Exodus 24
Big idea: The covenant is signed. Moses comes down and tells the people all Yahweh's words and ordinances, and they answer with one voice: all the words which Yahweh has spoken we will do. He writes them down, builds an altar with twelve pillars, and sends young men to offer sacrifices; half the blood goes into basins and half on the altar. He reads the book of the covenant aloud, they answer again — all that Yahweh has said we will do, and be obedient — and he sprinkles the blood on the people: behold, the blood of the covenant. Then seventy-four men go up and see the God of Israel, with something like a paved work of sapphire under his feet, and they eat and drink. And Moses goes further up into a cloud that looks like devouring fire, and stays forty days and forty nights.
Chapter 24 leaves Moses inside the cloud for forty days. Chapters 25–31 are what God says to him there — and chapter 32 is what the people do at the foot of the mountain while he is gone.
24:1–8 — The blood of the covenant
God tells Moses to come up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders, and worship at a distance — Moses alone shall come near. Moses tells the people all Yahweh's words and ordinances, and they answer with one voice: all the words which Yahweh has spoken we will do. He writes them all down, rises early, and builds an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes. Young men offer burnt offerings and peace offerings of oxen. Moses takes half the blood in basins and sprinkles half on the altar. He takes the book of the covenant and reads it in the hearing of the people, and they say: all that Yahweh has said we will do, and be obedient. Then he sprinkles the blood on the people and says, behold, the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words.
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. The people shall not 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, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with 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, “We will do all that Yahweh has said, 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.”
24:9–18 — They saw the God of Israel
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders go up, and they see the God of Israel: under his feet was something like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the very heavens for clearness. He did not lay his hand on the nobles of Israel — they saw God, and ate and drank. Then Yahweh calls Moses further up to receive the stone tablets with the law and commandments he has written for their teaching. Moses rises with Joshua his servant and goes up, leaving Aaron and Hur with the elders to handle any disputes. The cloud covers the mountain six days, Yahweh's glory settles on Sinai, and on the seventh day he calls Moses out of the middle of the cloud. To Israel below, the appearance of the glory is like devouring fire on the mountaintop. Moses enters the cloud and is on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
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 middle 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 middle of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).