After God had given His Commandments to the children of Israel through Moses, the children of Israel were then very clear as to what they were to do as God’s people. It must have been very intimidating for them to keep all of God’s commandments without fail. Later on, the Jews would construct and invent their own man-made laws and traditions in order to protect them from breaking God’s laws. How then can sinful, wicked man approach God who is so holy?

1. The call to approach God (Exod 24:1-3)

God’s holiness and righteousness must not prevent us from going to Him. Moses was to go near God to receive His judgments and commandments, while the people were to worship from afar. God will commune with them through His covenant. Without God’s initiative, no one would be able to approach Him.

2. The means to approach God (Exod 24:4-8)

The means to approach God is through the blood of the covenant. Moses constructed an altar and offered sacrifices unto the Lord (Exod 24:4). He took the blood of the animals and sprinkled it on the altar and upon the people (Exod 24:6, 8). The significance of the blood is that it seals the covenant that God has made with His people. The blood of the covenant is a means of salvation. The Bible uses blood to signify life (Lev 17:11). The shedding of blood brings about atonement. The blood of Christ brings about a covering for our sins and through it the penalty of our sins is paid. Hebrews 9:15-23 speaks of the sacrifice of animals in the Old Testament as a temporary atonement for sin. This sacrifice must be performed over and over again. The blood of Christ, on the other hand, was shed once, and that is enough. No matter how great and terrible our sins are, they can be covered by the blood of Christ.

3. The joy of approaching God (Exod 24:9-11)

Exodus 24:10-11 tells us that they “saw” God, and they were not struck dead. This means that they saw the manifestation of the glory of God, which signified the presence of God with them. When the people were able to approach God through the means of the covenant, they “did eat and drink” (Exod 24:11), i.e. they were delighted and joyful. If the Almighty God allows us to draw near to Him, why do we still want to stray away from Him? We now can come anytime into the presence of God through the blood of the covenant.