seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 24:He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”
8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
This all seems very dark to me. I mean building stone pillars is no big deal but slaughtering bulls and sprinkling the blood on people.... that's dark. If this was going on all around me, I would be so afraid, I would agree with what they were saying.
This is what the easy English site says.
Perhaps the young men were the oldest sons from various families. Moses had separated them from the other Israelites to act as priests. Later, Moses appointed Aaron and his sons, and his grandsons, and his grandsons’ sons to be priests for all time. These young men gave two kinds of gifts on the altar that Moses had built. They killed and burnt whole animals as gifts to God. This was a sign that they would hold back nothing from God. They also gave friendship gifts (sometimes the Bible calls them peace gifts). These gifts were a sign of friendship with God. And they were a sign of friendship with each other. When people gave a friendship gift, usually they had a meal together afterwards. They would eat a part of the friendship or peace gift together. Moses splashed the blood on the altar as a sign. It showed that God was making a special promise to the people. Then the Israelites promised to obey God’s laws because they were God’s special people.
Probably Moses splashed some blood on the leaders because they represented all the people. The blood was a sign that God was making a special promise to all the people. Jesus referred to his own blood as the sign of God’s special promise (Matthew 26:27-28).
Probably Moses splashed some blood on the leaders because they represented all the people. The blood was a sign that God was making a special promise to all the people. Jesus referred to his own blood as the sign of God’s special promise (Matthew 26:27-28).
The blueletterbible.org site offers this about the blood.
There was nothing "magical" about blood, but because it represents the life of a being (For the life of the flesh is in the blood, Leviticus 17:11), blood represents the outpouring of life, of one life being given for another.
Almost a thousand years later, God did not forget the blood of this covenant: Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. (Zechariah 9:11)
The blood of Jesus' covenant saves us: this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
The blood of Jesus' covenant is also the foundation for all our growth and maturity in Christ: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Almost a thousand years later, God did not forget the blood of this covenant: Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. (Zechariah 9:11)
The blood of Jesus' covenant saves us: this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
The blood of Jesus' covenant is also the foundation for all our growth and maturity in Christ: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
The important thing to take away from this dark and bloody scene is that God and the Israelites were united in this covenant.
