Exodus 24:3, commentary and pictures

Moses came down from the mountain from God and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments, explaining the benefits of obedience and the difference between right and wrong. Those words and judgments were distinct from the Ten Commandments, being additional precepts, statutes, ordinances and conditional promises that explained, applied and enforced the Ten Commandments for minds blinded by slavery, comprising the instruction in Exodus 19-24 which Christ spoke and Moses wrote in a book. All the people answered together with one voice that they would do all that the Lord had said, thereby accepting the conditions of His promises and solemnly binding themselves to govern words and actions by His law. By that pledge Israel entered covenant relation as His peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, with favor conditional on obedience, and the sprinkling of the blood that sealed them apart represents the shedding of the blood of Jesus by which believers are cleansed. That instruction must be studied in detail and obeyed now just as verily as by Israel then, for the pledge was quickly followed by failure when discontent over Moses' delay led to idolatry, professing willingness while failing to live by the law.

Message Told and Pledge Made

Moses came down from the mountain from God to the people and told them all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. In doing so he conveyed God's message explaining the benefits of following God's instruction and distinguishing right from wrong. What he told was distinct from the Ten Commandments, for the words and judgments were additional precepts, statutes, ordinances, judgments and conditional promises that explained, applied, illustrated and enforced the Ten Commandments. They were given to illustrate, apply and enforce the decalogue for minds blinded and debased by slavery, comprising the instruction in Exodus 19-24 which Moses wrote in a book as Christ, the Son of God, spoke them. All the people answered together with one voice that they would do all that the Lord had said, thereby accepting the conditions of His promises.

That pledge was the people's first promise to obey the covenant terms. It was made a few days after entering covenant at the foot of Sinai, after the law was spoken from Sinai and the additional statutes and judgments were communicated through Moses. Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and the pledge in the book of the covenant. That book was then read aloud to the people and the promise to obey was affirmed a second time before the covenant was ratified.

The ratification was a most solemn service. Moses built an altar under the hill with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He read the book of the covenant to the people, received their renewed promise of obedience, and sprinkled the blood of the covenant on the people to seal it. After this Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders went up and saw the God of Israel and ate and drank, and Moses with Joshua went further up the mount to receive tables of stone and the law and commandments to teach them, with directions for the sanctuary and the pattern of the ark.

Exodus 24 belongs with Exodus 25-27 as the specifications given for building the tabernacle. Those instructions were later repeated chapter after chapter while working quickly and skillfully with the hands, preaching by voice and by intelligent labor and giving an example of diligence and thoroughness. That example teaches that supreme honor is to be given to God and that the skill, genius and wisdom brought into the work were given by God to be used for His glory.

Covenant Meaning and Aftermath

By that united answer Israel gave its consent to the covenant and solemnly bound itself to govern words and actions by God's law and to observe its defined requirements. The principles were made specific so the people could understand the obligations they had accepted, and their promise was a solemn commitment to obey, not merely general assent.

God's favor toward Israel was conditional on obedience, and by the pledge Israel entered covenant relation as His peculiar treasure above all people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. God chose Israel as His people and Israel chose Him as their King and sovereign, and by this covenant commitment they were set apart as a people devoted to God. At Sinai they formally covenanted to accept God as their sovereign and were acknowledged as the chosen people of the Most High.

The solemn service that set them apart as God's special people sealed the covenant with the sprinkling of blood, which represents the shedding of the blood of Jesus by which human beings are cleansed from sin. Their unanimous agreement to obey all that God had said typifies the covenant between God and every believer in Jesus Christ.

The covenant followed God's wonders in bringing Israel from Egypt and gave ground to expect further blessings in speedily entering Canaan. Its conditions were repeated near the close of the wilderness wandering after many fell at Baal-peor, with instruction about future temptations and exhortation to remain separate from surrounding nations and worship God alone.

The instruction God gave in the mount in Exodus 19-24 must be studied in detail and obeyed now just as verily as by Israel then. Those laws written in a book guard against injustice and guide dealings with one another, requiring contention to cease and brethren to love one another with softened and subdued hearts.

The pledge was quickly followed by failure, for discontent and marked unbelief when Moses did not come down led to the idolatry of Exodus 32. Like the son who said he would go but did not, the people professed willingness while failing to live by the law. The solemn pledge to obey all God's spoken words was among the statements about Israel's duties and the giving of the law at Sinai that Ezra later searched out.