Moses Tells Israel the Words of the Lord — Exodus 24:1–8
Exodus 24 marks an important moment in Israel’s relationship with God. After giving Moses His laws and instructions throughout the previous chapters, God now establishes His covenant with the people.
God instructed Moses to come before Him along with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. They were to worship from a distance, while Moses alone would come nearer to the Lord.
Moses then returned to the people and communicated everything God had commanded.
He did not keep God’s instructions to himself. He faithfully delivered the words of the Lord to the entire nation.
The people responded together:
“All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
They were publicly agreeing to obey God’s covenant.
Moses then wrote down all the words of the Lord. This was important because the covenant was not based merely on a temporary emotional response. God’s commands were recorded so that the people could remember exactly what He had spoken.
The next morning, Moses built an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai. He also set up twelve pillars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
The twelve pillars demonstrated that the entire nation was being included in this covenant. God was not making a covenant with only Moses or the leaders. He was establishing His relationship with the whole people of Israel.
Moses then sent young men to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice oxen as peace offerings to the Lord.
The blood of the sacrifices was divided. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, while the other half was thrown against the altar.
Moses then read the Book of the Covenant to the people.
Again, the people responded:
“All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
Moses then took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, declaring:
“Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you.”
The covenant was therefore formally confirmed through sacrifice and blood.
The blood represented the seriousness of the covenant. Israel was entering into a relationship with the holy God, and this relationship involved both God’s promises and Israel’s commitment to obedience.
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the Elders Meet with God — Exodus 24:9–11
After the covenant was established, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders went up the mountain.
The passage gives a remarkable description of their experience. It says:
“They saw the God of Israel.”
Under His feet was something described as a pavement of sapphire stone, clear like the sky itself.
This is an extraordinary moment because these leaders were allowed to experience God’s presence in a unique way.
Yet the text emphasizes that God did not destroy them.
“He did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel.”
Instead, they saw God and ate and drank.
Their eating and drinking can be understood as part of the fellowship associated with the covenant. They were experiencing communion and peace in God’s presence.
However, even though these leaders were allowed to come closer than the rest of Israel, they still did not approach God in the same way Moses was about to.
There were still boundaries between God’s holiness and the people.
Moses Is Called Higher onto the Mountain — Exodus 24:12–14
God then called Moses to come further up the mountain.
He told Moses:
“Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone.”
These tablets would contain the law and commandments that God had written for Israel’s instruction.
Moses therefore prepared to go.
He took Joshua, his assistant, with him as they went higher onto the mountain.
Before leaving, Moses instructed the elders to remain and wait for them. Aaron and Hur were left to deal with matters among the people while Moses was away.
Moses was now entering a deeper stage of his encounter with God. The previous chapters had involved receiving God’s laws, but now God Himself would provide the stone tablets containing His commandments.
God’s Glory Covers Mount Sinai — Exodus 24:15–18
Moses and Joshua went farther up the mountain, and the cloud covered Mount Sinai.
The glory of the Lord rested upon the mountain.
For six days, the cloud remained there.
To the Israelites watching from below, the sight must have been overwhelming. The mountain was surrounded by the visible manifestation of God’s glory.
On the seventh day, God called Moses from within the cloud.
Moses then entered the cloud and went farther into God’s presence.
The passage gives a powerful description:
“The appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain.”
The Israelites could see this from below.
Mount Sinai was therefore not simply a place where Moses received religious instructions. It had become the visible meeting place between God and His covenant people.
Moses remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
During this time, he would receive further instructions from God concerning Israel’s worship, the tabernacle, the priesthood, and the way God’s presence would dwell among His people.
The chapter ends with Moses completely surrounded by God’s presence and glory.
Application
Exodus 24 is significant because it shows the formal establishment of the covenant between God and Israel.
The covenant was confirmed through blood. Moses declared:
“Behold the blood of the covenant.”
The blood of the sacrificed animals represented the seriousness of the agreement between God and His people.
Israel promised:
“All that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
God was establishing a covenant relationship with them, giving them His laws and promises while calling them to obedience.
The New Testament later presents Jesus as establishing a new covenant.
At the Last Supper, Jesus took the cup and said:
“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” — Luke 22:20
The connection is significant. In Exodus 24, the covenant with Israel was associated with the blood of sacrificed animals. In the New Testament, Jesus identifies His own blood with the establishment of the new covenant.
The old covenant was established with Israel at Sinai and was connected with the laws God gave that covenant community. The new covenant is centered on Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death, extending God’s covenant promises beyond Israel to those who belong to Christ.
The difference can be summarized simply:
- Old Covenant: established at Sinai through the blood of sacrifices.
- New Covenant: established through the blood of Jesus.
- Old Covenant: centered on God’s covenant relationship with Israel.
- New Covenant: brings God’s covenant relationship to all who trust in Christ.
- Old Covenant: included the laws given to Israel through Moses.
- New Covenant: is centered on Christ, whose sacrifice provides forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
Exodus 24 therefore points forward to something greater. The blood on Sinai was part of the old covenant, while Jesus’ words about His blood reveal the foundation of the new covenant.
The chapter also reminds us that God is holy and His presence is not something to treat casually. The mountain was covered with a cloud, fire, and glory. The people remained at a distance while Moses was called into God’s presence.
Yet this holy God was also establishing a relationship with His people.
Through Christ, the New Testament presents believers as having access to God through the new covenant. What Exodus portrays through the mountain, sacrifice, blood, and covenant finds its greater fulfillment in Jesus.
The central message is therefore one of covenant, obedience, sacrifice, and God’s holy presence. God speaks, His people respond, and the covenant is confirmed through blood. Exodus 24 prepares the way for understanding the greater covenant established through the blood of Christ.
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