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Israel Pledges to Obey God’s Commandments, February 7
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people.
And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.”
Exodus 24:7
, NKJV.
Preparation was now made for the ratification of the covenant, according to
God’s directions. [
Exodus 24:4-8
quoted.]
Here the people received the conditions of the covenant. They made a solemn
covenant with God, typifying the covenant made between God and every believer
in Jesus Christ. The conditions were plainly laid before the people. They were
not left to misunderstand them. When they were requested to decide whether
they would agree to all the conditions given, they unanimously consented to obey
every obligation. They had already consented to obey God’s commandments. The
principles of the law were now particularized, that they might know how much was
involved in covenanting to obey the law; and they accepted the specifically defined
particulars of the law.
If the Israelites had obeyed God’s requirements, they would have been practical
Christians. They would have been happy; for they would have been keeping God’s
ways, and not following the inclinations of their own natural hearts. Moses did not
leave them to misconstrue the words of the Lord or to misapply His requirements.
He wrote all the words of the Lord in a book, that they might be referred to afterward.
In the mount he had written them as Christ Himself dictated them.
Bravely did the Israelites speak the words promising obedience to the Lord,
after hearing His covenant read in the audience of the people. They said, “All that
the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient” (
Exodus 24:7
). Then the people
were set apart and sealed to God. A sacrifice was offered to the Lord. A portion
of the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the altar. This signified that the
people had consecrated themselves—body, mind, and soul—to God. A portion was
sprinkled upon the people. This signified that through the sprinkled blood of Christ,
God graciously accepted them as His special treasure. Thus the Israelites entered
into a solemn covenant with God.—
Manuscript Releases 1:114, 115
.
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