Exodus - Chapter 24

Exodus 24.1 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. Exodus 24.2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. Exodus 24.3 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. Exodus 24.4 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. Exodus 24.5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. Exodus 24.6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Exodus 24.7 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. Exodus 24.8 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. Exodus 24.9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: Exodus 24.10 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. Exodus 24.11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. Exodus 24.12 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. Exodus 24.13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. Exodus 24.14 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. Exodus 24.15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. Exodus 24.16 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. Exodus 24.17 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. Exodus 24.18 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 : Chapter 24

The Confirmation of the Covenant at Sinai

Exodus chapter 24 recounts the confirmation of the covenant at Sinai, a crucial moment in the history of Israel. How is this covenant between God and his people sealed? This fundamental text describes the ratification ritual, the covenant meal with the Israeli leaders, and Moses' forty-day ascent of the mountain. At the heart of this chapter, major themes emerge: commitment, communion with God, and obedience. Exodus 24 thus lays the foundation for an ongoing relationship between God and His people.

Five Enlightening Bible Passages

To deepen our understanding of this solemn chapter, let's consider five biblical passages that shed light on its profound meanings.

Hebrews 9:18-20

"Therefore, even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. After Moses had spoken all the commandments of the Law to all the people, he sprinkled the book itself and all the people with the blood of bulls and goats mixed with water..." The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews directly refers to the covenant ratification ceremony described in Exodus 24.

1 Peter 1:2

"...chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of his blood..." Peter mentions the sprinkling of blood in Exodus 24:8, applying it to the new covenant in Christ.

Matthew 26:27-28

"Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to the disciples, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus establishes a link between the covenant sealed by blood in Exodus 24 and the new covenant he institutes.

Revelation 4:1-6

"After these things, I looked, and before me was a door opened in heaven... Before the throne was something like a sea of ​​glass, clear as crystal..." John's vision of the heavenly throne echoes that of the elders of Israel in Exodus 24:9-11, emphasizing the Majesty of God.

John 1:14

"He who is the Word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth." The glory of God, as seen by Moses in Exodus 24:16-17, is compared to the glory of the incarnate Christ, revealing the continuity of the divine presence among humanity.