I have been studying the Bible daily for almost 60 years. One might think I would know it all by now, but the truth is, I’m still an amateur and continue to learn.
Recently, in Victor Hamilton’s handbook on the first five books of the Old Testament, I learned how Moses’s journey up the mountain foreshadowed what would occur when the Tabernacle was completed.
We will be studying the Tabernacle over the next couple of days. Rudy Ross will provide some excellent explanations on YouTube regarding this topic.
For now, let’s examine God’s instructions to Moses as he ascended Mount Sinai.
Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance.
Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him” (Exodus 24:1-2).
When the 70 elders were told to “worship at a distance,” it mirrored the outer court of the Tabernacle, where the general populace could come to worship and offer sacrifices, but not enter the inner holy places.
Moses’s role here parallels that of the High Priest, the only one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place (behind the veil) in the Tabernacle, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. As an intercessor, Moses foreshadowed the High Priest’s function as an intermediary between God and the people.
Obedience Required
The Israelites endured 400 years of slavery in Egypt, where Pharaoh and his subordinates demanded absolute obedience.
Now, liberated from bondage, God also desired them to live in an obedient relationship with Him. However, His purpose was not to exploit their labor like Pharaoh, but rather to transform them into people who would reflect His image in the world.
Moses conveyed God’s requirements to them, and in response, they pledged their faithfulness.
Moses went and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances, and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do” (Exodus 24:3*).
Even though the Israelites failed to fulfill their pledge of obedience, the fact that obedience was required and affirmed on two occasions reveals the seriousness of the requirement.
Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Exodus 24:7).
Preparation for Meeting God
When Peter recognized Jesus’s absolute power and holiness, his natural response was to fall to his knees and exclaim, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). Peter’s response illustrates a fundamental truth: whenever humans encounter a holy and powerful God, our own sinfulness is naturally revealed.
After experiencing God’s numerous demonstrations of power and might, like Peter, they recognized the need for purification amid God’s holy presence.
And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning, built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel.
He sent young men of the Israelites, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the Lord.
Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar.
Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, “Here is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words” (Exodus 34:4-6, 8).
Once again, these verses foreshadow what would take place once the Tabernacle was constructed.
The altar at the base of the mountain is a direct precursor to the Brazen Altar in the Tabernacle’s outer court.
The Tabernacle’s altar would be the primary place for all burnt offerings and other sacrifices, serving as the constant means by which Israel could approach God for atonement and communion.
When we begin our study of Leviticus, we’ll dig deeper into the role of the sacrificial system. This system had two main purposes: to offer worship that pleased God and to perform acts that brought us forgiveness and reconciliation.
In the Tabernacle, blood was central to almost every ritual of purification and atonement. The blood of sacrifices was applied to the altar, used in various purification rites, and especially brought into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.
This act of “dashing” blood on the people symbolizes their consecration and participation in the covenant, prefiguring the cleansing and covenant relationship facilitated by the Tabernacle’s rituals.
Rudy Ross makes an excellent point: the imagery and practices of the Old Testament are essential for understanding what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross.
From the very beginning of Israel’s encounters with God, blood was central. Whether through the blood of circumcision or the blood of sacrificed animals, it was always required to pave the way for our relationship with God.
Reflections
I usually have a morning and evening prayer time, which I view as entering into God’s presence.
This passage reminds me that we do not enter God’s presence lightly. He is holy and awesome.
It was only because Jesus experienced crucifixion and resurrection that we can have access to Him. Let us not take that access lightly.
The second component of this study reminds us that God is the King and we are His servants. He is not a tyrant, but a loving Lord who wants us to reflect His image to the world.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 