LESSON 24
THE COVENANT RATIFIED
- By E. L. Bynum, Pastor
Memory Verse: Exodus 24:17(N.W. 25:8)————Lesson: Exodus 24:1-18
The events in this chapter were never repeated again. Their encounter with the Lord in v. 9-11, is truly amazing. It is doubtful that we can full comprehend this in our present life.
I . THE RATIFICATION OF THE COVENANT. v. 1-8
A . Moses Called Into The Lord's Presence. v . 1-2
1. The invitation given by the Lord. v. 1
2. The leaders also invited to come part way. v. 1
3 . Moses alone to come near the Lord. v. 2
4. Other leaders were to worship "afar off" and not to "come nigh." v. 1-2. The law does not bid the people to come nigh, but there is a great contrast under grace we are invited to draw near. Heb. 10:21-22, And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. James 4:8, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Eph. 2:13, But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
B. The Covenant Accepted By The People. v. 3-4
1. Moses tells the people all the commandments and judgments. v. 3
2. The people accept the words and promise to obey. v. 3, 7. This is a repeat of what they said in Ex. 19:8. The words they promised to obey are specifically given in Ex. 2023. No doubt it should have included all that God would ever say to them. It is unfortunate that they never kept their promise.
3. Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. v . 4 . II Pet. 1:21, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
C. The Covenant And The Blood. v. 4-8
1. The altar built. v. 4. Joshua 4:3, 9, 20
2. Young men chosen to make the sacrifice. v. 5.
a. Since the Levitical priesthood had not yet been set in order, young men offered the sacrifice. They may have been the firstborn.
b. God could only enter into a covenant with sinful man on the basis of a sacrifice and the shedding and applying of blood. The sacrifice of the blood was for the ratification of the covenant.
c. Jesus had to shed His blood in order to ratify the new covenant.
3. The blood sprinkled on the altar. v. 6. Lev. 17:11, For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
4. The covenant read and ratified. v. 7
5. The people sprinkled with blood. v. 8. Since there were some 2 million or more people, the blood may have only been sprinkled on the representatives of the people. In connection with this act, note the following Scriptures. Heb. 9:16-22, For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Rev. 7:14-15, And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Gal. 3:10-11, For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
6. It is tragic that Nadab and Abihu had all these privileges, but learned nothing from it. Some church members are like that today. Lev. 10:1-2, And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
II. THE VISION OF GOD. v. 9-18
A. God Seen And The Sacrificial Meal. v. 9-11
1. Moses and the leaders ascend. v. 9
a. They could not go into the presence of the God until the sacrifice was made and the blood applied to the people. v. 5-8
b. Sinful man cannot come into the presence of God without the sacrifice and the application of the blood. Another young man (young in the flesh) Jesus Christ made the sacrifice. I Pet. 3:18, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
2. They saw the God of Israel. v. 10. We do not know exactly what they saw, since there is no description of God, but rather where He stood.
a. It is clear that God did show some men a similitude or some kind of a veiled likeness of Himself. Num. 12:8; Isa. 6:1, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Ezek. 1:26, And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. It is certain that Deut. 4:12,15 does not refer to this event, but rather to Exodus 20:1-18.
b. On the other hand we know they did not see God in His fullness. I Tim. 6:16, Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. John 1:18, No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 14:8-11, Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. See Ex. 33:18-23. They did see some evidence of God's presence and with God veiled in some manner. See Gen. 32:30; Jud. 6:22; 13:22; and Gen. 18:2, 17-22.
c. This problem is more easily resolved when we recognize that this was Christ in angelic form on the mount. Acts 7:38, This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.
3. The clear sapphire signified God's favor. v. 10
4. This could only be true because God was satisfied with the blood of the covenant. v. 11
5. They did eat and drink before the Lord. v. 11. The next time it is mentioned that they drank, was when they drank their golden false god mixed with the waters of judgment. Ex. 32:19- 20
B. Moses In The Cloud For Forty Days. v. 12-18
1. Moses invited to come up closer to the Lord. v. 12
2. The law promised on tables of stone. v. 12. II Cor. 3:3, Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. They were written on stone to endure, but also they would be broken. Ex. 32:19.
3. Moses goes up into the mount. v . 13
4. Aaron and Hur left in charge. v. 14.
5. The glory of the Lord upon the mount. v. 15-16
6. The awesome glory of God. v. 17
7. Moses in the mount 40 days and 40 nights. v. 18. How beautiful the types in this passage. The 6 days of v.16, speak of labor, the 7th day speaks of rest and completion. The number 40 speaks of testing. Not the testing of God or Moses, but of Israel. In Ex. 32:1-6, we see how they failed during that 40 days.
CONCLUSION: God made a threefold promise to them in Ex. 6:6-8, and he is now fulfilling that promise. (1) God redeemed His people. Ex. 118. (2) God took them to Himself. Ex. 1924. (3) Now He is going to come and dwell with them and be their God. Ex. 25:40
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the contrast between the people having to worship "afar off" under the Law, and how it is under grace.
2. What did the people promise in regard to the law?
3. Why did not the Levites make the sacrifice in this chapter? 4. What two things did they do with the blood?
5. How are we to explain their seeing God, in the light of the verse that tells us that no man hath seen God at any time.
6. Who was left in charge when Moses went up the mount?
7. How long did he remain on the mount? What is the meaning of that number?
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