Exodus 24

AND he said unto Moses, Come up After thou hast gone down and acquainted the people with my will, and received their answer, then come up again. This sense is gathered from the repetition of this command after that was done, ver. 12. unto the LORD, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu Aaron and his two eldest sons, whom by this special honour and favour he prepared for that office to which they were to be called, chap. 28., and seventy of the Elders of Israel Not the seventy governours which were chosen after this time, as appears from Num. 11. 24. compared with Numb. 33. 16. but seventy persons selected by Moses out of those rulers chosen and mentioned Exod. 18. 25. and possibly these were the chief heads of those several families which went with Iacob into Egypt, which were about 70. See Gen. 46. 26, 27.: and worship ye afar off Though they may come up into the mount further than the people, yet do thou, and let them especially, keep their distance; and what worship either thou or they shall offer to me, shall be performed afar off from the top of the mountain whither thou only shalt be admitted and that not to pray to me but only to receive laws and oracles from me. See ver. 2..

And Moses alone (i. e.) Without the persons now mentioned, though not without Ioshua his minister, as some conceive from ver. 13. though even there Moses seems to ascend into the mount without Ioshua. shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh, neither shall the people go up with him To any part of the mount, as Aaron, and Nadab, &c. did, but they shall tarry at the bottom. See Exod. 19. 12..

And Moses came Down from the mount to the people, after he had received the laws from God. 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 has said, will we do This they so readily and rashly promise, because they were not sensible of their own weakness, and because they did not understand the comprehensiveness and spirituality and strictness of Gods law, but thought it consisted only in the external performances and abstinences expressed..

And Moses wrote To wit, in a book, Heb. 9. 19. And the ten commandments God himself wrote also in tables of stone, Exod. 31. 18. all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar Representing God in Christ, as one party in the covenant. under the hill, and twelve pillars Representing the people of Israel, the other party. So here are the outward signs and symbols of a covenant made between God and the Israelites., according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

And he sent young men It matters not whether they were the first-born, or others: it is sufficient that they were persons appointed and authorized for the present service, not without Gods direction. of the children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen One kind, as the principal, is named for all: for there were offered also goats, as appears both from Heb. 9. 19. and from hence, that burnt-offerings were usually made of the goats, Lev. 1. 10. Numb. 7. 28. unto the LORD.

And Moses took half of the bloud Of the beasts killed, which for conveniency of sprinkling was mixed with a little water, Heb. 9. 19. whereby also Christ was most fitly represented, who came by water and blood, 1 Ioh. 5. 6., and put it in basons; and half of the bloud he sprinkled on the altar To signify, as well that God was appeased and atoned by this blood as it represented the blood of Christ, as also that Christ was sanctified with his own blood, Heb. 9. 12..

And he took the book of the covenant Wherein Moses had written the conditions of this covenant, to wit, the words and laws of God, above ver. 4., and read in the audience of the people (i. e.) In the hearing of a great number of them, or of some in the name of all the people, by whom it was read or otherwise published to all the people successively., and they said All that the LORD has said, will we do, and be obedient.

And Moses took the bloud The other half of the blood, which was put in the basons for this end, ver. 6., and sprinkled it on the people Either upon the 12 pillars representing the people: or upon the peoples representatives, to wit, the Elders mentioned ver. 1. as when the people are commanded to lay on their hands, the Elders do it in their name and stead, Lev. 4. 15. Deut. 21. 2. or upon those of the people which were nearest him, which was imputed to all the rest, and was to be taken by them as if it had reached unto them all. Now this sprinkling of the bloud upon the people did signify, 1. their ratification of the covenant on their parts, and their secret wishing of the effusion of their own blood if they did not keep it. 2. the sprinkling of their consciences with the blood of Christ, and their obtaining redemption, justification, and access to God through it alone. See Heb. 9. 20, 22. and 13. 20., and said, Behold, the bloud of the covenant Whereby the covenant is made and confirmed, as was usual both in Scripture, Mat. 26. 28. Luk. 22. 20. and among heathens., which the LORD has made with you, concerning all these words.

Then went up In obedience to that command of God given ver. 1. Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the Elders of Israel.

