Introduction: The Lord saved His people from the power of Egypt, gave them freedom, brought them through the wilderness to Himself at Sinai, and established His covenant of love with them (Exod. 19:3–6; Deut. 7:9, 12; Neh. 9:32). His grace and care for His people were astounding. In a powerful display of His glory at Sinai, He spoke the Ten Promises (the gift of the Decalogue, pronounced in Exodus 20) and explained them in more detail in the Covenant Code (Exod. 20:22–23:19). Now the Lord ratifies this covenant with Israel in an important ceremony that is rooted in animal sacrifice, which points to Christ’s sacrifice, and is sealed with blood.
Part II: Commentary
Part II: Commentary
The Ratification of the Covenant
The Ratification of the Covenant
The ratification of the covenant involved several important elements:
• Moses’ oral presentation of the Lord’s words and laws (Exod. 24:3);
• Moses’ writing of the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 24:4a);
• building an altar (Exod. 24:4b);
• setting up 12 stone pillars, representing the 12 tribes of Israel (Exod. 24:4c);
• burnt and peace offerings (Exod. 24:5);
• Moses’ sprinkling half of the sacrificial blood on the altar (Exod. 24:6);
• his reading of the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 24:7a);
• the people’s affirmative responses (Exod. 24:3, 7b);
• Moses’ sprinkling another half of the sacrificial blood on the people (Exod. 24:8a);
• Moses’ pronunciation: “ ‘This is the blood of the covenant [phrase occurring only here in the Hebrew Bible; compare with Zech. 9:11, Matt. 26:28, Mark 14:24] that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words’ ” (Exod. 24:8b, NIV);
• a covenantal meal, with 74 leaders, on Mount Sinai (Exod. 24:9–11).
In the setting of the covenant, God’s people responded three times in the same way to God’s gracious words: “ ‘We will do everything the Lord has said’ ” (Exod. 19:8, NIV; see also Exod. 24:3, 7, NIV). What was wrong with such a promise? Namely, their self-confidence, their shallow understanding of the power of sin and of their own sinful nature, and their failure to acknowledge the need for God’s assistance. In reality, just a few weeks later, many of them were dancing around the golden calf. The proper answer would be: “With the help of the Lord and by the power of His grace, we will do everything the Lord has said.”
Joshua, a very faithful servant of Moses and later an excellent leader of God’s people, personally heard these well-meant promises and knew how fragile, weak, and easily broken they were. Several times he witnessed the apostasy of the Israelites. When they again repeated at a later time, “ ‘We too will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:18, NIV), Joshua decisively told them that they were “not able to serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:19, NIV) because their decision was not firm, as they still cherished some pagan idols (see Josh. 24:14, 23) and were not depending upon God’s help but on their own strong will. However, Joshua personally declared: “ ‘But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:15, NIV).
God invited Moses, along with Aaron and two of his sons, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders to meet with Him on Mount Sinai (Exod. 24:9, 10). By His close presence, God wished to reveal more fully who He was. It is purposely mentioned that they were eating and drinking on that occasion. It is not explained who prepared the banquet, although it most likely was the Lord Himself. Eating together was another form of sealing a covenant, so this was a covenantal meal. In biblical times, the very act of eating together established a deep friendship and a bond of family and brotherhood. If something was not right between those who shared a meal together, it was forgiven, and the promise was given by those feasting that they would stand by each other forever (see, e.g., Jacob and Laban’s meal, in Genesis 31:54).
We experience a similar covenantal fellowship when we celebrate the life and death of Jesus during the Lord’s Supper, the Communion. God is inviting believers to have a close relationship with Him and with one another by eating and drinking together. Those who participate in this commemorative ceremony form one family with Christ because it actualizes and makes tangible what He did for us. Communion is the time when His church is reestablished and a community of faith reformed, showing that He is their Lord, King, and Friend. Church members are united with Him and to one another. They are sanctified by His being with them. The bond is sealed by His presence and Word.
The Tabernacle of God
The Tabernacle of God
Almost one-third of the book of Exodus deals with the tabernacle, thus indicating its importance. Exodus 25 to 31 provides the detailed blueprint, instructions about its design, and the materials used, while Exodus 35 to 40 narrate how to build it and the actual consecration of the sanctuary for its holy functions. What is the significance of this narrative?
