What is the meaning of Exodus 24:12? Then the LORD said to Moses • God takes the initiative, just as He did at the burning bush (Exodus 3:4) and throughout Israel’s journey (Exodus 19:3). • The phrase underscores that revelation begins with the Lord, not human curiosity (Hebrews 1:1-2). • Moses, serving as mediator, reminds us of the greater Mediator to come (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 3:5-6). Come up to Me on the mountain • Sinai is the appointed meeting place where heaven touches earth (Exodus 19:20). • Ascending pictures drawing near to God’s holiness (Psalm 24:3-4). • The invitation is personal—“to Me”—showing God’s desire for fellowship, later fulfilled perfectly in Christ (John 14:6). and stay here • Moses is called not just to visit but to remain. Waiting precedes receiving (Psalm 27:14). • Remaining in God’s presence equips for leadership; compare Joshua tarrying in the tent of meeting (Exodus 33:11). • The pattern anticipates Jesus’ command to “remain in Me” (John 15:4). so that I may give you the tablets of stone • God Himself is the giver; the law is a gift, not a human construct (Exodus 31:18). • “Tablets of stone” stress permanence (Deuteronomy 5:22) and divine authority, contrasting with Israel’s fickle hearts (Ezekiel 36:26). • The New Covenant will move the writing from stone to hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). with the law and commandments I have written • The Lord is the author: “The writing was God’s writing” (Exodus 32:16). • His Word is perfect and trustworthy (Psalm 19:7-8). • All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16), underscoring the literal, inerrant nature of the text. for their instruction • The law teaches Israel how to live as God’s covenant people (Deuteronomy 4:5-6). • Instruction (torah) shapes identity and witness to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). • Even for believers today, “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4), leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). summary Exodus 24:12 shows the Lord personally summoning Moses to a sustained encounter so He can hand over the divinely written tablets. The passage highlights God’s initiative, the call to draw near and abide, the gift and authority of His Word, and its purpose: to instruct His people. The scene points forward to the fuller revelation in Jesus, who writes His law on willing hearts and invites all who believe to dwell in unbroken fellowship with Him. |
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