Outline
Moses is called up into the mountain, The people promise obedience. (Verse 1-8.)
The glory of the Lord appears. (Verse 9-11.)
Moses goes up into the mountain. (Verse 12-18.)
And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
3 And Moses came 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 hath said will we do.
4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Notice the order here. Moses builds an altar, the young men offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD, but it was Moses that carried the blood, and sprinkled half of it on the altar.
Moses did not kill the animals because that was not the job of the priest, but of sinner bringing the offering. Moses sprinkled the blood like a priest would do.
7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
“took the book…read…All that the Lord hath SAID…” – when you read the Bible you are hearing THE WORDS OF GOD; thus it is extremely important that you have and use the Bible that actually has the exact words of God in it. With over 150 English “bibles” in existence today that all say something different, either one of them is right and all of the others are wrong or none of them have the very words of God in it. These are the only two options for two “bibles” that record God as saying different things can not be right. The student had better be sure that he or she has and is using the true word of God and not one of the devil’s counterfeits.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
[Lev 17:11, Matt 26:28, Heb 9:20]
9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
After Moses sanctified the altar with the blood of the covenant, he sprinkled a representative of the children of Israel from each of the twelve tribes with the remaining blood to sanctify them.
10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
[Gen 32:30, Exod 33:20, Deut 5:24, Judg 6:22, Judg 13:22, Isa 6:5]
compare with Isaiah 6:1 and Ezekiel 1:26; because “no man hath seen God at any time” and yet Jesus is God and the “express image of his [the Father’s] person;” this verse refers to Moses and the elders seeing the Angel of the Lord.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
Ezekiel 1:26 and 10:1 each mention the that the appearance of the throne of God in heaven is like unto sapphire stone. The body of heaven is most likely the pure river (a body of water).
Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
[Heb 12:29]
18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.
Verse 1-8 – A solemn covenant was made between God and Israel. Very solemn it was, typifying the covenant of grace between God and believers, through Christ. As soon as God separated to himself a peculiar people, he governed them by a written word, as he has done ever since. God’s covenants and commands are so just in themselves, and so much for our good, that the more we think of them, and the more plainly and fully they are set before us, the more reason we may see to comply with them. The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar, on the book, and on the people. Neither their persons, their moral obedience, nor religious services, would meet with acceptance from a holy God, except through the shedding and sprinkling’ of blood. Also the blessings granted unto them were all of mercy; and the Lord would deal with them in kindness. Thus the sinner, by faith in the blood of Christ, renders willing and acceptable obedience.
Verse 9-11 – The elders saw the God of Israel; they had some glimpse of his glory, though whatever they saw, it was something of which no image or picture could be made, yet enough to satisfy them that God was with them of a truth. Nothing is described but what was under his feet. The sapphires are the pavement under his feet; let us put all the wealth of this world under our feet, and not in our hearts. Thus the believer sees in the face of Jesus Christ, far clearer discoveries of the glorious justice and holiness of God, than ever he saw under terrifying convictions; and through the Saviour, holds communion with a holy God.
Verse 12-18 – A cloud covered the mount six days; a token of God’s special presence there. Moses was sure that he who called him up would protect him. Even those glorious attributes of God which are most terrible to the wicked, the saints with humble reverence rejoice in. And through faith in the atoning Sacrifice, we hope for greater honour than Moses ever enjoyed on earth. Now we see through a glass darkly, but when he shall appear, then face to face. This vision of God will continue with equal, if not increasing brightness of joy; not for a few days only, but through eternity.