Exodus 24
McGeeCHAPTER 24THEME: Order of worship before the existence of the tabernacle; the children of Israel acknowledge the covenant; Moses ascends Mount Sinai aloneExodus 24 concludes the section on social legislation begun in Exodus 21. We have found that the Law of Moses is much more than the brief Ten Commandments and that the area of social legislation covers a great deal of ground.
Exodus 24:1
ORDER OF WORSHIP BEFORE THE EXISTENCE OF THE TABERNACLEGod 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 eagles’ wings of grace. Under law man must worship afar off but today Eph_2:13 tells us, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” God saves us and leads us along life’s pathway today by His grace.
Exodus 24:2
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. 1Jn_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 1Jn_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.
Exodus 24:4
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ACKNOWLEDGE THE COVENANTThese Israelites were certainly confident. In fact, they were filled with self-confidence. They really thought they could keep God’s Law, and that is the worst kind of self-deception. They promised to obey God, but they did not. The natural man believes he can please God, but he cannot. You and I cannot please God because no man can meet God’s standard.
We forget that we are actually members of a totally depraved race as far as God is concerned. If you doubt it, just look around the world and note the lawlessness. Look at the sin, the confusion, the atheism, and the godlessness on every hand. God is absolutely right when He says in Rom_3:10, “…There is none righteous, no, not one.” We live in a day when sin is called good and bad is called good. The prophets said that such a day would come. Well, we certainly have arrived.
Exodus 24:8
Even before God gives the Law to them, the Israelites are sprinkled with blood to let them know that there must be a sacrifice. Heb_9:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” God will repeat this many times. Life must be given up, and a penalty must be paid before any of us can go to heaven.
Exodus 24:9
MOSES ASCENDS MOUNT SINAI ALONE"They saw the God of Israel" needs to be understood in the light of other Scriptures. Actually no one has seen God because He is a Spirit. Joh_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. I sincerely doubt that we shall see God the Father throughout eternity. Jesus Christ is probably the closest view we will have of the Father. But He will be enough to satisfy our hearts.
All that we know today about the Father is through the Son. I do not know how God the Father looks, or feels, or thinks, because God has told us in Isa_55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” But Jesus has revealed Him to us. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel did not see God the Father but they saw a representation of God.
Exodus 24:11
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?” (Joh_14:8-9). If you want to see God, friends, you will have to go through Jesus Christ. I have heard earnest laymen give testimony to the fact that they can come directly into the presence of God since their salvation. The truth is that we do not come directly into God’s presence; we have a mediator. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Ti_2:5). You come to God through Christ Jesus the mediator. Christ is the daysman Job longed for. Christ puts one hand in the Father’s hand and one in your hand and brings you and God together. We do not reach God the Father on our own, and we must recognize that.
Exodus 24:13
Now Joshua is beginning to appear in the picture more. God is preparing him to succeed Moses. He is a young man, and God has many things to teach him before he is prepared to lead Israel.
Exodus 24:14
It was during this time on Mount Sinai that Moses received the instructions presented in the rest of this book.