Covenant Sealed

Intro: One of the most important chapters in all of Exodus and really, all of the OT. What we see here is drawn out later in the NT and fulfilled in Jesus Christ himself. Let us see this morning how this addresses our salvation and our worship of God.

CTS: The blood of Christ enables us to draw near to God in worship.

I. Call to Worship (1-2)

We were created for worship:

God’s command here has a two-fold reality that I want to draw out. The first reality is that God by his very nature demands that He is to be worshiped. Why? Because He is God! That means by being God, there is none greater than Him. He reveals Himself through creation, through general revelation, showing His power. Everything around us tells us that we are created by an uncaused Creator. Before everything ever was, there was God, and He created everything.

But He also reveals Himself in special manner, or in personal manner, called special revelation. That includes speaking to Adam and Eve personally, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, judges, prophets. He specifically reveals who He is, His own nature, His plan and purpose, His wrath against sin, His love, grace, and mercy. He also specially reveals Himself in written Word, which is why we know that God revealed Himself to people in Scripture. We will expand upon that further.

So in revelation of Himself, He demands worship. But that second reality is that He wants to know His creation, and that this demand of worship is right because He is only to be worshiped, but also, that it is best for us to worship Him. We were created for it, and He created us with purpose of personal relationship with Him.

Because we were created to worship, worship is the normal employment of moral beings.

A. W. Tozer

He calls us to draw near to Him, and that is a distinct privilege. Yet we often tend to ignore it. Daily living, we often forget what we were created for, to draw near to God. Weekly living, we often forget that the gathering of the believers is a call to worship Him corporately. Let us be constantly aware that this right here, what we do every Sunday, is a call of God to worship Him. Not ourselves or our own preferences. The clear reminder that we have heard over and over again is that our worship should be God focused, not me focused.

We don’t curate worship to entertain ourselves, to make us more moral people, or even to inspire us. Worship is pointed toward the one who beckons us to it. Does that mean that lives transformed by God won’t leave having put off sin and living a good life for His glory? Of course not. Does that mean that we can’t leave inspired from true worship? Of course not. But these are the by-products of what true worship is to be about.

Yet we have a problem...

We were unable to draw near:

From these two verses, we see that there is a division of who can approach God and who cannot. We’ll expand upon this a little further into the sermon. But only Moses could go before the presence of the Lord. Aaron and his sons Nadab and Abihu could come (pointing us to what will come with priests), and the elders as well could worship from afar. Then the people would remain at the bottom of the moutain.

The main obstacle for true approach to God, to draw near to Him, was sin. To behold the glory of God in a sinful state would destroy them, so God instituted a mediator, Moses, to be the one who would approach God on behalf of the people. Moses would be able to speak to the Lord and even go into His presence, but only in His gracious provision.

This mountain setup would be a picture of what would come in the tabernacle setup and the later temple setup. Only the priests could enter the tabernacle and offer sacrifices. Only one of those priests, the high priest, could enter the holy of holies and offer sacrifice on the Day of Atonement for the sins of Israel.

This reminds us of the holiness of God, and we are unable to draw near to God in fullness. So how can we? How can we worship God if we cannot draw near to Him?

II. Reading of God’s Word (3-4a)

The Word must be present

Moses descends from the mountain with all the words of the Lord (10 Commandments, “Ten Words”) and all the rules (the laws application). This is the Book of the Covenant, declared to Israel.

A clear reminder here is that the focus of the worship of God’s people is the Words that come from God. As we have already established, we are not the center of worship. We don’t get to dictate how worship happens. It is based and centered on the words of God. After Moses declared the words and the response of God’s people, it was written down. This is also a reminder that what is written here was written by Moses, given to Him by God. This is another notch in the argument that this book we hold in our hands is the very words of God itself, inerrant and infallible, inspired to reveal who He is and who we are in light of Him.

