Commentary - Exodus 24:1-2

Bird's-eye view

In these opening verses of Exodus 24, we arrive at a pivotal moment in the life of Israel. God has spoken the Ten Commandments from the mountain in terrifying glory, and He has delivered the statutes and judgments known as the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 21-23). Now, the time has come for the covenant to be formally ratified. This is not a casual agreement; it is a solemn, binding ceremony, akin to a wedding or a royal coronation. What we see here is the formal invitation to the covenant meal that will seal the relationship between Yahweh the King and Israel His people. But the invitation itself immediately establishes the central problem that the entire Old Testament sacrificial system is designed to address: how can a sinful people draw near to a holy God? These two verses lay out the divine protocol for approaching the Almighty, establishing a non-negotiable hierarchy of access that points forward to the one true Mediator who would one day grant full access to all His people.

The passage sets up a series of concentric circles of holiness. There is the nation at the foot of the mountain, the elders and priests-in-training partway up, and Moses alone who is permitted to enter the immediate presence of God. This is a living, topographical sermon on the nature of mediation. Access to God is not a democratic free-for-all; it is granted on His terms and through His chosen representative. This entire chapter is a foundational text for understanding covenant, worship, and mediation, and it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is our greater Moses.

Outline

Context In Exodus

This chapter is the climax of the entire Sinai narrative that began in Exodus 19. After the dramatic theophany of chapter 19 and the giving of the Ten Words in chapter 20, God gave Moses the specific civil and ceremonial laws of chapters 21-23. These laws form the stipulations of the covenant. Now, in chapter 24, the covenant is formally accepted by the people and sealed with blood. This event is the constitutional moment for the nation of Israel. It formally establishes them as Yahweh's kingdom of priests and holy nation. What follows this ceremony is the instruction for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31), the dwelling place of God, which would have been meaningless without the covenant relationship established here. However, the golden calf incident in chapter 32 will immediately test this new covenant, demonstrating Israel's profound need for the very mediation and sacrifice that this chapter typifies.

Key Issues

Drawing Near on God's Terms

The entire Christian life is about drawing near to God. The great tragedy of the fall is that we were cast out, distanced from His presence. The great glory of redemption is that we are brought near again. But how does this happen? These verses at the start of Israel's national life teach us a fundamental lesson: we do not set the terms for approaching God. He does. The modern impulse is to believe that sincerity is all that matters, that we can come to God however we please. Sinai thunders against such presumption. There is a right way and a wrong way to approach a holy fire, and God Himself lays out the protocol. This is not bureaucratic red tape; it is a gracious provision to keep the worshippers from being consumed.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you all shall worship at a distance.

The action begins with a divine summons. God takes the initiative, as He always does in salvation. He does not wait for Israel to figure out how to approach Him; He tells them. The invitation is to "Come up to Yahweh." Worship is an ascent. It is a rising above the mundane to meet with the transcendent God. The invitation is specific. Moses is the chief representative, but he is to be accompanied by Aaron, the designated high priest; Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's two eldest sons and priests-in-training; and seventy elders, who represent the entire congregation of Israel. This is a federal act. These men are not coming as private individuals but as the appointed heads of the nation. God deals with His people through representation. But then comes the crucial qualifier: you all shall worship at a distance. They are invited, yes, but they are also kept at arm's length. This juxtaposition of invitation and separation is the heart of the Old Covenant's administration. It preaches both God's desire for fellowship and the barrier that sin creates. True worship must acknowledge both realities.

2 Moses alone, however, shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

This verse sharpens the point with a series of stark contrasts. The corporate body of representatives is held at a distance, but Moses alone is granted near access. The word "alone" is emphatic. In this crucial moment of covenant-making, the entire nation's relationship with God is funneled through one man. He is the mediator. The text repeats the prohibition for clarity: "but they shall not come near." Even the high priest and his sons, the future spiritual leaders, are barred from the innermost circle of intimacy. And just in case anyone missed the point, a third layer of exclusion is added: "and the people shall not come up with him." This creates three distinct zones of proximity: the people at the bottom of the mountain, the representatives on the mountain, and Moses alone near Yahweh. This entire arrangement is a magnificent visual aid. It is a living parable teaching Israel that a holy God cannot be approached directly by sinful men. A mediator is not just helpful; he is absolutely necessary. The whole system is designed to create a longing for a better mediator and a new covenant, where the barrier would be removed once and for all.

Application

The Christian reading this passage should be struck by two things simultaneously: the terrifying holiness of God and the unbelievable privilege of our access to Him in Christ. The Sinai protocol, with its mandated distances and layers of separation, was a constant reminder to Israel of the chasm between them and God. They had to worship "at a distance." The priests and elders could get closer, but not too close. Only Moses could truly draw near.

But what does the New Testament say to us? "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13). The distance has been abolished. The veil has been torn in two from top to bottom. Moses was a faithful servant in God's house, but Christ is the faithful Son over God's house (Heb. 3:5-6). Moses was the mediator of an old covenant that revealed the chasm; Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that bridges it. Because of Him, the invitation is no longer, "Worship at a distance." It is, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).

This does not mean we approach God with casual, flippant arrogance. It means we approach with the confidence of a beloved child, knowing our access was purchased at an infinite price. We do not have to stand at the foot of the mountain with the trembling Israelites. We do not have to stop partway up with the elders. In Christ, we are brought into the Holy of Holies. We have the access that Moses only dreamed of. Let us therefore give thanks for our great Mediator, and let us make use of the glorious access He has won for us, never treating it as a common thing.