Bible Commentaries
Exodus 24

Verse 1

And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

Worship ye afar off. — Thus under the law; but now by grace we draw nigh with boldness, and "have access with confidence by the faith of Christ." Ephesians 3:12 See Trapp on " Ephesians 3:12 "

Verse 2

And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.

But they shall not come nigh. — But half-way only. Exodus 24:2 See Trapp on " Exodus 19:12 "

Verse 3

And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

And told the people, — So he became a Mediator Galatians 3:19 - non redemptionis sed relationis.

Will we do. — God’s people are "willing." Psalms 110:3 But "weak through the flesh." Romans 8:3 See Trapp on " Hebrews 13:18 "

Verse 4

And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

An altar. — Representing God on the one party, as the twelve pillars did the people on the other party. So here was a formal covenant.

Verse 5

And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.

Young men. — The firstborn of the families. Exodus 13:2

Verse 6

And Moses took half of the blood, and put [it] in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

Half of the blood. — Having mingled it first with water Hebrews 9:19 See 1 John 5:6 , See Trapp on " 1 John 5:6 "

Verse 7

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

Will we do, and be obedient. — Christ will enjoy his spouse’s love by a willing contract, not by a ravishment.

Verse 8

And 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 concerning all these words.

On the people. — The representative people, the elders: or, as others will, the twelve pillars. See Trapp on " Exodus 24:4 "

Verse 9

Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

And seventy of the elders. — See Trapp on " Exodus 24:2 "

Verse 10

And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness.

And they saw the God of Israel. — A glimpse of his glory. See Trapp on " 1 Timothy 6:16 "

As it were a paved work of sapphire stone. — To show that God had now changed their condition, their bricks, made in their bondage, to sapphire. Compare Isaiah 54:11 .

Verse 11

And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

He laid not his hand, — i.e., They came off without hurt; which is reckoned as a great mercy: since no man, ordinarily, can see God and live: besides the infinite distance that is betwixt God and the greatest nobles.

And did eat and drink, — i.e., They were much cheered, and made merry in the Lord. Others sense it thus: - Though they had seen God, yet they turned again to temporal pleasures; they soon after ate and drank at that idolatrous feast of the golden calf, and rose up to play. It is set as an aggravation of Solomon’s sin, that he departed from God "that appeared unto him twice." 1 Kings 11:9

Verse 12

And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Tables of stone. — To show, (1.) The stony hardness of the people’s hearts; (2.) The lastingness of the law.

Verse 13

And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

And Moses went up. — Joshua stayed the while in some convenient place.

Verse 14

And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur [are] with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

And Hur. — See Trapp on " Exodus 17:10 "

Verse 15

And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

And Moses went up into the mount. — But he went not yet into the cloud, as Exodus 24:18 , till the seventh day, that he might, by degrees, be heavenlised, and edged with an earnest expectation of beholding God’s glory, and understanding his will. This was heaven beforehand.

Verse 16

And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

Six days. — The people had but three days of preparation to receive the law; Moses hath six. Singular holiness is required of ministers: the measures of the sanctuary were double to the ordinary, as the shekel, cubit, … Ministers had need wish, as Elisha did, a doubled and trebled spirit, that they may save themselves and those that hear them. 1 Timothy 4:16

Verse 17

And the sight of the glory of the LORD [was] like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Was like devouring fire. — So it is still; Hebrews 12:29 which so terrifieth the sinners in Zion, that they run away with these words in their mouths, "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isaiah 33:14

Verse 18

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Forty days. — All which time he never ate nor drank, Deuteronomy 9:9 and so better merited the surname of Nesteutes, the faster, than that proud prelate John, Bishop of Constantinople.