The Word demands a response

The response of God’s people is here clearly stated. All that the words that the Lord has spoken, we will do. Revealed by God himself, his demands of holiness and what it means to be his people is clear. The Word always demands a response. The Word is never just an exercise of imparting knowledge solely to have facts about God in our heads. The Word revealed, read, and preached is a means of transformation of the heart.

The response is correct, but we will find out that from the rest of Exodus and the wilderness journey of Israel, they will fail to obey. Israel will fail to obey for the rest of the OT. The Law has a two-fold purpose. It reveals God’s will for us and His standard, and that we fall woefully short of it. It also reveals that obeying this Law won’t earn you righteousness of God. Remember, this Law was given to His people.

So, this Law reveals how we fall short and how much we need God to transform us to be able to obey it. So what do we do?

III. Confession of Faith and Commitment (4b-8)

The need for sacrifice

Moses builds an altar the next morning alongside 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel. Altars were meant for worship, and particularly, to offer up sacrifices to the god who is meant to be built for. This altar is for the one true God, and it is meant to be for all of Israel, pointing out that this atonement will be on behalf of the whole nation.

Moses would send out young ment among Israel to procure the sacrifices needed on behalf of Israel. They would then offering sacrifice to the Lord.

This sacrifice had two parts.

Burnt offering: The burnt offering was to atone for sin. This was the first part of their worship. An acknowledgement of their own sin and the need for a substitute to take its place.

Peace offering: This is offering was a celebration offering in light of their own atonement, that now that their sins were forgiven, they would celebrate this atonement, that they were at peace with God and with one another.

The blood in these sacrifices was a reminder of all the other moments in Genesis of the need for blood sacrifices for their sin and the sealing of covenants. Abraham, when God was making his covenant with him, sealed it with the sacrifice of animals, and He passed through those animals, declaring that in essence that the blood by on me if I do not keep this covenant.

The blood on the altar was the blood from God himself that atoned sin.

The need for faith

But in light of this sacrifice, the book of the Covenant was read once again to the people. I like to think of it this way, that the first reading was getting the bearings straight. God’s people heard the message, and acknowledged their need to obey. The second time is a clear reminder and much like a “this is the covenant. You have been told and reminded, and you will need to continue to be reminded. Will you obey?” Much like a counting of the cost. In light of God’s deliverance and forgiveness, will you now live in obedience to Him?

We can attribute this idea here to what we would call faith. For us as the church, and for all of creation in general, we are reminded that faith is the means of receiving true forgiveness. Even though all of Israel would declare “all that He has spoken, we will do,” they will fail. Even Moses himself will fail. But that isn’t what saves them. It is faith that saves, just as it saved Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Ezekiel, Jonah, and so many more. It is trusting in the one whom gave Himself for us, who saved us, who redeemed us.

They were looking forward to the one whom would the Suffering Servant to finalize and fully give them redemption.

Isaiah 52:13–15 ESV

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

For the church, the New Covenant is then applied for us, the law written on our hearts, is clearly achieved in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God himself, Jesus Christ. He offered Himself as the propitiation of our sins (our substitute to forgive and make us righteous). It is by blood we are forgiven, and we receive this covenant by faith. This new covenant is that God himself came down, put on flesh, lived the Law like we could not, so that we would be redeemed and forgiven, made His own, and able to draw near to the throne of God by grace.

Hebrews 9:11–14 ESV

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Hebrews 9:18–22 ESV

18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Now we are under covenant with God, fully brought forth in his own actions, and now affirmed by faith in His Son Jesus Christ. The gift of salvation comes from God, received by faith in Him. This is the Good News! This is how we are truly able to worship.

For the unbeliever, hear this. Only the blood of Jesus can save you. Only by faith in Him can you be saved. You can’t save yourself. You can’t be good enough. You are in desperate need of forgiveness and need to be saved. Believe in Jesus, the Son given to cleanse you and give you eternal life. Repent of sin and believe in Jesus Christ.

