If We Don’t Understand This, We Don’t Understand the Bible {Exodus 24}

We are not saved because we are good people who do good things. If we don't understand this one very important truth, we don't understand the Bible at all. #Biblestudy #Exodus #WomensBibleStudy #GoodMorningGirls

We are just completing our 5th week in the book of Exodus!  Way to go Good Morning Girls! (click here to get the February Bible Reading Plan if you missed it.)

The first half of Exodus is interesting.  We can relate to the stories and stand in awe of our powerful God…but the second half of Exodus becomes a bit more daunting to trudge through – but  – if we don’t understand this, we don’t understand the rest of the Bible.

The Old Testament has 39 books in it. These books contain history, law, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy.

The one thread that ties them all together is God’s covenant to His people and a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ.

The one thing that ties them all together is the blood of the lamb.

We saw in Exodus 12, on Passover night, Israel was delivered by the blood of an unblemished lamb.  This blood spread over their doors of their houses was applied in faith.  The sacrifice of the lamb – the blood shed in their place – caused death to passover them.

The Israelites were not saved because they were good people or better people but simply because they trusted in the blood of the lamb.

And then God parts the Red Sea and feeds them manna and provides water in the dessert and now they have come to the mountain.

Back in Exodus 3, God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush and said:

“I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” v.12

Boom!

And here we are in Exodus 20.  Moses has direct access to God on the mountain that Exodus 3 refers to and Moses receives the laws, regulations and guidelines for His people.  A distinct people with a distinct way of living.

And then once again – we see…the blood.

Let’s look at Exodus 24:4-8 together:

Exodus 24 & 25
Exodus 24 & 25 color coded using the GMG Coloring Chart

4 And Moses…rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord.

6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (esv)

This is HUGE – HUGE – HUGE!

God confirms HIS covenant with HIS people by the blood! And here we see God’s unfathomable love poured out for his people.  This holy God, whose throne sits on sapphire stone (v.10), allows sinful man to approach HIM — but only through the blood.

Not by merit. Not by following all the laws and guidelines. But by the blood.

And Moses takes the the blood and throws it on the altar and then on the people – (I know – there’s an ew factor here. Lol!).  But this is where we have to understand the significance of the blood to understand all of scripture.

God’s holy wrath towards sin is satisfied and His people are forgiven by the blood of the sacrifice.

If we miss the blood we miss the whole point of the gospel.

But let’s be honest.  Talking about the blood doesn’t bring the crowds. If I had titled this post something like “The Amazing Blood of the Lamb,”… less might be interested in reading it.

It’s hard to make blood attractive and so in our efforts to beautify the gospel – we undercut the the very basis of it.

And so in verse 8 we see the blood reconciles man to God and then this happens!!!

 “9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

They gazed upon the glory of God and fellowshipped with him at the same table!

{I can hardly take this in, it’s just so amazing!}

A Holy God in perfect communion with sinful man ALL because of the blood.

ALL pointing to Jesus.

Please note the parallel between Exodus 24:8 and Matthew 26:28:

Moses said:

“Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you”

Jesus said:

“this is MY blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Moses was pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.  Jesus says – it’s MY blood that seals this covenant. It’s MY blood poured out for you.

If we don’t understand this, we don’t understand the Bible.

And like the Israelites on the night of the passover – we too – must place our faith in the blood of the unblemished lamb – Jesus Christ – so that eternal death will passover us.

We are not saved because we are good people or better people but simply because we trust in the blood of the lamb of God.

Have you trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins?  No matter how sinful your past and no matter how many commands you have broken, when you are under the blood of Jesus Christ – his wrath is satisfied and you have full access to God.

Hallelujah – praise His name!!!

 “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
~Revelation 5:13

Amen!

Walk with the King,

Courtney

****Chime In****

1.)  Are you finding the significance of these chapters as exciting as I am?

2.) Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior?  When did you place your faith in the blood of the lamb and become a child of God?

3.) What did you learn this week as you studied Exodus 21-25? 

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32 Comments

  1. It truly is exciting when you see those connections between what happens in the Old Testament and then the fulfillment in the New. I admit, reading about the blood like that does make me queasy. But it is HIS way, HIS law, HIS plan and I respect it. I gaze in awe and wonder. I’m still learning to not just believe in but BELIEVE God and all His ways even after accepting Jesus almost 30 years ago. I love this journey!

