Law of God
169
These promises of God to his people were on condition of their
obedience. If they would serve the Lord fully, he would do great things
for them. After Moses had received the judgments from the Lord, and
had written them for the people, also the promises, on condition of
obedience, the Lord said unto him, “Come up unto the Lord, thou,
and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and
worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near the Lord; but
they shall not come nigh, neither shall the people go up with him. And
Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the
judgments; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All
the words which the Lord hath said, will we do.”
Moses had written—not the ten commandments, but the judgments
which God would have them observe, and the promises, on conditions
that they would obey him. He read this to the people, and they pledged
themselves to obey all the words which the Lord had said. Moses then
wrote their solemn pledge in a book, and offered sacrifice unto God
for the people. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in
the audience of the people, and they said, All that the Lord hath said
will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled
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it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which
the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” The people
repeated their solemn pledge to the Lord to obey all that he had said,
and to be obedient.
Moses obeyed the command of God, and took with him Aaron,
Nadab and Abihu, with seventy of the most influential elders in Israel,
who had assisted him in his work, and placed them at such distance
that they might behold the majesty of the divine presence, while the
people should worship at the foot of the mount. “And they saw the
God of Israel, and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a
sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And
upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand. Also,
they saw God, and did eat and drink.”
They did not behold the person of God, but only the inexpressible
glory which surrounded him. Previous to this, had they looked upon
such sacred glory, they could not have lived, for they were unprepared
for it. But the exhibitions of God’s power had filled them with fear,
which wrought in them repentance for their past transgressions. They
loved and reverenced God, and had been purifying themselves, and