obey whatever God said through him.
General
According to Exodus 24:1-2, who alone was allowed to come near to the LORD?
Answer: Moses
God called Moses to come up with Aaron, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu along with seventy elders, but these others were to worship from far off. Only Moses could approach, and the people were not to come up at all (24:1-2). God is holy, and sinful people cannot simply walk into His presence. He had already warned that the people must not force their way up the mountain to look at Him (Exodus 19:21), and when He spoke the Ten Commandments the crowd kept back while Moses went near (Exodus 20:21). Moses stood between God and the people as a go-between. He points ahead to Jesus, the one mediator, or go-between, who brings people to God (1 Timothy 2:5).
- Exodus 24:1-2 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance. Moses alone shall approach the LORD, but the others must not come near. And the people may not go up with him.””God summons Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders to worship at a distance, while only Moses may come near.
- Exodus 19:21 (BSB)“and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish.”Earlier God had warned that the people must not break through to see Him, or many would perish.
- Exodus 20:21 (BSB)“And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”The people kept their distance while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
- 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”There is one Mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus, the greater Mediator to whom Moses' role points.
Theological
Who alone may draw near to the LORD according to 24:1-2?
Answer: Moses
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders are summoned, yet all but Moses must worship from afar; he alone approaches, and the populace may not ascend (24:1-2). The graded access expresses God's holiness and the need of mediation, already evident in the warning against breaking through to gaze (Exodus 19:21) and in the people's standing afar while Moses entered the thick darkness (Exodus 20:21). Moses' singular approach foreshadows the sole Mediator who stands between God and humanity, Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
- Exodus 24:1-2 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance. Moses alone shall approach the LORD, but the others must not come near. And the people may not go up with him.””God summons Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders to worship at a distance, while only Moses may come near.
- Exodus 19:21 (BSB)“and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish.”Earlier God had warned that the people must not break through to see Him, or many would perish.
- Exodus 20:21 (BSB)“And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”The people kept their distance while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
- 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”There is one Mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus, the greater Mediator to whom Moses' role points.