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The Beginning of the End
These laws were to be recorded by Moses and carefully treasured
as the foundation of the national law, and, with the ten precepts, as
the condition of God’s fulfilling His promises to Israel.
The message was now given, “Behold, I send an Angel before
you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I
have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke
Him.” Christ in the pillar of cloud and of fire was their Leader. While
there were symbols or “types” pointing to a Savior to come, there
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was also a present Savior, who gave commands to Moses for the
people and was presented to them as the only channel of blessing.
How the “Old Covenant” was Made
After coming down from the mountain, “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 has said we will do.’”
Then they ratified the covenant. An altar was built at the foot of
the mountain, and beside it twelve pillars were set up, “according
to the twelve tribes of Israel,” as a testimony that they accepted the
covenant. Moses “took the Book of the Covenant and read in the
hearing of the people.” All were free to choose whether they would
comply with the covenant’s conditions. They had heard God’s law
proclaimed, and its principles had been applied to various situations,
so that they could know how much this covenant involved. Again
the people answered together,
“‘All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.’ When
Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the
law, he took the blood ... and sprinkled both the book itself and all
the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has
commanded you’” (
Hebrews 9:19, 20
).
Moses had received the command, “Come up to the Lord, you
and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.”
The seventy elders were to assist Moses in governing Israel, and
God put His Spirit on them. “And they saw the God of Israel. And
there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone,
and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.” They did not see God
Himself, but they saw the glory of His presence. They had been