Êxodo 24

Êxodo 24

Spurgeon comments that "There is a double power about the blood; — towards God an atonement, that is the blood sprinkled on the altar, — and towards ourselves a sense of reconciliation, thus must the blood be sprinkled upon us that we may prove its cleansing power." (ED: While I agree in principle with Spurgeon, ultimately only the blood of Christ sprinkled on the "altar" of the Cross brough perfect atonement, and then "sprinkled" on believers (1 Pe 1:2+) for perfect reconciliation, so that now we can obey the exhortation "let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [Heb 10:22] James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose BEHOLD THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT Exodus 24:1–8 “Behold the blood of the covenant.” These words, uttered by Moses as he sprinkled the people with the crimson life-stream, forcibly remind us of John’s “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). A covenant is a bargain between two parties, something that comes in between as a ground of agreement and a bond of perpetual union. This thought is beautifully expressed in Exodus 12, “The blood shall be to you for a token.” This was man’s side. “When I see the blood.” This was the divine side. It was covenant blood. Such is the Blood of His Cross. “Reconciled through the death of His Son.” “This cup is the New Testament (covenant) in my blood, drink ye all of it” (Luke 22:20), and be one, even as “I and My Father are one.” We shall now observe— I. When this Blood was Shed. As with the death of Christ, so with the sacrifice here, there is much in the circumstances. It was— 1. AFTER GOD WAS HONOURED. “Come up unto the Lord and worship” (v. 1). Before the Cross was reached Christ had this testimony, that He pleased God (Matt. 3:15). Moses came near the Lord, while the others worshipped “afar off.” Jesus worshipped in the Holy of Holies. 2. AFTER THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS REVEALED. “Moses told the people all the words of the Lord” (v. 4). Christ did not die until He had finished the work and declared the words the Father gave Him. “I have given them the words which Thou gavest Me” (John 17:8). The Way was made plain before the sun went down. 3. AFTER AN ALTAR HAD BEEN BUILT. And Moses built an altar. The Cross appeared before the sacrifice was made. “And He bearing His Cross.” A fixed altar suggests the determinate counsel of God. There “they crucified Him” (John 19:18). II. What this Blood Signifies. Sacrifice, and this— 1. IMPLIES SIN. Sin, like a man’s shadow, is only seen in the light. Sin is the dominating element in the character of fallen human nature. Man is a sinner. “Without God” (Eph. 2:12). 2. IMPLIES SUBSTITUTION. The offerings and sacrifices were unto the Lord, and in behalf of the people. “He was wounded for our transgressions.” “He suffered for us.” The sacrifices were first the Lord’s by right, then allowed for the people, and again accepted by Him on the altar. A perfect type of Him who was the Lamb of God, given for us and accepted again through death in our stead. 3. IMPLIES SALVATION. Isaac was saved when the ram took his place on the altar (Gen. 22:13). He “gave Himself for me.” “All that believe are justified” (Acts 13:39). III. Where this Blood was Sprinkled. It was— 1. SPRINKLED ON THE ALTAR. “Moses took half of the blood and sprinkled it on the altar” (v. 6). The altar represents the claims of God’s holiness and justice. Before the people could be blessed His righteousness must be satisfied. Before the sinner can be saved Christ must offer Himself without spot unto God. The halving of the blood between the altar and the people indicate the double character of the sacrifice of Christ. He both fulfils the law and makes peace. In doing the Father’s will He provides redemption for man. In Him every attribute of God is satisfied and every need of man fully met. “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness!” (Psa. 107:8). 2. SPRINKLED ON THE PEOPLE. “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.” The blood on the people signified— 1. REDEMPTION. They had come into personal contact with the life (“the life is in the blood”) that had been offered to God for them. All the value of the sacrifice, as in His sight, is now imputed to them. “We have redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7). It signifies also— 2. RECONCILIATION. It was the blood of the covenant. “How much more shall the Blood of Christ” (Heb. 9:14). We are “made nigh by the Blood” (Eph. 2:13). It implies— 3. OBLIGATION. “All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient” (v. 7). Be faithful unto death. This covenant, like the way of salvation, is all of grace and cannot fail. Through these immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we have a strong consolation who have laid hold on this hope set before us. “The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect to DO HIS WILL” (Heb. 13:20, 21). Exodus 24:9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, Exodus 24 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL'S SPIRITUAL LEADERS DRAW NEAR TO GOD Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel - This is the response to the invitation (command) Yahweh given in Exodus 24:1 "Come up." This is the second mention of Aaron's two sons, Nadab and Abihu, who are given the opportunity of a lifetime to experience close proximity to the awesome presence of the Almighty God. One would have thought this experience would have been forever engraven like with a diamond stylus in their mind, and yet they clearly forgot (and/or despised) the holiness of Jehovah and offered "strange fire" in Leviticus 10:1+ for which God struck them dead! (Read Lev 10:1-7+, Nu 3:4) THOUGHT - "Mountain top" (recall they had been invited to "come up" the mountain!) experiences are great, but we must all live most of our life in the valley