What might the altar, sacrifices, and blood in Exodus 24 represent—and how do those symbols connect to the covenants you have made with God today?
"1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2 And Moses alone shall come near the Lord: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
3 ¶ 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.
4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 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.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.
9 ¶ Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10 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.
11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink." (Exodus 24:1–11)
And here's the commentary entitled: "Making covenants shows my willingness to obey God’s law." :
"As you read Exodus 24:3–8, consider the covenants you have made with God. While Israel’s covenant included rituals that are different from what God requires today, you may notice some similarities. For example, verses 4, 5, and 8 mention an altar, animal sacrifices, and blood. What could these things represent, and how do they relate to your covenants?"
The altar, sacrifices, and blood in Exodus 24 represent:
The Altar: The Lord's house--His temple and the meetinghouse--the place of gathering of the saints, where I make and renew my covenants with the Lord
The Sacrifices: A broken heart and contrite spirit or being a repentant soul; My resources--time, energy, and money which I sacrifice to help build the kingdom of God
The Blood: The Atonement of Jesus Christ
I bring to the altar my own sacrifices when I entered and whenever I renew the covenants I have made with the Lord. And when I show my willingness to obey and keep my part of the covenants, Jesus Christ's Atonement takes effect into my life, enabling me to rise above my challenges in this earthly life and reach my potential as a daughter of my loving Heavenly Father.
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