Introduction

In Exodus 20 God gave the Israelites the 10 commandments. They now agree to do all that God asks of them.

Verses
1He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
2Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near. The people shall not go up with him.”
3Moses came and told the people all the LORD’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken will we do.”
4Moses wrote all the LORD’s words, then rose up early in the morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to the LORD.
6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “We will do all that the LORD has said, and be obedient.”
8Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.”
9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.
11He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.”
13Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God’s Mountain.
14He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”
15Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16The LORD’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud.
17The appearance of the LORD’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18Moses entered into the middle of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Questions

1. What did the people say firstly when Moses told them God's words and ordinances and again when he read the book of the covenant to them?

v 3 ... “All the words which the LORD has spoken will we do.”

v 7 ... “We will do all that the LORD has said, and be obedient.”

2. Why did Moses sprinkle blood on the people?

v 8 Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.”

3. Why did God give Moses the stone tablets with the law and the commands?

v 12 ... I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.

Summary Points

  • v 1 and 2 God invites Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 elders to come up the mountain and worship from a distance. Only Moses is invited to come near the LORD
  •  v 3 Moses tells the people the LORD's words and ordinances which they say they will keep
  • v 4 to 7 Moses writes God’s words. He builds an altar on which burnt and peace offerings are made. He sprinkles half the blood from the offerings on the altar. He then reads the book of the covenant to the people which the people say they will obey
  • v 8 Moses sprinkles the rest of the blood on the people to confirm the covenant they have made.
  • v 9 to 11 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 elders see a vision of God and eat and drink
  • v 12 to 14 God invites Moses to come up the mountain to receive the stone tablets containing the law. Moses appoints Aaron and Hur to deal with disputes

  • v 15 to 18 Moses goes up the mountain which is covered by God's glory. After six days God speaks to Moses who stays on the mountain for forty days and nights

    Timeline 1500 BC

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