and so we must daily put to death the deeds of the body, so that we can really live (Ro 8:13+). When (not "if") we are tempted, we so quickly forget about our "mountain top" experiences, which is why we must daily imbibe His Word (Col 3:16+, Mt 4:4+) and present ourselves as living sacrifices (Ro 12:1+), so that our mind and heart might be continually renewed (Eph 4:23+, cf 2 Cor 3:18+). Cassuto - they came to a given place on the slope of the mountain, in order to prostrate themselves there from afar, and there they were vouchsafed a vision of God. Related Resources: Who were Nadab and Abihu? | GotQuestions.org What is the meaning of the strange fire in Leviticus 10:1? | GotQuestions.org Why was it bad that Aaron and his sons burned the sin offering in Leviticus 10:16–20? | GotQuestions.org EXODUS 24:9–11—How could these people see God when God said in Exodus 33:20, “no man shall see me and live”? PROBLEM: Exodus 24:9–11 records that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended the mountain of God and “saw the God of Israel.” However, Exodus 19:12–13 says that the people could not even touch the base of the mountain without being put to death. And in Exodus 33:20 God says that no one can see Him and live. How could these people go up the mountain and see God and yet live? SOLUTION: First, it should be noted that God invited them to see Him. In Exodus 19:12–13 God told Moses to set the boundaries around the mountain so that no one should even touch its base without the punishment of death. However, God specifically invited these people to ascend the mountain in order to consecrate them for the service to which they had been appointed, and to seal the covenant which had been established between God and the nation of Israel. Second, it is clear from the description and from other passages of Scripture (Ex. 33:19–20; Num. 12:8; John 1:18), that what these people saw was not the essence of God, but rather a visual representation of the glory of God. Even when Moses asked to see God’s glory (Ex. 33:18–23), it was only a likeness of God which Moses saw (cf. Num. 12:8 where the Hebrew word temunah—“form,” “likeness”—is used), and not the very essence of God. (When Critics Ask - Normal Geisler) Exodus 24:10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. saw the God of Israel: Ex 3:6 Ex 33:20,23 Ge 32:30 Jdg 13:21,22 1Ki 22:19 Isa 6:1-5 Eze 1:28 Joh 1:18 14:9 1Ti 6:16 1Jn 4:12 sapphire: Eze 1:26,27 Ezekiel 10:1 Rev 4:3 Rev 21:19-23 as clear as the sky itself: Song 6:10 Mt 17:2 Rev 1:16 Rev 21:11,18 Exodus 24 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Lapis Lazuli Related Passages: Exodus 33:18-23 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” 21 Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” And they saw the God of Israel - Centuries later John wrote that "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1:18+, cf 1 Jn 4:12+, 1 Ti 6:16+) And Yet Moses records that they saw the God of Israel. Is there a discrepancy? Of course not, So what did they see? While we cannot know with absolute certainty, they saw some manifestation of God. Moses had seen a manifestation of Yahweh in the burning bush (Ex 3:6). Jacob "named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” Samson's father Manoah declared to his wife “We will surely die, for we have seen God.” (Jdg 13:21,22+) The prophet Isaiah testified "In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." (Isaiah 6:1+) Rayburn - That they saw the God of Israel seems to contradict Ex 33:20+ – where God says to Moses, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” – but even Moses saw something of God’s glory, his back or its aftereffects (Ex 33:28+ = " I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.") – and that seems to be the case here. The fact that the only thing described is the pavement under God’s feet – obviously a dramatic anthropomorphism – suggests that these men were unable to lift their eyes above the Lord’s footstool. They could see only what could be seen from a prostrate position. There are deep and vital truths couched in all of these anthropomorphic descriptions of the sight of God: the transcendent glory of God, the distance that separates creature from creator, and the humility and fear that ought to mark man’s approach to the living God. That is why, we read in the next verse, almost in a tone of surprise, that these men did not perish for having seen the glory of God. Cassuto - The sentence and they saw the God of Israel is at first surprising, for expressions so corporeal are uncommon in the Torah. Walter Kaiser - That Moses and his company “saw the God of Israel” at first appears to contradict Ex 33:20; John 1:18; and 1 Timothy 6:16; but what they saw was a “form [‘similitude’] of the LORD” (Nu 12:8 - see below), just as Ezekiel (Ezek 1:26) and Isaiah (Isa 6:1) saw an approximation, a faint resemblance and a sensible adumbration of the incarnate Christ who was to come. There is a deliberate obscurity in the form and details of the one who produced such a splendid, dazzling effect on these observers of God’s presence. (EBC-Ex) Numbers 12:8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?” NET Notes - The emphasis of the line is clear enough—it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the LORD. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant. tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, témunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory (doxa) of the LORD.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Ex 24:10), and the people never (Dt 4:12, Dt 4:15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God. Hard Sayings of the Bible - Even what little they saw of the setting of God’s presence so humbled and awed them that they apparently flung themselves down in an act of obeisance. Hence, what they saw and reported was no higher than the level of the pavement. J