The most important thing in the sanctuary is not the furniture, even though it cannot be overlooked because it set the stage for what was to take place in the tabernacle. The crucial thing is the drama, the actual play that takes place there.
It is like going to the theater to see a play with different scenes. What is on the stage tells the audience if the story will take place during the day or at midnight, if it is occurring in a town, palace, cemetery, or wedding banquet, who the main players are, and many details in between. The setting is important for understanding the plot and the play. In the same way, our focus related to the tabernacle must always be on the play itself, not just on the background, the furniture, and type of sacrifice, so that we may recognize what is being portrayed. We need to understand the meaning of all of it. The tabernacle is a monumental object lesson of God’s plan of redemption.
The services in the sanctuary present the drama of God. In a dramatic way, they document who God is; what He stands for; the values He upholds; how He saves the repentant sinner; how He deals with sin and stubbornly wicked people; how He judges, and brings, a final solution to the problem of sin, so that one day evil will be eradicated. This drama demonstrates, ultimately, that peace, reconciliation, and harmony will be reestablished.
God wanted to dwell with His people. The tabernacle was His earthly dwelling place, not that He was not already with them, or could be contained by it, but because He wanted to demonstrate His actual tangible presence to His people, showing that they were not alone, abandoned, or forsaken, and that He was taking care of them.
The apostle Paul plainly states that the Lord does not live in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24, 25), and Solomon solemnly declares, after building a marvelous temple for Him in Jerusalem, that even the heavens could not hold the Lord: “ ‘But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!’ ” (2 Chron. 6:18, NIV). Then Solomon continues: “ ‘May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. . . . Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive’ ” (2 Chron. 6:20, 21, NIV). God in His love and mercy condescends to our level and breaks into our time and space to be with us.
God’s visible presence is behind His desire for Israel to build Him a tabernacle in the center of the camp. The Lord declares: “ ‘Have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among [you]’ ” (Exod. 25:8, NIV; see also ESV, NKJV). Do not overlook the conjunction “and” in this phrase (good translations have “and,” not a causative “that,” even though it is also a proper translation), for this “and” is exegetically and theologically crucial. God did not need the sanctuary in order to be, or dwell, with His people. His presence was with them all the time, as the principal theme of the book of Exodus is God’s presence with His people. However, God later uses the Hebrew preposition lamed (“so that” or “that”) in Exodus 29:46b, so everyone will be clear that the purpose of the sanctuary is for Him to closely dwell with His people and demonstrate His visible presence (Exod. 29:42–46).
When Israel’s glorious Solomonic temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the people were sent into exile as a result of their unfaithfulness (Dan. 9:4–20), God through the prophet Ezekiel assured His people that He would be “a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone” (Ezek. 11:16, NIV).
God tells Moses that he must build the sanctuary, according to the model of the heavenly sanctuary shown him on Mount Sinai (Exod. 25:9, 40; see more on this in the Commentary section of lesson 13). The most important space in the sanctuary was the Most Holy Place, with its central piece being the ark of the covenant, also called the ark of the testimony (Exod. 25:16), because God’s words of the testimony or the Decalogue were to be placed inside the ark (Exod. 40:20). On the top of the ark, an atonement cover made of pure gold was placed, a mercy seat (Hebrew Kaporet, from the root kapar, “atone”; in the Greek, hilasterion). It was the place where final reconciliation took place and the confessed sins of God’s people were blotted out. Here God provided the ultimate solution to the problem of sin and evil (see Lev. 16:15, 16, 30). Jesus Christ is the hilasterion, the mercy seat, the atoning Sacrifice who atones and purifies us from our sins (Rom. 3:25, CJB; 1 John 2:2, NIV).
Part III: Life Application
Part III: Life Application
After Solomon built the temple, God said to him: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). How can we carefully implement and practice as a community of faith this divine advice? What hinders our prayers, keeping God from hearing, and responding to, our cries for help?
How do we renew the covenant of love with the Lord during Communion? Do we need a special ceremony to do so? Explain.
Jesus Christ “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, ESV). In the Greek language, it is literally stated that He “tabernacled with us.” How can the incarnation of Jesus and His life on earth assure you that He is with you and understands all your troubles, problems, and life’s challenges?
