Review Of Exodus 24

— by Victor Fawole

I welcome everyone to Exodus 24 – the high point of Exodus, a chapter that looks like a wedding ceremony between God and Israel, with Moses serving as the witness and best man for Israel, and the wedding contract being the Ten Commandments. This official ceremony of God’s covenant with the people reveals a different level of the worship – they entered into the presence of the glory of God.

Let us review:

1. THE CALL FOR WORSHIP

Exo. 24:1 Now 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.

God calls 74 people for worship on the mountain. These 74 people are in three different groups:

• Moses — the mediator of the covenant
• Aaron, Nadab and Abihu — the future priests of Israel
• 70 elders of Israel — the rulers appointed by Moses.

These 74 people were the representatives of all Israel in different leadership capacities. However, of all the 74 people, only Moses could go up. Others worshipped from afar. Moses had this special access, not because he was perfect, but because he was the chosen mediator of the covenant. Jesus Christ is our mediator of the New Covenant (1Tim. 2:5, Heb. 8:6).

This makes me more grateful for the great privilege we now have as believers. Under the Law, there was a distance between God and man, but in the New Covenant of grace, every believer is a priest, and because Jesus is our Mediator, we can “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16) I do not have to worship at a distance. Hallelujah!

2. THE CONSECRATION OF THE WORSHIPERS

Exo. 24:1 Now 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.

As the mediator of the old covenant, Moses rehashed the terms of the contract to the Israelites – they were to live as a holy nation, separate and distinct from the neighbouring pagan nations. And as before, they signed their column in the contract papers. They promised to keep all the laws. Hmmm… The problem with their promise was that although they were willing, they did not fully understand the utter depravity of man, and the weakness of their flesh (Matt. 26:41). The law is weak through the flesh and only Jesus could help us (Rom. 8:3).

Moses went on to write the terms of the covenant. He set up twelve pillars to represent each tribe of Israel, and an altar to represent the presence of God. Then, they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to God.

For their atonement, Moses sprinkled blood on the altar. For their consecration, Moses sprinkled blood on them. God related with them through covenant, based on blood, for blood is the basis of redemption and reconciliation. Blood is the ink for signing God’s covenant. I am particularly drawn to the words of Moses in verse 8:

“This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

This was a shadow of the sprinkling of blood on believers in the New Covenant (1Pet. 1:1-2). And when Jesus would talk about His own blood, He said in Matt. 26:28:

For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The New Covenant was ratified with the blood of the Lamb of God (John 1:29, Tit. 2:14). The blood of Christ set us free from sin and death. And as I mentioned earlier, the Blood of Jesus gives us free access to God every time.

3. THE CONFIRMATION OF THE COVENANT

Exo. 24:10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

Although the Bible is clear that no one has seen God at any time (John 1:18, 1John 4:12, 1Tim. 6:16), we read here that “they saw God”. Some people accuse the Bible of contradiction, but that is never the case. Of course not, So what did they see? What they saw was some manifestation of God, just as Moses (Exo. 3:6), Jacob (Gen. 32:30), Samson’s parents (Judg. 13:21-22), and Isaiah (Isa. 6:1) saw a manifestation of God. Mortal man cannot survive seeing God in His full glory (Exo. 33:20). Jesus Christ is the closest view we will have of God, and that is more than enough for us!

It is worthy of note that they confirmed the covenant by celebration – feasting. So they saw God, and they ate and drank. Asceticism has never been a way of fellowship with God. Sharing a meal is an integral part of making covenants. Moses and the elders of Israel sealed the Old Covenant with God by partaking of a meal. Just as the Old Covenant came with a meal, the New Covenant also came with a meal (the Last Supper) and this sharing of meal continues with us (Holy Communion). By eating and drinking, we affirm the New Covenant. Let no man put you under the bondage of fasting in order to enjoy God in this New Covenant.

4. THE COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

Exo. 24:12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

As they were feasting, God called Moses up to receive the stone tablets upon which God wrote the law with His fingers (Exo. 31:18). Moses delegated Aaron and Hur to preside over matters that the elders could not resolve. The glory of God as in a cloud covered the mountain – Moses had to wait at the “Reception” for six days! The appearance of God’s glory was like a consuming fire, but Moses was not consumed or devoured. What a reflection of God’s great mercy and amazing grace! It was both a glorious sight and a fearful sight. The writer of Hebrews told us how Moses himself reacted: “I am full of fear and trembling.” (Heb. 12:21).

For 40 days and nights, Moses received the instructions regarding the Tabernacle, the priesthood and Israel’s worship. He ate nothing all through – neither bread nor water. This is not because he chose to fast. No. It indicates that he was in a supernatural atmosphere where man’s need for food and water is suspended. Permit me to share this extract from one of Pastor Dammy’s articles.

There are only 3 records of 40 days fasting done by 3 different people in the entire Bible. These 3 men were mediators of 3 different dispensations. Moses (Law Giver), Elijah (Law Prophet or Law Defender) and Jesus (Law Fulfiller).

Listen carefully: None of these 3 men went on this fasting by a personal determination!

There was a SPIRITUAL ENABLING that overshadowed them all through the 40 days… in so much that NONE of them felt HUNGRY all through the 40 days abstinence! Did you see what I just wrote? Throughout the 40 days, none of them felt any feeling of HUNGER or THIRST! They were wrapped up by a super mighty cloud of power all through the 40 days! This definitely cannot be classified as a typical FASTING! Let’s confirm this one after the other.

Moses was not forming to be ‘with the Lord’! He was actually ‘with the Lord’ and given the Law live! It was not a vision or trance! I love Bro. Kenneth Hagin’s summary of this Moses’ experience: ‘…If you’re caught up in the Spirit and are in the glory of God, you also lose all sense of time. Those 40 days probably seemed like about 14 minutes to Moses…’ This is definitely true because even when Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven, he lost all sense of human feelings! (2Cor. 12:3) Moses’ 40 days of non-eating is therefore supernaturally induced!

Some people also want to fast for 40 days simply because Elijah fasted 40 days. This is so erroneous and a product of lack of humility in accepting clear scriptural revelation. Elijah did not go on a 40 days fast out of a personal determination…but a SUPERNATURAL INDUCEMENT! Read 1Kings 19:5-8 carefully. This is so clear! Elijah ate an angelic food TWICE…AND THAT MEAL overshadowed his natural abilities to go on without food for 40 days and 40 nights! Elijah’s 40 days of non-eating was therefore supernaturally induced! Again, this definitely cannot be classified as a typical FASTING!

Now we come to the third Person, who is the Law Fulfiller! This is the main reason why many folks go on 40 days fasting… simply because they read that Jesus fasted in the wilderness.Like other examples, this is an absolute error and a product of lack of humility in accepting clear scriptural revelation. (Luke 4:1-2) There was a supernatural overshadowing that led him into the wilderness! Jesus did not feel hungry all through the 40 days of fasting! It was supernatural! It was AFTER the 40 days of fasting that he BECAME HUNGRY! So it was not a ‘non-attention’ to hunger… it was that He was not even hungry! This is supernatural! Would you call this a typical fast? It is therefore absurd to go on a 40 days fast simply because Moses, Elijah or even Jesus went without food for 40 days!

You can read the full article here: Concerning Fasting Part 2

Dear Gogolights, rejoice in the freedom of grace that you enjoy in Christ. Celebrate the covenant of grace that does not hold your sins against you, but rather imputes the righteousness of Christ in your account. Jubilate for the circle of love that God enclosed you into.

Tag five people and tell them: I am under grace!

God bless you for reading. Till next time when we resume our “No Bible, No Breakfast” exercise.

Grace to you, Church!