For the church, hear this: This is why we worship. This is the means by which we worship. This is why we look to Christ, and that every Sunday we gather here is in essence a reminder of the covenant that has been made. It is not done to get “re-saved” but it is a means by which we are continuing in covenant relationship with the Lord. We are called to worship and commit our lives to the One whom gave His own life and blood for us. We then say, “Yes Lord, we will obey your commands.” And we are able to because of Jesus and the Indwelling Spirit who is given to us.

IV. Eating the Meal (9-11)

Then, there is this incredible meal that is given to Moses and the elders to confirm the covenant. They are called up the to the mountain. This time, all of them are called up. And what transpires is incredible.

They see God

What did they see what they got up there? They saw God, or, at least, a glimpse of him. The only description that we see is that they saw the feet of him and the pavement. Does this mean this is all that they could see? We’re not sure. His feet and what he was standing on is the only description that is given. And what God is standing on is a pavement of sapphire stone, clear as the sky itself.

This phrasing is used in Ezek 1:26 to describe the vision of the glory of God.

Ezekiel 1:26 ESV

26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.

Yet we also know that if one were to truly see God in His full form, they would die. Later in Exodus 33:20, got tells Moses that seeing him face to face would cause death.

Exodus 33:20 ESV

20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

But let us be reminded of just what transpired. They were atoned for, the covenant was sealed, and now because of their position, they were shown grace and able to at least in part see God.

They eat with God (Lord’s Supper)

And this last part just blows me away. Not only do they see God, but they apparently get to eat with God on the mountain. That seems like an amazing moment. This covenant was sealed and then confirmed with a meal.

The church in their worship is called to do the same thing. We call it the Lord’s Supper. It is a reminder and a means of grace to remind and encourage God’s people that God is with us. The meal is to spiritually sustain and confirm that covenant in our own hearts and with one another as God’s people. This is to be a regular practice of the church. “do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” The early church seemed to do this every time they met. I think that sometimes we get afraid of the the argument that it will just become rote if we do it too often. But often indicates something more than just a few times a year. This is why we increased our frequency here to bi-monthly. I would even say that I think that we would do well to increase it even more. Each church decides differently, but this is part of our worship to the Lord.

The Lord’s Supper is a significant ordinance, a renewal of and reminder of the covenant made with us and God. It is a means of unity among us as we remind ourselves why we gather and what we united ourselves around. Christ is truly present with us, eating with us, and we do so until He comes again and we eat with him in full at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19.

Conclusion (12-18)

Moses then is commanded again to ascend the mountain. Some things we notice hear is that Moses will come again to write the Word on stone. This will solidify the covenant with God in written form, to go into the ark and to be read over and over again to God’s people to remind them of what they said they would obey.

Moses would be the only one able to enter into glory cloud. He would wait on the mountain six days, and on the seventh, would ascend. He would remain 40 days and 40 nights without bread or water as it would be revealed later in Deuteronomy. Only Moses would be able to go. Aaron and Hur would be in charge while he received further instructions concerning how Israel was to worship.

Jesus, the better Moses (the means of our worship)

Jesus is our better Moses. He is the intercessor, able to approach God, able to see God face to face. And its in Jesus that we see the fullness of God revealed. John 14:9

John 14:9 ESV

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Jesus went into the wilderness 40 days and 40 nights and was in the presence of God, and fulfilled the Law completely by not giving into sin, unlike Israel. Jesus is the perfect intercessory who gives Himself as a propitiation of our sins and makes us righteous.

And because of Jesus, we are able to draw near to God. We aren’t like the Israelites on the bottom of the mountain or outside the tabernacle. Because the perfect intercessory work of Jesus, the veil is torn, the price of our redemption is paid, and death is defeated. We are able to approach God in worship and draw near to him.

Have you drawn near to him by faith? Unbeliever, let me implore you again trust in Jesus as your Savior.

Church, are we continually drawing near to God through Jesus in our own daily worship and corporate worship? Is he the means and focus of our worship?

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We show God in how we love (evangelism and discipleship)

1 John 4:12 ESV

12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.