Exodus 24 Commentary

The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of Genesis concerning the migration of the family of Jacob (the Israelites) to Egypt (Genesis 50). It describes the commissioning of Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives on earth to accomplish God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land (the land of Canaan). It also relates the miraculous deliverance from Egypt beginning with the plagues on Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. It then describes the journey to Mount Sinai and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant with the Israelites. The last part of the book involves the specifications and building of the tabernacle – the place where the Lord Himself dwelt amongst His people.

In the book of Exodus, the focus shifts to the deliverance of God’s people.

To many students of the book of Exodus, Exodus 24 is the climax of the book. The main topic in the chapter is Israel’s ratification of the covenant given by God to Moses in chapters 20 through 23. In a sense, the events in the first 23 chapters lead up to the Mosaic covenant ratification.

Chapter 24 can be outlined as follows:
The People Ratify the Covenant (24:1 – 11)
The People See a Display of the LORD’s Glory (24:12 – 18)