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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Exodus 22-24 The Blood of the Covenant

From Exodus 22-24




Overview
Ex 22.1-15; Law; Punishments and Restitution for damage to others
Ex 22.16-23.9; Law; Miscellaneous laws for a variety of occurrences, Social Justice laws
Ex 23.10-19; Law; Repeated Laws about Sabbaths and Festivals
Ex 23.20-22; Story; The LORD will send an angel before them to bring them into the promised land (cf. Joshua)
Ex 23.23-33; Story; Blessings for obedience and warnings about upcoming temptations
Ex 24.1-8; Story; Moses repeats all the laws to the people, they agree and come under the blood of the covenant.
Ex 24.9-18; Story; Moses and Joshua head up onto Mt Sinai to receive the tablets from God.

Passage and Comments
For the next few books we will encounter a lot of laws. Some are ordered. Others don't appear so. However amongst the law giving its helpful to keep attentive to the things going on. Consider the following passage.
[3] Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” [4] And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. [5] And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. [6] And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. [7] 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.” [8] And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:3-8)
Its always helpful to remember the larger context when reading through the scriptures. Here we have several things to note;
1) Moses writing down all the words of the LORD (24.3)
2) The sacrifices and offerings to the LORD (24.5-6)
3) The reading of what Moses wrote down (now called the Book of the Covenant) to the people. (24.7)
4) The promise by the people they will obey what the LORD has spoken (24.7)
5) Moses takes the blood of the sacrifices and throws it on the people (24.8)

The covenant here is synonymous with the Law. This pattern will continue.

Story of Israel
Unfortunately through Israel's history we will see time and time again the covenant gets broken. Israel abandons the LORD for other god's. Israel needs a new covenant and a new heart.

Story of Jesus
Jesus inaugurated a new covenant in his death. From the gospel of Matthew;
[26] Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” [27] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, [28] for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:26-28)
The same theme of the blood of the covenant is in both Exodus and the gospel. Jesus says, for the forgiveness of sins. The significance of the parallel between the Exodus and gospel accounts sheds light on what Jesus means by forgiveness of sins. In this instance it is not simply a much repeated forgiveness for sin. The forgiveness here is something much bigger. I suggest more like the creation of a renewed people. A new covenant for a newly created people of God.