And they saw the God of Israel Not any visible resemblance of the Divine nature which is expresly denied, Deut. 4. 15. 1 Tim. 6. 16. and was refused to Moses when he desired it; Exod. 33. 18, 20. and therefore surely would never be granted to the Elders of Israel, but some glorious appearance or token of Gods special presence, or rather, the second person in the Trinity, who now showed himself to them in an humane and glorious shape, as an essay and testimony of his future incarnation. This may seem probable, 1. because here is mention of his feet, 2. because this way of Christs appearance was not unusual. See Gen. 18. &c. 3. because the person who delivered the law in Sinai was Christ, as appears from Act. 7. 38. though he be there called an Angel, a name oft given to Christ, as has been sormerly showed. and there was under his feet, as it were a paved work of a Saphire stone Which is of a clear sky-colour, mixed with golden spots, like stars in the sky., and, as it were the body of heaven in his clearness Or, for clearness. A clear sky in Prophetical style signifies Gods favour, as a cloudy sky notes his anger..

And upon the nobles Or separated or select ones, i. e. the persons who were singled out to go up with Moses ver. 1. 9. the same of whom it is said here and ver. 10. that they saw God. of the children of Israel he laid not his hand (i. e.) Did not hurt or destroy them, as they might expect according to the vulgar opinion, Gen. 16. 13. and 32. 20. &c. and the conscience of their own guilt, as being now before their Lord and Judge. And so the phrase of putting or stretching forth the hand is most frequently used, as Gen. 37. 22. 1 Sam. 26. 11, 23. Esth. 2. 21. Iob 1. 11, 12. Psal. 138. 7, &c.: also they saw God, and did eat and drink So far were they from being destroyed, that they were not affrighted at this glorious appearance of God, but were refreshed and comforted by it, and did joyfully eat and drink together in Gods presence, celebrating the sacred feast made of the remnant of the peace-offerings, according to the manner. Thus God gave them a taste of his grace and mercy in this covenant, and an assurance that he would not deal with them according to the rigors of the law, but for the sake of the blood of Christ typically represented here would graciously pardon and accept all those that sincerely, though imperfectly, obey him..

And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be (i. e.) Abide, as that verb is used 1 Tim. 4. 15. and elsewhere. there: and I will give thee tables of stone He chose that material, partly as very durable, yet so that it was capable of being broken, which God, foreseeing their wickedness, intended to do, and partly for signification, to note the hardness of their hearts, upon which no impression could be made, but by the finger of God., and a law and commandments Or, the law, and because that is ambiguous to the moral and ceremonial and judicial, he addes, even the commandment or commandements, to wit, the ten commandements, so called by way of eminency, for these only were written by God upon the stony tables, as appears by Exod. 34. 28. the rest were written only by Moses in a book, above ver. 4., which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua Who did not go up with Moses to the top of the mount, as is sufficiently implyed both here and above ver. 1, 2. but abode in some lower place, waiting for Moses his return, as appears from Exod. 32. 17. And there Ioshua abode 40 days, not fasting all the while, but having, as the rest had, Manna for his meat, and, for his drink, water out of the brook that discended out of the mount, as we read Deut. 9. 21.: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us (i. e.) For me and Ioshua, and here, i. e. in the camp, where he was when he spake these words; for it was where not only Aaron and Hur, but the people might come, as it here follows, and therefore not upon the mount., untill we come again unto you: and behold, Aaron and Hur Whom Moses had made joint-commissioners to determine hard causes which were brought to them from the Elders, according to the order, Exod. 18. 22. Some make Aaron the Ecclesiastical head, and Hur the civil head. But Aaron was not authorized for Ecclesiastical matters till chap. 28. are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

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

And the glory of the LORD (i. e.) The tokens of his glorious presence in the fire, ver. 17. Deut. 4. 36. abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered From the eyes of the people. it six days: and the seventh day So long God made Moses wait, either to exercise his humility, devotion, and dependance upon God: Or to prepare him by degrees for so great a work: Or because this was the Sabbath day, called therefore the seventh with an emphatical article: And God might choose that day, for the beginning of that glorious work to put the greater honour upon it and oblige the people to a stricter observance of it. So it was upon a Lords Day that St. Iohn had his Revelation delivered to him, Rev. 1. 10. he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire He says like it, for it was not devouring fire, as appears by Moses his long abode in it. Note here, whatsoever the Elders of Israel saw before, the people saw no similitude of God, as Moses observes Deut. 4. 15. on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel.

And Moses went up into the midst of the cloud The God that called him enabling him to enter and abide there, whereas, when he was left to himself, he could not enter into the Tabernacle, Exod. 40. 35., and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights In which he did neither eat nor drink, Exod. 34. 28. Deut. 9. 9, 18. whereby it seems most probable the six days mentioned ver. 16. were a part of these 40 days, because Moses being in perpetual expectation of Gods call seems not to have had leasure for eating and drinking, nor provision neither. Besides he is not said to be in the midst of the cloud so long, but only in the mount, where he was those six days, ver. 15, 16..