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. 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. (Ex 24:7-8)
The Children of Israel were sprinkled by the
blood of the covenant in the Wilderness as a prophetic reflection of that Blood
of the Covenant wherewith the Altar and the Children of God would be sprinkled
in the same manner in the New Testament Covenant. A covenant is not in force
unless both parties enter therein. This is an early
example of baptism as a sign of covenant relationship in the Church. The blood
sprinkled on the Altar signified the covenant on God’s part to lead, defend,
and save the Children of Israel. Conversely, the sprinkling of blood on the
people signified their responsibility to love, obey, and honor God. The
sprinkling of Blood for the Church of today occurred at Calvary when that
Fountain of Saving Blood was opened for us. Our baptism into the Church occurs
when we, with a true and contrite heart, make a public demonstration of our
faith by baptism into the Church.
It
is noteworthy to mention, And
Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. (Ex 24:4) A written contract is far
more enforceable than a verbal one since it allows for no ambiguities. The
Written Word of God has much more impact on our hearts than to hear them spoken
since we can read for comprehension and even gage our speed of learning in our
reading. It is a permanent and immutable record of the thoughts of God toward
us. For
the word of the LORD is right;
and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness
and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word
of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of
his mouth.
(Psalms
33:4-6)
God appears in His glory to Moses and His ministers:
Then went up Moses, and Aaron,
Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 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. And upon the nobles
of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat
and drink. (Ex 24:9-11)
Not
only did Moses write down, as a scribe, every Word the Lord had spoken
regarding the covenant, God Himself will write His Laws on Tables of
Stone: 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. (Ex
24:12) There was episcopal order to the calling of Moses to meet with
God. Though the people who were still of infantile understanding were not
called into God’s presence, the Seventy Elders were allowed to accompany Moses
up to a point, but were counseled to remain in worship afar off. 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. (Ex
24:14)
We now read of the astonishing majesty of the
Lord as He appeared to Moses and Joshua: And Moses went up into the mount, and a
cloud covered the mount. 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. 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. 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. (Ex 24:15-18)
The brilliant countenance of God was shrouded
in the cloud atop Sinai. It is not likely that Moses could have lived had he
seen the full radiance of God with his bare eyes, so God is shrouded in the
cloud. The six days of preparation is akin to the six days of Creation. God
waits those six days before calling to Moses out of the cloud. Even with the
veil of cloud surrounding His Person, God appears as a devouring fire to the
Children of Israel standing afar off. His glory can penetrate the fog of doubt
and fear that may be precluding those who desire His salvation. You will
remember another cloud in which the Lord Jesus was shrouded on the Mount of
Transfiguration. (Matt 17:2)
Moses was present in THAT cloud as well.
At this point, I believe it appropriate for a
further discussion of that Transfiguration event in the New Testament. You will
recall that Moses, Elijah, and the Lord Jesus Christ at first appeared together
to the disciples. The bodies of Elijah and Moses were clearly discernible as to
their true identities. Of what significance is this? Moses died on Mount Nabal
and God buried him there. Elijah did not suffer death but was translated. But
the point here is that saints, whether translated directly to heaven at the
last day, or resurrected at that time, will appear in their bodies that are
discernible to us.
God was in the Cloud at Sinai, and God (the
Lord Jesus Christ) was in the Cloud at the Mt. of Transfiguration. God is
demonstrating His consistent plan of salvation in that Cloud of Sinai and Mt.
of Transfiguration. Salvation began at Sinai and the giving of the Law. The Law
could not save, but could bring its hearer to conviction of sin and repentance.
The Law was represented by Moses in the Cloud atop the Mount of
Transfiguration. The satisfaction for the terms of the Law which we were not
able to perfectly keep is represented in the Person of Jesus Christ. His
appearance was also gleaming white in brilliant Light as was His Father’s atop
Sinai in the cloud.
“Forty Days and Forty Nights” were
required for Moses to understand all of the implications, given by God, of the
Law and its import. “Forty Days and Forty Nights” were
required for the judgment of God to rain upon the earth during the days of
Noah. “Forty Days and Forty Nights” was the time allotted for Christ
to endure deprivation, temptation, and thirst in the Wilderness in preparing
for the sacrifice that would open the doors of Heaven for all who would believe
and trust in that satisfaction made for our sins in breaking God’s Law. Do you
see that Scarlett Thread that runs through all time from Genesis 3 to
Revelations – the Blood Line of Christ who purchased us with His life’s blood
at Calvary? Do you know Him to be your Savior? If not, is it not high time to
make that salvation sure?
