Exodus 24 records the moment Israel formally agrees to the covenant at Sinai, followed by Moses being called up the mountain to receive the stone tablets. These questions work for a small group, a Sunday class or personal study. Each set moves from what the text says, to what it means, to how you might live it.
Exodus 24 at a Glance
The chapter opens with God inviting Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders to worship from a distance, while Moses alone draws near. Moses then records the Lord’s words, builds an altar and twelve pillars, and reads the book of the covenant to the people, who promise obedience. Blood is sprinkled on the altar and on the people, sealing the agreement.
The second half shifts upward. The leaders see the God of Israel and eat and drink in his presence, then Moses climbs alone into the cloud on the mountain for forty days and nights. The chapter ends with the glory of the Lord burning like fire on the summit.
Observation Questions
Use these questions at the start of the session to slow the group down and let everyone read the text carefully before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask someone to read the verses aloud first, then take a few minutes of silence before discussing.
Exodus 24:3
Moses came and told the people all the LORD’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken will we do.”
(WEB)
Read this verse early to set the tone of the session. It captures the people’s united response to God’s word, which makes a good starting point for discussing commitment.
Exodus 24:7
He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken will we do, and be obedient.”
(WEB)
Reading the covenant promise aloud gives the group a moment to hear the people’s words for themselves. It also invites reflection on what it means to read and respond to Scripture together.
Exodus 24:10-11
10 They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness. 11 He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
(WEB)
These verses describe the leaders’ vision of God and their shared meal. Reading them slowly helps the group reflect on the balance of awe and peace in the scene.
Exodus 24:12
The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.”
(WEB)
God’s invitation to Moses to receive the law is central to the chapter’s movement. Hearing it aloud helps the group see how the covenant leads toward teaching and instruction.
Exodus 24:16-17
16 The LORD’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud. 17 The appearance of the LORD’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
(WEB)
The description of God’s glory as a cloud and devouring fire brings the chapter to a dramatic close. Reading these verses reminds the group how the Lord’s presence was experienced as both holy and overwhelming.
Memory Verse for Exodus 24
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you as people who have been invited near, and we recognize that everything good in our faith begins with your word. Thank you for speaking clearly to your people and for making a way for us to know you. Help us to answer you with the same willingness the Israelites showed at Sinai, trusting you even when we cannot see the whole path. Teach us to keep your words close, to lean on the wise people you have placed around us, and to wait on you with patience. May your presence shape how we live this week. Amen.
