1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance.2 Moses alone, however, shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”
1. Who are Aaron and Nadab and Abihu and why do they have to worship at a distance?
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Nadab and Abihu. Aaron’s two oldest sons. Nadab would have succeeded Aaron as high priest, but he and his brother died because they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. God told these men to come up into the mountain, but even these men who were in a very unique position at that time were told to worship afar off. How different things were under law than they are under grace. How different their situation was from when God was bringing them along the path from Egypt on eagle’s wings of grace. Under law man must worship afar off but today Ephesians 2:13 tells us,
“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
2. Is there anything significant about the number 70?
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seventy … elders.. perhaps representing the clans that developed from the 70 descendants of Jacob referred to in Genesis elders. Hence 7 x 10 signifies perfect spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power and significance. Seven… the great number of spiritual perfection. A number which, therefore,
occupies so large a place in the works, and especially in the Word of God as being inspired by the Holy Spirit. Ten is one of the perfect numbers, and signifies the perfection of Divine order, Ten commandments, ten plagues, etc.
Both spirit and order are greatly emphasised. The seventy nations which peopled the earth are set forth with a particularity which shows the importance of the fact (see Genesis 10).Seventy elders furnished Israel’s great Tribunal, Exodus 24:1; Numbers 11:16, afterwards called the Sanhedrim. Seventy disciples sent out by the Lord prefigure the mighty host which followed them (Luke 10:1,17) in spirit and in power. It is the number specially connected with Jerusalem.Jerusalem, for the city kept its sabbaths seventy years, while Judah was in Babylon, Jeremiah 35:11. And seventy sevens were determined upon it to complete its transgression, and bring in everlasting righteousness for it, Daniel 9:24 .
3. Why Moses alone?
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24:2 Moses alone. As God’s chosen mediator between himself and Israel and through whom he would establish his covenant with them. Jesus, who is greater than Moses is the “mediator of a new covenant”
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus
Heb 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
3Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!”
4. What’s wrong with the people agreeing so quickly with the word’s of the covenant? Seems pretty straight forward?
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This is the second time that the children of Israel have given an affirmative answer when God asked them if they wanted His commandments and Law. They are very self-confident, self-sufficient, and almost arrogant when they tell God, “Yes, we want your Law.” They promise to do all of the words of the Lord even before they have them all. They have been given the Ten Commandments and believe they can keep them.
One wonders how Israel could be so deceived. But I am even more puzzled by the many people who still believe they are living by the Law. Those who believe they are meeting God’s standard are deceived, and it is a terrible thing. First John 1:8 tells us: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” You won’t be deceiving your neighbors, you will not deceive your wife nor husband nor loved ones, but you certainly can deceive yourself. If you say that you do not sin, you deceive yourself. You would think that a man who says he has no sin ought to have also a little truth in him. But John says there is no truth in him at all. In case you missed it, John repeats it in 1 John 1:10, which says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” He said that if you say that you have not sinned, you have made God a liar. Friends, God is no liar. I wouldn’t call Him that if I were you. The best thing to do is not boast of your goodness. My, the arrogance of the children of Israel in saying, “All the words which the Lord hath said we will do!” You will notice,
however, that they did not keep all His words. McGee
4 Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
5. What did these twelve pillars represent?
24:4 twelve pillars. Unlike pagan stone markers (23:24), these were built to represent the 12 tribes and were placed alongside the altar Moses had erected in preparation for a covenant ratification ceremony. They did not mark the worship site of a pagan deity.6. Who were these young men?
Most probably a reference to firstborn children who officiated until the law appointed the Levites in their place.
7. What’s the deal with half the blood on the altar and half sprinkled on the people?
. The division of the blood points to the twofold aspect of the “blood of the covenant” (v. 8): The blood on the altar symbolizes God’s forgiveness and his acceptance of the offering; the blood on the people points to an oath that binds them in obedience
This was a blood covenant. If you break the covenant, you lose your blood.
Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,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.11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
8. Did they really see God, why didn’t they die?
24:9, 11 they saw the God of Israel. The representatives accompanying Moses up the mountain, as per God’s instructions, were privileged to have seen God without being consumed by His holiness. Precisely what they saw must remain a moot point and must stay within the description given, which focuses only on what was under His feet. This perhaps indicates that only a partial manifestation took place such as would occur before Moses (33:20), or that the elders, in the presence of divine majesty, beauty, and strength (cf. Ps 96:6), did not dare raise their eyes above His footstool.
In this verse, as in the previous one, they saw a representation of God. Later on Moses asks to see God because all he had seen was a representation. Moses wanted to see God. Also to see God was Philip’s plea in the upper room. “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?” (John 14:8–9). If you want to see God, friends, you will have to go through Jesus Christ. McGee
saw … God. But not in the fullness of his glory
John 1:18 tells us that, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” What they saw was a representation of God.
Now the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”
stone tablets. For the first time, mention is made of what form the revelation of the law would take: tablets of stone. They were also called the “tablets of the testimony” (31:18) and the “tablets of the covenant” (Dt 9:9).
13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.14 But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.”
9. “whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.” What does this mean?
Jesus had a large group of followers, he had a smaller group of 12 disciples, and then a closer group, Peter, James and John Matt. 17:1-3 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Joshua, Aaron and Hur are Moses’ inner circle. Joshua in chapter 17 fought the battle, Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms. In chapter 18, all legal disputes not able to be resolved by the appointed judges were settled by Moses himself. Moses was going to be gone for awhile, so he has Aaron and Hur be the final judges in his absence.
15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.16 The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
10. Forty days and 40 nights. Sounds familiar? Why was he up there so long?
stayed on the mountain. Moses did not come down until he had received instructions concerning the tabernacle and its furnishings (see 32:15). forty days and forty nights. Jesus, the new Moses (see note on v. 2), fasted for the same length of time (see Mt 4:2 and note).
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The awe-inspiring sight of God’s glory cloud, the Shekinah, resting on the mountain and into which Moses disappeared for 40 days and nights, impressed everyone with the singular importance of this event in Israel’s history. During these days Moses received all the instructions on the tabernacle and its furnishings and accoutrements (chaps. 25–31). The settling of the Shekinah upon the tabernacle at its completion impressed the Israelites with the singular importance of this structure in Israel’s worship of and relationship to Yahweh (40:34–38)
It was during this time on Mount Sinai that Moses received the instructions presented in the rest of this book, possibly the content of all 5 books he wrote.
· ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes
· MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
· NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
· JVM ……………..J Vernon McGee,
· ACC ……………. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
· BN ……………..Barnes Notes
· WBC……………. Wycliffe Bible Commentary
· CN …… …………..Constables Notes
· IC………………….Ironside Commentary
· NET……………….Net Bible Study Notes.
· JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
· VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
· CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
· BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
· Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
· Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
· NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and Mark.
· EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures
· CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
· SBC…………………Sermon Bible Commentary
· K&D……………….Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
· EBC…………………Expositors Bible Commentary
· CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
· GC……………………Guzik Commentary
· RD……………………. Robert Deffinbaugh
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