“And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Context:The book of Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the establishment of the covenant with God at Mount Sinai. Exodus 24 marks a significant moment in this journey, where Moses and the people of Israel are preparing to enter into a covenant relationship with God.
Writing the words of the Lord:In Exodus 24:4, it states that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. This refers to the previous chapters where God had given Moses the Ten Commandments and various laws and instructions for the people. Moses acted as a scribe, carefully recording these divine instructions, ensuring they would be preserved and passed down to future generations.
Building an altar and twelve pillars:After writing down the words of the Lord, Moses rose early in the morning and built an altar under the hill. This altar served as a place of worship and sacrifice, where the people would come before God. The twelve pillars represented the twelve tribes of Israel, signifying the unity and representation of the entire nation before God.
Symbolism and significance:The act of writing the words of the Lord and building an altar with twelve pillars carries symbolic and spiritual significance. It emphasises the importance of obedience to God’s commands (through writing them down) and the need for worship and devotion (through the altar). The twelve pillars signify the unity of God’s people and the covenant relationship they were about to enter.
