Exodus 24:4-8

‘And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh and rose up early in the morning and built an altar under the Mount, and twelve pillars in accordance with the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to Yahweh. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant and read in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold, the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words.” '

Now that the covenant had been offered and accepted the official procedures had to be gone through. First it had to be put into writing (as most ancient covenants were, compare regularly in the Book of Genesis) and then the covenant offerings were made prior to the blood of the covenant being presented to the Overlord, seeking His acceptance of the covenant as written and commitment to it. Then the covenant, having been agreed by the Overlord, was read to the people for their acceptance, after which the blood of the covenant was sprinkled on them and they confirmed their acceptance of it.

Moses may well have worked through the night writing out the covenant. Then he went about the solemn process of ratification. First he built an altar which in a sense represented Yahweh's side of things. Then he erected twelve pillars to represent the whole people of Israel. (Compare here Genesis 31:45). Note that all were now seen as incorporated in the twelve tribes. Then he offered whole burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen. Then he applied the blood of the offerings, half to the altar and half to the people. It may be that the latter was mainly done by sprinkling it on the twelve pillars, which would seem to be their purpose, and then by a token sprinkling, but symbolically he was sprinkling the whole people.

“Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh.” This would include ‘the word' and ‘the judgments' (Exodus 24:3). The whole covenant needed to be ratified. But on the Mount he will receive Yahweh's copy of the treaty and that is possibly only of the ten words (Exodus 24:12 with Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:22; Deuteronomy 10:4. See also Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15), so that may be the same here. But it may be that ‘the ten words' were seen as including the whole, the rest seen as a codicil.

“Rose up early in the morning.” The ceremony would take some time and he probably wished to complete it by the evening.

“Twelve pillars.” This was a legitimate use of pillars as symbolic and as memorials.

“In accordance with the twelve tribes of Israel.” Compare Genesis 49:28. The mixed multitude with their mixed descent are now seen as fully incorporated into the twelve tribes of Israel and as ‘descended' from the patriarchs.

“He sent young men of the children of Israel.” These were no doubt seen as representing Israel's future. They acted under Moses' instructions and there was at this stage no known limit as to who could offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. We may be sure that whatever requirements there were would be maintained. But it was Moses who took and applied the blood. Young men may have been used because they were strong and able to carry out their functions without difficulty. But we should note that the young men did not manipulate the blood. That was Moses task as the priest of the people. The use of young men from among the people may have been in order to make the people feel very closely involved. It was not their leadership, somewhat distant from the ordinary Israelite, but young men from among them, who offered these covenant offerings. It was very much a covenant made with them, rather than on their behalf.

“Offered whole burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings (or sacrifices).” The whole burnt offerings were totally consumed and were a very ancient form of sacrifice (Genesis 8:20; Genesis 22:13; Exodus 10:25). Of the peace offerings/sacrifices the blood and fat must be offered to Yahweh but the flesh may be eaten (see Deuteronomy 12:27 for the distinction). There are, in this combination, elements of worship, of dedication, of propitiation and of gratitude.

Note. On the whole burnt offerings were ‘offered' (‘alah - in the hiphil ‘sent up') and peace sacrifices ‘sacrificed' or ‘slaughtered' (zabach) or ‘offered' (qarab). The verbs relate to the nouns, ‘offer' to ‘burnt offerings', and ‘sacrifice' to ‘peace sacrifices'. However, in Exodus 20:24; 1 Kings 3:4 whole burnt offerings were also ‘sacrificed', showing that they were ‘sacrifices' and demonstrating that the difference was not a vital one, although this use is rare. But in the Pentateuch only whole burnt offerings and meal offerings were ever said to be ‘offered' (‘alah - sent up) to Yahweh. Outside the Pentateuch ‘peace offerings' (not designated sacrifices) were also ‘offered', compare, for example, 2 Samuel 6:17; 2 Samuel 24:25; 1Ki 9:25; 1 Chronicles 16:2; 1 Chronicles 21:26. These latter are also regularly said to be ‘sacrificed', and there may be two kinds, those wholly offered to Yahweh and those sacrificed and partaken of. Offerings specifically designated as ‘sacrifices' (zebach) are never ‘offered' (‘alah). (End of note).

“Put it in basins.” The blood was collected as it flowed out, in basins.

“Sprinkled it on the altar.” By this means the covenant blood was offered to Yahweh, and Yahweh was joined in the covenant. The chiasmus suggests that this was very much the offer to the Overlord of the covenant for His acceptance prior to it being sealed with His vassals.

“Took the Book of the Covenant and read it.” The offer to the Overlord was followed by the solemn reading with a view to official acceptance by the people. The people then formally accepted it.

“Sprinkled it on the people.” This applied the shed blood to the people, joining them in the covenant. It was ‘the blood of the covenant'. The blood sprinkled on the altar and the blood sprinkled on the people was to be seen as ‘one blood'. Both Yahweh and His people were now seen as conjoined in participation of the covenant. As ‘the blood of the covenant' it probably signified both that death would result from gross disobedience to the covenant, and the application of the benefit of the covenant, in all its atoning aspects, to the people. It had also been sprinkled on the altar, joining Yahweh in the covenant, and purifying the altar. The pillars (Exodus 24:4) were also probably sprinkled as representing the whole of the people. They were the counterpart of the altar which was sprinkled representing Yahweh.

The fact that the blood was sprinkled on the people should warn us against making extravagant claims as to what the sprinkling of blood before Yahweh signified. It certainly signified specific application to the person or persons involved, incorporating them within the covenant on pain of death, but without being specific as to the exact further significance. We can, however, be sure that the multiplicity of sacrifices (whole burnt offerings and peace offerings) included atonement, a making of peace, and an indication by the people of tribute offered to their Lord and king, and that it rendered the people acceptable before Yahweh. Blood was regularly shed in the making of covenants among many peoples, but different peoples and interpreters would see it in different ways. Comparative religion can be helpful in supplying ideas, but each nation saw its rites in its own way. In order to understand Israel's we must look at what Israel said about its own rites, and here they centred on tribute, atonement and the making of peace between God and man.