  2. YES! YES! YES! Love this 🙂 My kids and I did one of Kay Arthur’s kids studies last summer and it was on God’s covenants and she included this part of Exodus and when I read the connection between Exodus and Matthew I was in awe 🙂 This is so amazing! Need to spend more time soaking in these verses 🙂 Thank you for this blog post!

  3. I hate myself for not being able to share the same excitement…I know that we are saved by the blood of Jesus. I know that no man is righteous before God and that we are saved by Gods Grace through the blood of Jesus alone.
    But I really have a problem with the blood thing. Why blood? It just seems so gruesome and primitive (I’m sorry, I’m not trying to offend anyone. I know I shouldnt question God like this but this really keeps me from having a relationship with Him). The only explanation I can understand a little, is that God uses blood because it demonstrates how bad our sin actually is…if anyone could help me please? I would be so grateful for some answers. Thank you 🙂

    1. I think because blood represents life. In our human bodies — without the blood, there would be no life. It’s something our minds can understand. Without the shed blood of Jesus Christ, there would be no hope for eternal life. Does that make any sense?

    2. I once heard it put this way. Life is in the blood. As long as blood stays in our physical bodies, there is life. Once it leaves there is death. The same goes for our spiritual lives. As long as we reside in His blood (His body) there is life. If we leave that there is only death. You can apply that to the body/community of believers. Leaving the body/community of believers can bring death. Another example is the body of a woman. Every month there is a chance that life will be conceived within her womb. If this happens blood is needed to sustain the environment of the growing fetus. If life isn’t conceived within the womb then blood (life) leaves the body and the cycle begins again. There are physical and spiritual applications to this.

    3. Amanda, it all goes back to the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God for the first time and sin entered the world.  Adam and Eve knew they had broken their fellowship with God and tried to restore themselves with God by hiding and then by covering themselves with fig leaves (the first example of how sin and shame go hand in hand).  This was not acceptable to a Holy God because there is nothing we as humans can do to earn forgiveness for our sins.  In the OT the blood of an animal was required for sin atonement because Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb, had not yet come to earth and died for our sins.  The blood of animals in the OT is foreshadowing the blood of Christ on the cross giving His very life in place of ours.  Because He was the perfect and unblemished Lamb, God’s precious Son was the last blood sacrifice ever needed and His blood made it possible for sinners like us to restore our relationship with God and receive the promise of eternal salvation with our Lord.  In a nutshell, sin is serious business that shouldn’t be glossed over and prettied up to make it less grim. Sin leads to death and destruction and God hates all sin.  If our sins could be forgiven with a bouquet of flowers rather than requiring the blood of the Lamb it would belie the consequences and gravity of sin to a world full of sinners in need of a Saviour.

  4. I am so thankful for the Blood of the Lamb. For the first time today I made the connection between the blood in Exodus & Matthew. I have life and am reconciled to my Father because of the Blood. Hallelujah. Thanks Courtney for sharing your passion with me.

  5. Courtney,
    Thank you for sharing this!! I discovered your blog around two years ago. I’ve read and soaked in so many of the things you have written and shared. During this past two years, I’d also subscribed to other blogs that interested me…that I thought would help me learn and grow. It occurred to me this morning, that your blog post is the only one that still comes in my inbox, all the others have been unsubscribed. You write and share from the heart and from the Word. That’s what makes it stick! Thank you!!
    Ashley

  6. This is so amazing. I watched a sermon last year where the pastor spelled this all out for us. Before that I had never put the two together and I didn’t even understand the whole covenant thing. I was blown away! I have to say the past few weeks have been so amazing. I have been a Christian for a long time but I have always had a hard time reading the Bible and understanding it. God has directed me to your site and I have been reading and UNDERSTANDING the Bible in the mornings! Praise the Lord! He has given me ears to hear.
    Thank you again Courtney for your blog.

  7. Wow. I have skimmed through the latter part of Exodus time and time again, but never again. This makes so much sense and I never read or understood the gazing upon the glory of God by the elders and sitting at the table with Him.
    Please continue to bring out these nuggets!

  8. Great post! Here is another verse that springs to mind when reading your comments:

    Leviticus 17:11
    11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

  9. As I read this, the picture of a car wash came to mind. I enter in my sinful dirty state (dirty car), the blood (soap suds) covers me and cleanses me, and I come out shiny and bright. I have done nothing but enter in and am cleansed. Your SOAK method has made me see Exodus with “new” eyes. Be blessed today and thank you.

