Chapter 24 of the Book of Exodus is a significant part of the biblical narrative, where the covenant between God and the Israelites at Mount Sinai is formalized. In this chapter:
- God’s Call to Moses: God instructs Moses to come up to the Mount Sinai along with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders to worship from a distance.
- Moses Relays God’s Words and Laws: Moses conveys all of the Lord’s words and laws to the people. The people respond in unison, agreeing to do everything the Lord has said.
- Covenant Ceremony: Moses writes down all the Lord’s words. Early the next morning, he builds an altar at the foot of the mountain and sets up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then, young Israelite men offer burnt offerings and sacrifice young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses takes half of the blood of these sacrifices and puts it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkles on the altar.
- Ratification of the Covenant: Moses reads the Book of the Covenant to the people, who again affirm their commitment to obey. Moses then sprinkles blood on the people, symbolizing the establishment of the covenant, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
- The Vision of God: Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel go up and see the God of Israel. There is a description of God’s appearance, likened to a pavement of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. Remarkably, despite God’s previous warnings that no one could see Him and live, these men see God and eat and drink in His presence.
- The Call of Moses to the Mountain: The chapter concludes with God calling Moses to come up to Mount Sinai to receive the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments written on them for instruction.
- Moses goes up the mountain and a cloud covers it for six days. On the seventh day, God calls to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looks like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Moses enters the cloud and stays on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
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.”
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.