Friday, April 1, 2011

Exodus 24

1Then the LORD instructed Moses: "Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's leaders. All of them must worship at a distance. 2You alone, Moses, are allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come too close. And remember, none of the other people are allowed to climb on the mountain at all."

3When Moses had announced to the people all the teachings and regulations the LORD had given him, they answered in unison, "We will do everything the LORD has told us to do."

4Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD's instructions. Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars around the altar, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 5Then he sent some of the young men to sacrifice young bulls as burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. 6Moses took half the blood from these animals and drew it off into basins. The other half he splashed against the altar.

7Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They all responded again, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey."

8Then Moses sprinkled the blood from the basins over the people and said, "This blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these laws."

9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel went up the mountain. 10There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a pavement of brilliant sapphire, as clear as the heavens. 11And though Israel's leaders saw God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they shared a meal together in God's presence!

12And the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there while I give you the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands. Then you will teach the people from them." 13So Moses and his assistant Joshua climbed up the mountain of God.

14Moses told the other leaders, "Stay here and wait for us until we come back. If there are any problems while I am gone, consult with Aaron and Hur, who are here with you."

15Then Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. 16And the glorious presence of the LORD rested upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from the cloud. 17The Israelites at the foot of the mountain saw an awesome sight. The awesome glory of the LORD on the mountaintop looked like a devouring fire. 18Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.


Points of Interest:

· We will do everything the LORD has told us to do’—the people agree to the contract with God.

· Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD's instructions’—not a bad idea. It’s well known that it’s easier to remember and enforce a written contract than a handshake agreement. If you don’t have it written down, the details can start to get a little fuzzy with time. Also, if you’re doing something you’ve never done before, it’s often helpful to have written instructions to follow.

· He also set up twelve pillars around the altar’—the symbolism is clear. God will dwell in the midst of the twelve tribes of Israel.

· This blood confirms the covenant’—it was usual for an animal to be sacrificed to conclude the making of a covenant (Illustrated Bible Dictionary, part 1, p.326). The two parties would eat the sacrificed animal together, thus sealing the deal.

· Under his feet there seemed to be a pavement of brilliant sapphire’—I wonder if they noticed the floor in such detail because they found themselves looking down, in awe of the presence of God.

· In fact, they shared a meal together in God's presence!’—in Wednesday’s passage, the people ask Moses not to have God speak to them anymore; they’re afraid that if they come into God’s presence, he will kill them. Here they find out what really happens when they meet God: he feeds them dinner. God hospitably welcomes them into his awesome presence.

· the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands’—this may be the same set of instructions Moses has just written down, but written by God’s own hand—which would, in fact, be pretty cool. But most likely it is more detailed instructions that follow from the Ten Commandments; these more detailed instructions are found in chapters 25 through 32 of Exodus (and possibly in the entire book of Leviticus as well).

· Moses disappeared into the cloud’—Moses departs on another short hero’s journey. He is leaving the ordinary world of the camp and going to the special world of the mountain, to bring back to the people the tablets on which God has written his instructions.

Taking it home:

· For you: Israel’s leaders had the incredible privilege of seeing God and actually eating a meal with him—they got to hang out with God. In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, Jesus indicates that he is really very eager to do the same with us: ‘Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends’ (Revelation 3: 20). Spend a moment today taking Jesus up on his offer: invite him into your day; spend some time with him; and enjoy his presence.

· For your six: When God’s glory rested on the mountain, the Israelites got a special glimpse of just how awesome God is. Ask God to give your six a similar peek at God’s grandeur.

· For our church: Moses stayed with God on the mountain for 40 days and nights, seeing his glory and receiving more guidance from him. Pray for the remainder of our Lenten experience, that God’s presence would rest on our church like he rested on the mountain, allowing us to see more of him, to enjoy his presence, and to receive the guidance from him that we need.