Exodus 24:1-18 - The Covenant Ceremony
1 The LORD told Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance. 2 Only Moses is to approach the LORD, but the others are not to approach; the people are not to come up with him."
3 Then Moses came and reported all the words of the LORD and all the statutes to the people, and they all answered with one voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has decreed." 4 So Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He got up early in the morning and built an altar with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. 5 He sent young Israeli men to offer up burnt offerings and sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses took half the blood and put it in bowls, while he sprinkled the other half on the altar. 7 He took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They said, "We will put into practice and obey everything that the LORD has decreed."
8 Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD made with you based on all these words."
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky. 11 Because God did not punish the Israeli leaders, they looked at God, yet lived to eat and drink.
12 Then the LORD told Moses, "Go up to me on the mountain and stay there. I'll give you stone tablets with the instruction and law that I've written to teach the people."
13 So Moses got up, along with Joshua his servant, and went up on the mountain of God. 14 He told the elders, "Wait here for us until we return to you. Look, Aaron and Hur are with you, and whoever has a dispute, let him come to them." 15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it. 16 The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. Then on the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelis the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18 When Moses went up on the mountain, he went into the center of the cloud and was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.