Each Day in the Word, Friday, December 20, 2024

Exodus 24:1-18 NKJV

24 Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”

So 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 has said we will do.” And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

Then Moses went up, also 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 sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.

16 Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.


Exodus 24:1-18 recounts a solemn and awe-inspiring moment in Israel’s history: the confirmation of God’s covenant with His people. This chapter is filled with images of worship, sacrifice, and God’s glory, reminding us of His holiness and grace in establishing a relationship with His people. 

Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders ascend partway up Mount Sinai, drawing near to God’s presence. There, the covenant is sealed through blood. The blood of the sacrifices is sprinkled on the altar and the people, symbolizing the binding relationship between God and Israel. This covenant was not based on Israel’s merit but on God’s grace and faithfulness. 

The people’s response, “All that the Lord has said we will do,” expresses their willingness to obey. Yet, as the story of Israel unfolds, their failures to keep the covenant highlight the need for a better mediator and a lasting sacrifice. This passage points us forward to Jesus, the perfect Mediator of the new covenant, who sealed it with His own blood. 

The latter part of the chapter describes Moses ascending further into the cloud of God’s glory. For forty days and nights, he communes with God, receiving His law and instructions. The consuming fire on the mountain reflects God’s holiness and majesty, reminding us that He is both approachable through His covenant and utterly transcendent. 

For Christians, this passage reminds us of the privilege of being in covenant with God through Christ. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross accomplished what the blood of animals could not: the basis for complete forgiveness and reconciliation. Through faith, His blood binds us to God, not based on our obedience but on His perfect righteousness. 

As we reflect on this covenant, let us approach God with reverence and gratitude. We are called to worship Him, trust His Word, and live as His covenant people, set apart for His glory.

Let us pray: Gracious God, thank You for making a covenant with us through the blood of Jesus. Help us to live in faith and obedience to Your Word and worship You in reverence and awe. Through Christ, our Mediator, Amen.

This entry was posted in Each Day in the Word. Bookmark the permalink.