Exodus 24

Chapter 24 begins at Mt. Sinai with Moses recounting to the people God’s directions and their pledge of obedience (vs1-3) followed by a service of dedication (vs4-8). Moses then took his leaders including Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders to where they could see God (vs 9-11). “They saw the God of Israel and under his feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire. They saw the God of Israel and ate and drank.”

Encounters with God should make one rejoice but also tremble. In three months (Ex. 19), Israel had lost the “tremble.” The golden calf (Ch. 32) is a natural outgrowth of when the sacred is no longer sacred.