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Part I: Overview
Key Text: Exodus 24:3
Study Focus: Exod. 24:1–31:18
Introduction: The Lord saved His people from the power of Egypt, gave them freedom, brought them through the wilderness to Himself at Sinai, and established His covenant of love with them (Exod. 19:3–6; Deut. 7:9, 12; Neh. 9:32). His grace and care for His people were astounding. In a powerful display of His glory at Sinai, He spoke the Ten Promises (the gift of the Decalogue, pronounced in Exodus 20) and explained them in more detail in the Covenant Code (Exod. 20:22–23:19). Now the Lord ratifies this covenant with Israel in an important ceremony that is rooted in animal sacrifice, which points to Christ’s sacrifice, and is sealed with blood.
Part II: Commentary
Part II: Commentary
The Ratification of the Covenant
The Ratification of the Covenant
The ratification of the covenant involved several important elements:
• Moses’ oral presentation of the Lord’s words and laws (Exod. 24:3);
• Moses’ writing of the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 24:4a);
• building an altar (Exod. 24:4b);
• setting up 12 stone pillars, representing the 12 tribes of Israel (Exod. 24:4c);
• burnt and peace offerings (Exod. 24:5);
• Moses’ sprinkling half of the sacrificial blood on the altar (Exod. 24:6);
• his reading of the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 24:7a);
• the people’s affirmative responses (Exod. 24:3, 7b);
• Moses’ sprinkling another half of the sacrificial blood on the people (Exod. 24:8a);
• Moses’ pronunciation: “ ‘This is the blood of the covenant [phrase occurring only here in the Hebrew Bible; compare with Zech. 9:11, Matt. 26:28, Mark 14:24] that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words’ ” (Exod. 24:8b, NIV);
• a covenantal meal, with 74 leaders, on Mount Sinai (Exod. 24:9–11).
In the setting of the covenant, God’s people responded three times in the same way to God’s gracious words: “ ‘We will do everything the Lord has said’ ” (Exod. 19:8, NIV; see also Exod. 24:3, 7, NIV). What was wrong with such a promise? Namely, their self-confidence, their shallow understanding of the power of sin and of their own sinful nature, and their failure to acknowledge the need for God’s assistance. In reality, just a few weeks later, many of them were dancing around the golden calf. The proper answer would be: “With the help of the Lord and by the power of His grace, we will do everything the Lord has said.”
Joshua, a very faithful servant of Moses and later an excellent leader of God’s people, personally heard these well-meant promises and knew how fragile, weak, and easily broken they were. Several times he witnessed the apostasy of the Israelites. When they again repeated at a later time, “ ‘We too will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:18, NIV), Joshua decisively told them that they were “not able to serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:19, NIV) because their decision was not firm, as they still cherished some pagan idols (see Josh. 24:14, 23) and were not depending upon God’s help but on their own strong will. However, Joshua personally declared: “ ‘But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:15, NIV).
God invited Moses, along with Aaron and two of his sons, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders to meet with Him on Mount Sinai (Exod. 24:9, 10). By His close presence, God wished to reveal more fully who He was. It is purposely mentioned that they were eating and drinking on that occasion. It is not explained who prepared the banquet, although it most likely was the Lord Himself. Eating together was another form of sealing a covenant, so this was a covenantal meal. In biblical times, the very act of eating together established a deep friendship and a bond of family and brotherhood. If something was not right between those who shared a meal together, it was forgiven, and the promise was given by those feasting that they would stand by each other forever (see, e.g., Jacob and Laban’s meal, in Genesis 31:54).
We experience a similar covenantal fellowship when we celebrate the life and death of Jesus during the Lord’s Supper, the Communion. God is inviting believers to have a close relationship with Him and with one another by eating and drinking together. Those who participate in this commemorative ceremony form one family with Christ because it actualizes and makes tangible what He did for us. Communion is the time when His church is reestablished and a community of faith reformed, showing that He is their Lord, King, and Friend. Church members are united with Him and to one another. They are sanctified by His being with them. The bond is sealed by His presence and Word.
The Tabernacle of God
The Tabernacle of God
Almost one-third of the book of Exodus deals with the tabernacle, thus indicating its importance. Exodus 25 to 31 provides the detailed blueprint, instructions about its design, and the materials used, while Exodus 35 to 40 narrate how to build it and the actual consecration of the sanctuary for its holy functions. What is the significance of this narrative?
