At this point in time, we remember that Moses had already been on the mountain, Exodus 19:3, where he received the book of the covenant that was to be sealed.
Here we see Moses as a type of Christ in that Moses alone was the mediator of the covenant, and he was permitted to approach God, Galatians 3:19. Moses here was to once again return to God on the mountain, but this time he was to take the heads of the families of Israel.
Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders were to worship from a distance, Exodus 24:1, while Moses went closer to God, Exodus 24:2 / Acts 10:41. The rest of the Israelites were to stay away from the mountain, Exodus 24:2 / Exodus 19:12-13.
After telling the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded in unison, saying, Everything the LORD has said we will do, Exodus 24:3. We should note that this is now the third time Israel has promised God to obey the covenant, Exodus 24:3 / Exodus 19:8 / Exodus 23:22.
After writing down everything the LORD had said, Moses got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel, Exodus 24:4.
Cassuto, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In the ceremony to be performed, the altar will represent the glory of the Lord, whilst the pillars will represent the tribes of Israel; the two contrasting parties will stand facing each other.’
He goes on to send young men, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD, Exodus 24:5. However, it mustn’t be thought that the covenant act here would necessarily have conformed to any one pattern.
These burnt offerings would have been given in reference to sin, whilst the fellowship offering would have been given in reference to recognition of God’s mercy.
Moses then takes half of the blood and puts it in bowls, and the other half he splashes against the altar, Exodus 24:6. He then takes the Book of the Covenant and reads it to the people, and once again they say, We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey, Exodus 24:6.
The book of the covenant, Exodus 24:7, was the words spoken of back in Exodus 20:22-23:33. This time, Moses takes the blood, sprinkles it on the people and says, This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words, Exodus 24:8.
This is the first covenant that God made with Israel. It was consecrated with the blood of animals. When we come to the New Testament, a new and second covenant would be consecrated by the blood of Christ, Hebrews 8:6-9:28 / Hebrews 10:19-22.
Notice that none of the blood was sprinkled on the pillars; it was through the sprinkling of blood twice that established the covenant. This is the blood of the Covenant! Exodus 24:8.
Jesus Himself, on the night in which he was betrayed, instituted the Lord’s Supper, saying, ‘This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many unto the remission of sins,’ Matthew 26:28 / 1 Corinthians 11:25.
Huey, in his commentary, says the following concerning how covenants were made.
1. They ate salt together, Leviticus 2:13 / Numbers 18:19.
2. They ate a sacrificial meal together, Genesis 31:54.
3. They exchanged articles of clothing, 1 Samuel 18:1-4.
4. They walked between the divided pieces of slaughtered animals, Genesis 15:10 / Genesis 15:17.
Why was the covenant established in blood?
Coffman, in his commentary, gives us the following.
1. It stressed the serious, even fatal, nature of sin in that only blood, indicating death, could cleanse it.
2. Particularly, it was a type of the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the whole world.
3. In God’s view of a covenant, ‘before it could be in force, a death must have occurred,’ Hebrews 9:15-17.
4. Not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood, Hebrews 9:18.
5. This also constituted a reminder that death was the penalty for breaking the covenant.
6. It symbolised the unity between God and Israel since the same blood was sprinkled upon both, upon God in a figure, at the altar, and upon the people also, Exodus 24:7.
7. ‘The blood symbolises the grace of God in man’s redemption.’
Here we find that Moses represents the God-ordained leader of the people. Aaron, Nadab and Abihu represent the religious leadership, and the seventy elders were the civil leaders, who were highly respected by the people.
The text tells us that they all saw God, Exodus 24:9-10, but we must remember this is figuratively speaking as God doesn’t have any physical appearance, Exodus 33:20-23 /Isaiah 6 / Ezekiel 1 / John 4:24.
Here God reveals Himself in a manner that was discernible by the human eye, but they didn’t see the face of God, Deuteronomy 4:15 / 1 John 4:12 / 1 Timothy 3:16. The blue of the lapis lazuli, Exodus 24:10, may suggest that the elders saw the sea of glass before the throne of God, Revelation 4:6.
Notice that they also ate and drank, Exodus 24:11, which tells us that many of the sacrificial offerings were eaten in fellowship with one another in the presence of God. In other words, the sacrifice was offered to God, but then eaten by those who made the sacrifice.
The NET Bible says the following.
‘This is the covenant meal, the peace offering, that they are eating there on the mountain. To eat from the sacrifice meant that they were at peace with God, in covenant with him. Likewise, in the new covenant, believers draw near to God on the basis of sacrifice and eat of the sacrifice because they are at peace with him, and in Christ, they see the Godhead revealed.’
Moses is asked to come up to God on the mountain and stay there, and God will give him the tablets of stone with the law and commandments He had written for their instruction, Exodus 24:12.
We know that the ten commandments were written on tablets of stone, Exodus 31:18 / Deuteronomy 5:22. However, the instructions concerning the tabernacle and the function of the priests were written on the common writing material of the day.
Moses now sets out with Joshua, who was helping him, Exodus 17:8-16, but only Moses goes up on the mountain of God, Exodus 24:13. Moses tells the elders to wait behind until he and Joshua return, and if any disputes occur, then Aaron and Hur, Exodus 17:10-13, can deal with them, Exodus 24:14.
Notice the mention of the cloud again, Exodus 24:15; the cloud represents the very presence of God. Aaron and Hur stayed with the elders, and Moses and Joshua stayed together for six days before God appeared to Moses only, Exodus 24:16.
To the Israelites, God’s glory looked like a consuming fire, and although they couldn’t see God or Moses, God left them reminders of His glory and presence to help them trust what they could not see, Exodus 24:17.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The spectacular vision of the glory of God on the mountain ‘like a consuming fire’, Exodus 24:17, should have given the Israelites greater respect for God’s revelation than they demonstrated later, Exodus 32:1-8. There were three symbols of God’s glory: the cloud, the fire, and the voice.’
Moses then went to meet God, and he stayed with God for forty days and nights, Exodus 24:18 / Deuteronomy 9:9. It was during these forty days and forty nights that he fasted, Exodus 34:28-35. Only three people within the Scriptures have fasted for the same time period: Moses, here, Elijah, 1 Kings 19:7-9, and Jesus Himself, Matthew 4:2.