  10. Awesome insight! I’ve known the importance of the blood for quite sometime, my pastor has always taught the Bible with extreme emphasis on the blood, but this is a great reminder and it brought back my excitement about it! =D

  11. I love love love this post! When I first became a christian four and half years ago I signed for a ladies bible study at my church. They were offering the Beth Moore study A woman’s Heart Gods dwelling place. Oh MY MY MY…… Not only did I fall deeper in love with The Lord, and learn so much of HIs mightyness, But Oh sweet Moses….. he became my favorite….. If you haven’t Got to do that study, I highly recommend it to EVERYONE. Even if you are a new christian. God will blow your socks off!!!

  12. I am so grateful for this Bible study. I love reading through the book of Exodus with the SOAK method and especially the color coding.
    Thank you for directing our attention to the Lamb of God who shed His blood for us. The fact that we are now free from sin, God lives in us now. As he then dwelt among the people of Israel.

    God bless you richly for your service.
    Jana from Germany (Sorry for my bad English!)

  13. Have you considered John 6:54-58?
    54 – Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

    55 – He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.

    56 – For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.

    57 – He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.

    58 – As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.

    I agree that we are saved by the blood of the lamb. Do you agree that you must consume the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ?

    1. Hi Crystal,

      Are you blogging through the Bible with us? If you are – then copy the link of your post for this week in the space where it asks you to put your link – then it will pull a picture from you post and put it here on this blog!

      🙂
      Courtney

  14. Thank you for that post! Such a great way to tie all the laces together and explain the parallels. Excellent job!

  15. Beautifully written. I have been a Christian all my life. I never deeply understood His covenant until recently. As we studied the Passover and then moved onto the fruit of His word (the instructions for righteous living), and how the sacrifices at the temple help us to understand Jesus. He is the guilt sacrifice for our sin. But then it began to make me think, what is sin? How is it defined? As I studied I saw it was the transgression of the instructions for righteous living (law). Then in Matthew I read how Jesus said not anything has passed away in these instructions. My eyes had been opened! The door with the blood covenant was opened for me to walk through and be able to live according to His word! “If you LOVE ME, you will OBEY me”. It has completely changed our walk! My children’s walk and now my grandchildren are learning. That as we have been grafted into the fathers house by the BLOOD of the lamb, we can now live the was he has planned for his set apart people to live. 1 John 2:3-9

  16. This past week’s readings have been so powerful! The parallel between Exodus 24:8 and Matthew 26:28 is amazing to ponder and meditate on! There’s nothing like the blood of Jesus! The blood is the foundation from which we are saved. If Jesus never shed his blood for us and rose from the dead there would be no salvation. Everything he did would be in vain but that is not the case! Amen! Hallelujah! We serve an awesome God! I thank God for you Courtney and how He’s laid on your heart to start this ministry! This blog has been such a blessing in my life! One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to recommit to reading the Word of God everyday, even if it’s just for 15 minutes or so. I’m a new mom and 1st grade teacher so finding the time is difficult. I felt led to start searching for Christian Mom’s blogs and I believe the Holy Spirit led me to your site!! It’s been such a blessing! Thank you! I love this blog and even more your heart for God! God bless you!

  17. Courtney, this post just gets me excited in the Lord and amazed even more at His love for us!!! Thank you again and again for writing this and sharing (with such understanding and enthusiasm) about the importance of the blood of Jesus! It’s not my works, praise God….because He made a way!!
    I love your ministry at WLW. I’m long time reader of yours!
    Have a blessed night.
    Leslie

  18. Courtney, I have been reading your blog for a couple of years now and never commented. This post is so profound for me. I grew up going to Sunday school and having Christian parents, but until my adult years, I never understood the connections of the blood, the Lamb and Jesus. In my youth, I actually questioned the authenticity of Jesus (can you believe it!) as I had NO CLUE of his reason for being here and how he was connected with God or us. It wasn’t until I was “called” by God to begin my journey to discover these truths and study my bible and blogs such as yours, that I can now actually have FAITH. Thank you for being someone to tell truth – regardless of whether people are ready to receive it. I wish I had these teachings when I was young.

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