The most important thing in the sanctuary is not the furniture, even though it cannot be overlooked because it set the stage for what was to take place in the tabernacle. The crucial thing is the drama, the actual play that takes place there.
It is like going to the theater to see a play with different scenes. What is on the stage tells the audience if the story will take place during the day or at midnight, if it is occurring in a town, palace, cemetery, or wedding banquet, who the main players are, and many details in between. The setting is important for understanding the plot and the play. In the same way, our focus related to the tabernacle must always be on the play itself, not just on the background, the furniture, and type of sacrifice, so that we may recognize what is being portrayed. We need to understand the meaning of all of it. The tabernacle is a monumental object lesson of God’s plan of redemption.
The services in the sanctuary present the drama of God. In a dramatic way, they document who God is; what He stands for; the values He upholds; how He saves the repentant sinner; how He deals with sin and stubbornly wicked people; how He judges, and brings, a final solution to the problem of sin, so that one day evil will be eradicated. This drama demonstrates, ultimately, that peace, reconciliation, and harmony will be reestablished.
God wanted to dwell with His people. The tabernacle was His earthly dwelling place, not that He was not already with them, or could be contained by it, but because He wanted to demonstrate His actual tangible presence to His people, showing that they were not alone, abandoned, or forsaken, and that He was taking care of them.
The apostle Paul plainly states that the Lord does not live in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24, 25), and Solomon solemnly declares, after building a marvelous temple for Him in Jerusalem, that even the heavens could not hold the Lord: “ ‘But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!’ ” (2 Chron. 6:18, NIV). Then Solomon continues: “ ‘May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. . . . Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive’ ” (2 Chron. 6:20, 21, NIV). God in His love and mercy condescends to our level and breaks into our time and space to be with us.
God’s visible presence is behind His desire for Israel to build Him a tabernacle in the center of the camp. The Lord declares: “ ‘Have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among [you]’ ” (Exod. 25:8, NIV; see also ESV, NKJV). Do not overlook the conjunction “and” in this phrase (good translations have “and,” not a causative “that,” even though it is also a proper translation), for this “and” is exegetically and theologically crucial. God did not need the sanctuary in order to be, or dwell, with His people. His presence was with them all the time, as the principal theme of the book of Exodus is God’s presence with His people. However, God later uses the Hebrew preposition lamed (“so that” or “that”) in Exodus 29:46b, so everyone will be clear that the purpose of the sanctuary is for Him to closely dwell with His people and demonstrate His visible presence (Exod. 29:42–46).
When Israel’s glorious Solomonic temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the people were sent into exile as a result of their unfaithfulness (Dan. 9:4–20), God through the prophet Ezekiel assured His people that He would be “a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone” (Ezek. 11:16, NIV).
God tells Moses that he must build the sanctuary, according to the model of the heavenly sanctuary shown him on Mount Sinai (Exod. 25:9, 40; see more on this in the Commentary section of lesson 13). The most important space in the sanctuary was the Most Holy Place, with its central piece being the ark of the covenant, also called the ark of the testimony (Exod. 25:16), because God’s words of the testimony or the Decalogue were to be placed inside the ark (Exod. 40:20). On the top of the ark, an atonement cover made of pure gold was placed, a mercy seat (Hebrew Kaporet, from the root kapar, “atone”; in the Greek, hilasterion). It was the place where final reconciliation took place and the confessed sins of God’s people were blotted out. Here God provided the ultimate solution to the problem of sin and evil (see Lev. 16:15, 16, 30). Jesus Christ is the hilasterion, the mercy seat, the atoning Sacrifice who atones and purifies us from our sins (Rom. 3:25, CJB; 1 John 2:2, NIV).
Part III: Life Application
Part III: Life Application
After Solomon built the temple, God said to him: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). How can we carefully implement and practice as a community of faith this divine advice? What hinders our prayers, keeping God from hearing, and responding to, our cries for help?
How do we renew the covenant of love with the Lord during Communion? Do we need a special ceremony to do so? Explain.
Jesus Christ “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, ESV). In the Greek language, it is literally stated that He “tabernacled with us.” How can the incarnation of Jesus and His life on earth assure you that He is with you and understands all your troubles, problems, and life’s challenges?