Exodus24

Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders are called to ascend Mount Sinai, with Moses alone approaching God. After the people agree to obey God's words, a covenant is ratified with sacrifices and sprinkled blood. Subsequently, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the elders see God, and Moses then ascends the mount for forty days and forty nights to receive the stone tablets of the law.
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Invitation to the Mountain

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. ​
2
And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. ​

Reading and Sealing the Covenant

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. ​
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. ​
5
And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
6
And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ​
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. ​
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 Vision and Covenant Meal

9
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. ​

Moses Ascends for the Tablets

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. ​
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. ​

Study Notes for Exodus 24

Verse 1

This unique invitation includes three levels of proximity: Moses alone, the intermediate group (Aaron/elders), and the people afar off, demonstrating the graded holiness of God's presence.

Verse 2

This verse highlights Moses' singular role as the mediator between God and Israel, a theme central to the Sinai narrative, preparing him for the unique revelation to come.

Verse 3

The people commit themselves to obedience *before* the formal ratification ceremony, affirming their willingness to accept the terms of the covenant already revealed.

Verse 4

Moses establishes the physical elements of the covenant ceremony: the altar (for sacrifice) and twelve pillars (representing the twelve tribes of Israel). The written text becomes the 'Book of the Covenant' (v. 7).

Verse 6

The division of the blood signifies the two parties entering the covenant: half for God (sprinkled on the altar) and half for the people (sprinkled on them, v. 8).

Verse 7

The people's second, formal affirmation confirms their full understanding and commitment after hearing the specific stipulations contained in the Book of the Covenant.

Verse 8

The sprinkling of the blood ratifies the covenant, indicating that the agreement is sealed and any violation requires sacrificial atonement (cf. Heb. 9:18-20, where this act is referenced in relation to the New Covenant).

Verse 10

This description is a rare, limited theophany. The 'paved work of a sapphire stone' suggests a foundation of heavenly glory, stability, and transcendence, mitigating the visual shock of seeing God.

Verse 11

The fact that they 'saw God' without being destroyed shows God confirming the covenant through grace. Eating and drinking symbolizes fellowship and the sealing of a peaceful treaty.

Verse 12

God calls Moses higher to receive the Decalogue and the further instruction, emphasizing that the Law originates directly from God's own written hand.

Verse 13

Joshua is mentioned here as Moses' dedicated assistant ('minister'), indicating that he accompanies Moses past the camp but remains below the cloud of God's glory.

Verse 14

Moses designates Aaron and Hur as the temporary judicial and spiritual authorities in his absence, providing a mechanism for governance while he is receiving revelation.

Verse 16

The six days of waiting underscore the solemnity and divine preparation required before Moses could enter the immediate, blinding presence of Yahweh's glory on the seventh day.

Verse 17

The sight of the glory as 'devouring fire' emphasizes God's absolute holiness and the danger of approaching Him unbidden or without mediation.

Verse 18

Moses’ forty days and forty nights on the mountain signifies a complete period of intense divine revelation and instruction, essential for the establishment of the covenant nation.

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