涩里番

Selections From Israel's Story Week 3

Covenant Ratification: Exodus 24

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Last week鈥檚 lectio discussed the Ten Commandments, but this one moves back to a narrative. In fact, this is the first story that takes place after the body of text known as the Book of the Covenant, laws contained in . All of the laws are understood as terms of the covenant between God and Israel, and this story tells about what happened when the terms of the covenant between God and Israel were accepted.

Sealing the Covenant

The story starts with a command to a select group of 涩里番 to go up to the mountain: Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (the two sons of Aaron; compare ), and 70 [Author鈥檚 Note 1] of the elders of Israel (). But within the first two verses there is a clear contrast between coming up to the LORD and coming near to the LORD. Only Moses can do the latter; the others are to keep their distance. If the elders are distinct from the 涩里番 (who remain at the foot of the mountain), Moses is distinct from the elders. This is a theme that will be repeated throughout the passages we will read this summer.

Notice the 涩里番鈥檚 response to the LORD鈥檚 words and ordinances in . After Moses has told them 鈥�all the words of the LORD, and all the ordinances,鈥� 鈥渨ith one voice鈥� they agree. Then Moses writes it down so that they have it in writing, something that is typical of treaty documents in the ancient Near East. It has been suggested that Moses sets up the pillars to act as witnesses to the treaty, similar to the stone that Joshua sets up as a witness in .

The altar that Moses builds is used to oxen, as offerings of well-being. gives more details about that type of offering, which typically is not used for expiation, but tends to be spontaneously motivated.

Offerings of well-being also allow the 涩里番 to eat the meat of the animal sacrificed. In , we read that the blood from these animals is collected. Half of it is dashed on the altar, while the other half gets thrown on the 涩里番. Some commentators suggest that the altar is representative of God, which would mean that the blood of the covenant is put on both God and the 涩里番.

In other words, both parties are responsible for keeping the covenant (compare ). This gruesome act was a way to literally seal the covenant in blood. Though the 涩里番 spoke their words of assent a second time after Moses had read the written words to them, the covenant is made real by words and the concrete action of putting blood on them. The second time that the 涩里番 say, 鈥淎ll that the LORD has spoken we will do,鈥� they add the promise, 鈥渁nd we will be obedient鈥� (; compare ).

Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the 70 Elders Approach Mount Sinai

After the covenant is sealed, Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the 70 elders go up to the mountain. On the one hand, the text is incredibly blunt, 鈥渁nd they saw the God of Israel鈥� ()! But, on the other hand, the actual description of what they see is very careful. Verse 17 refers to 鈥渢he appearance of the glory of the LORD鈥� as being 鈥渓ike a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the 涩里番 of Israel.鈥� We hardly get a specific image of God from such description. Even when the select number see God, there are plenty of similes that move away from too much concrete imagery: 鈥渦nder his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness鈥� ().

In fact, it seems as if Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the elders see only God鈥檚 feet, and nothing more. There are references to a sapphire stone in , and , , and , but those seem to be referring to a lapis lazuli, while the description in our text is of something blue, but clear. It is as if to suggest that what they saw was beautiful, but of a beauty beyond our concrete imagination.

After they eat and drink, the party presumably breaks up. Moses alone is to proceed up to the mountain and wait for God, who will give him the stone tablets on which God has written the laws (). Still, others are mentioned 鈥� Joshua, who is identified as Moses鈥� assistant; the elders; Aaron; and Hur [Author鈥檚 Note 2].

Moses鈥� instructions to the elders carry a weight of foreshadowing: he tells them to wait for his return, but if there is a dispute, they can bring it to Aaron and Hur. Actually, the text literally says, 鈥渨ait for us until we come to you again鈥� (, emphasis mine), but then only Moses goes up to the mountain (, ). It appears as if Joshua remains somewhere between the 涩里番 at the base of the mountain, and Moses and God on the top (compare ). Indeed, will give us the return of Moses and Joshua to the Israelite camp, but Aaron will not prove to be the substitute for Moses that one hoped he would be.

Moses Ascends the Mountain

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When Moses does go up on Mount Sinai, the cloud covers it, and the glory of the LORD settles on it, similar to . The cloud and God鈥檚 glory are linked at the end of Exodus , which describes God鈥檚 presence in the , 鈥淭hen the cloud covered the tent of meeting , and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud settled upon it and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle鈥� ().

It is noteworthy that Moses has to wait for six days before he hears from God on the seventh day. The 涩里番 had to only wait three days before they witnessed the divine presence in . God does not speak right away. We are not told what Moses does during those six days of waiting: some speculate that he was purifying himself in preparation to encounter God. Perhaps this, too, was a time when Moses had to have faith that God would do what he said.

is, overall, a fairly brief story, but is profoundly important for Israel鈥檚 story as a whole. It tells us that the 涩里番 鈥� apparently willingly 鈥� accept the terms of the covenant with God. Twice they affirm that they will do all that God has spoken. The covenant is sealed in blood 鈥� representing life 鈥� and is to be upheld by both covenantal partners. God is witnessed to, visibly, but also with some distance. And Moses is singled out as the one who is invited to come into God鈥檚 intimate presence.

This story also finds resonance in the New Testament story of the transfiguration (; ; ), especially as Matthew and Mark specify that it was 鈥渟ix days later鈥� (; ). Peter鈥檚 desire to build tents so that they can remain up there is significant in light of what is to come in Exodus. For as Moses remains on the mountain, for 40 days and 40 nights, things back in the camp will not go so well.

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