Exodus 24:8

My Notes

What Does Exodus 24:8 Mean?

"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." Moses SPRINKLES blood on the PEOPLE — the covenant is sealed in BLOOD applied to HUMAN BODIES. The blood that was already thrown on the ALTAR (verse 6 — representing God's side) is now sprinkled on the PEOPLE (representing the human side). Both parties are covered. The covenant is ratified through blood that touches BOTH the divine and the human. The declaration 'behold the blood of the covenant' names what the blood IS and what it DOES.

The phrase "took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people" (vayyiqqach Mosheh et haddam vayyizroq al ha'am — Moses took the blood and threw/sprinkled it upon the people) makes the blood-application PHYSICAL: the blood physically TOUCHES the people. This isn't symbolic distance. The blood is THROWN on them — sprinkled, splashed, applied to their bodies. The covenant enters through the SKIN. The agreement is sealed in CONTACT. The blood that represents the covenant LANDS on the covenanted.

The "behold the blood of the covenant" (hinneh dam habberit — behold, the blood of the covenant) is the DECLARATION that Jesus will ECHO at the Last Supper: 'this is my blood of the new testament/covenant' (Matthew 26:28). The Sinai blood-words become the Upper Room blood-words. The old covenant's blood-declaration is repeated — and TRANSFORMED — by the new covenant's blood-declaration. Moses sprinkled animal blood. Jesus offers His OWN blood. The 'blood of the covenant' bridges Sinai and Calvary.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What blood of the covenant covers your relationship with God?
• 2.What does blood touching BOTH the altar (God's side) AND the people (human side) teach about mutual covenant?
• 3.How does Moses' declaration at Sinai echoing Jesus' declaration at the Last Supper bridge the testaments?
• 4.What does the blood sealing the WORDS teach about physical ratification of verbal content?

Devotional

Moses took the blood and SPRINKLED IT ON THE PEOPLE: behold — the blood of the covenant. The blood that already touched the ALTAR (God's side) now touches the PEOPLE (human side). Both parties are covered. The covenant is sealed in blood that contacts BOTH. The declaration names what's happening: THIS is the blood of the covenant the LORD has made with you.

The 'sprinkled it on the people' makes the covenant PHYSICAL: the blood TOUCHES the people. It lands on their bodies. The covenant enters through the SKIN — not just through the ears (hearing the words, verse 3) but through the BODY (receiving the blood). The covenant is both VERBAL (the words) and PHYSICAL (the blood). Both are required. Both have been administered.

The 'behold the blood of the covenant' is the DECLARATION that echoes through all of Scripture: Moses says it HERE — at Sinai, with animal blood, over the old covenant. Jesus says it at the Last Supper — in the upper room, with His OWN blood, inaugurating the new covenant. The words are NEARLY IDENTICAL. The blood is CATEGORICALLY DIFFERENT. The animal blood sealed the old. The divine blood seals the new. The declaration bridges the testaments.

The 'which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words' connects the BLOOD to the WORDS: the covenant isn't just the blood (the physical seal). It's also 'all these words' (the content — the laws, the commands, the instructions). The blood seals the WORDS. The physical ratification covers the VERBAL content. The blood and the words TOGETHER constitute the covenant. Neither alone is sufficient.

What 'blood of the covenant' covers YOUR relationship with God — and do you recognize it when it's declared?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture