Exodus Chapter 24
This chapter is a beautiful expression of the awesomeness of God. All of the people were privileged to see His awesome nearness as He rested upon Mount Sinai. A few were even privileged to see his feet and the beautiful sapphire like stone under His feet. Moses was allowed to come the closest to the presence of God, but none saw the face of God, not even Moses. These men mentioned in verse 1 and then in 9 saw a form of God. It is the idea that when they saw the likeness of Him, they knew they were seeing God.
Ezekiel 1:26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.
In the previous three chapters God had set forth some rules in the ears of Moses and Moses wrote them down so that they would be remembered. He would share these words with the people, and He would relate to them the covenant that God had made with them. Moses would also be invited to go up the mountain and spend time in the presence of God to receive the Ten Commandments.
I believe that verse 9 is a continuation of verse 1, in that God invited the elders of Israel to come close at the bottom of the mountain at the time they are sacrificing offering worship to God. The rest of the people were to stay back a good distance from the base of the mountain. God allowed these men who were to be the respected leaders of the people to get a glimpse of the one true God. It is crazy to realize that these men had this experience of what we would call a “God encounter” and some 40 plus days later they would be worshipping a golden calf. But at this encounter at the foot of the mountain these men were so elated to be experiencing an encounter with God that they ate and drank right then and there. This was a celebration, I believe, of being in the presence of almighty God.
Let's Reflect
1. When Moses relayed all the words and rules that God had set forth, how did the people respond?
2. How would you have responded to Moses if you had been there that day and saw the glory of God manifested on that mountain in the form of thunder, lightning and fire?
3. What was the name of the book that Moses had written all the words and rules that God had told him?
4. Who did Moses choose to pick up heavy oxen for sacrifice, on top of the altar he had built?
5. What is required to seal a covenant made between sinful people and a Holy God? See verse 8.
6. How was the sapphire stone described that was under the feet of God?
7. Moses was invited to go up the mountain where he would be given the Ten Commandments. Who assisted Moses and went with him for a short distance and then waited as Moses went higher up the mountain?
8. They probably could see Moses climbing the mountain for some of the time. There were six days that the same cloud that had led them to the mountain was visible on the mountain. On the seventh day the scene became much more intense. What did the people see now on the top of the mountain?
9. How long was Moses on the mountain?
10. Moses was careful to instruct the elders not to try to follow him up the mountain. He instructed them to wait for him to come back down. Who did he leave in charge of the people while he was gone?
