October 24, 2020

The book of Exodus tells the story of the birth of the nation of Israel fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.  From the seventy descendants of Jacob, Israel was fruitful and multiplied greatly until they filled the whole land of Egypt.  After four centuries of slavery, God answers the cries of His people for deliverance.  God raises up Moses for this calling, to lead his people out of bondage to a land of promise and deliverance. 

Some of the greatest stories of the Bible are featured in Exodus—from the Ten Plagues, and the Passover, to the crossing of the Red Sea, and the establishment of the covenant at Mount Sinai. The Passover lamb, the exodus from the land of Egypt, the seven feasts, the tabernacle, and even the high priest, are all foreshadows of the ministry of Christ.

Chapters 1-18 contains the events leading up to God’s delivering the Hebrews from their captivity in Egypt, and chapters 19-40 shares the events in the wilderness and the account of God’s instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai to direct the life and worship of the nation.

Exodus 24

The Covenant Confirmed

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 worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against 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 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Reflection:

  • God delivers the covenant to Moses. Moses throwing the blood from the sacrifices on the altar and on the people might seem gruesome in our day, but it demonstrates the magnificence of the atonement for sin and that which is holy unto the Lord. The altar, where sacrifices were made, and the people were holy unto God. It is also a foreshadowing of Jesus’ blood being shed on the cross as an atonement for sin.
  • The fact that verse 10 says that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders
    “saw the God of Israel” does not contradict Exodus 33:20 and 33:23 where God says that no one can look upon him and live. They most likely only saw a part of God as the words “there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone” may indicate. While we know God through belief and faith in Jesus, we do not yet behold him in all his glory. Take time to reflect on Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
  • Why do you suppose the appearance of the glory of the Lord on the mountain was like a “devouring fire” in the peoples’ sight (v. 17)? What do you believe God wanted to convey to the people?
  • What practical applications does this chapter of God’s word have for your life today?

Prayer: Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty! Who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8)! Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power (Revelation 4:11). For you Lord are great, and your deeds are great! Praise for you will forever be on my lips. In Jesus’ name, amen.

9 thoughts on “Daily Devotional-October 24th”

  1. Gracias mi Dios amado por tus obras maravillosas gracias por tu misericordia gracias por tu amor inmenso sobre cada uno de nosotros Señor te pido por cada nación que tú puedas con tu gran misericordia librarnos de esta plaga llamada COVID Señor tú puedes libéranos eres el único así como sacaste el pueblo de Egipto de la esclavitud tu que transformaste el mar para que todos pasaran tuya es la tierra y su plenitud somos tú creación semejante a ti padre celestial tuyo es el reino el universo toma el control mi padre amado perdona todos nuestros pescados libéranos del mal ayúdanos a caminar siempre por tu vía enfrentando todas las dificultades de esta travesía en nombre y por amor de tu hijo amado amén y amén ?

    1. I will obey my Lord and Savior. I will follow him so I can be a better Christian. AMEN AND HALLELUJAH!!!!????

  3. “All the words that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” This reminds me of myself. Like the Israelites, I failed so many times despite all of my intentions to obey God’s word. But I’m thankful to God because He covered my sins with the blood of Jesus. And He promised that if I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1John1:9).

  4. Thank you Lord that because of Jesus, we no longer have to fear the destructiveness of your presence because your purity is all consuming. Now we are seen through the shed blood of Jesus, his righteousness is imputed to us and makes us able to approach you in confidence because we have been made pure by Jesus’ perfect life, death and resurrection.

  5. We are blessed to serve the One True Living God who is a God of Revelation, Reconciliation, & Relationship.

  6. We should be very thankful that we live at a time when we have the complete story of God written word for us in the Bible. This script today tell us Moses wrote down for the first time God’s instructions.
    Are we like them we read the instructions God gave and then turn from them like they did in the next chapters.

  7. The closer you come to God the fewer people there are. God is always faithful to His followers.

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