Section II. Exod. xxi. 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, To, II.
Section III. Exod. xxi. 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 26.
Section IV. Exod. xxi. 2S, 33, 35 ; xxii. I, 5, 6, 7, to, 14, 16.
Section V. Exod. xxii. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31.
Section VI. Exod. xxiii. I, I, 3, 4, 5, 7, 7, 8. [Verses 9-13 contain special and isolated precepts.] t Section VII. Exod. xxiii. 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 17, IS, 18, 19, 19.
The Book of the Covenant,' which is thus dis tributed, suitably ends with a decade of blessings (Bertheau, pp. 72-76). These blessings our author apportions among the last fourteen verses of chapter xxiii., in the manner following :-20, 23, 25, 25, 26, 26, 27, 2S, 29, 31-33. With them the first great division of the laws,of Moses is con cluded, but before we proceed to the subsequent laws, we have to notice the brief but highly signi ficant history which intervenes in Exod. xxiv. We have seen with what promptitude the nation accepted God's proposal of a covenant, and the great preamble of its conditions and privileges (Exod. xix. 8). With similar alacrity and with a like formula does it now ratify the covenant itself, and receive its sequel of promises. This ratifica tion was confirmed with solemn sacrificial rites (vers. 4, 5; comp. Homer, E. iii. 297-301, and the fecial rites described by Livy, Hist. I. 24; see also similar ceremonies suggested by Plato, Critics, and J. D. Michaelis' note thereon in his Illosairches Recht [Smith's trans., i. 364], sec. 70), for the performance of which Moses appoints, for want of the Levitical priesthood not yet conse crated, young men of the children of Israel,' who were either the first-born (see Exod. xiii. 2) or select youths of special aptitude for the work with out regard to primogeniture (so, with less reason, Abarbanel, quoted by Rosenmfiller ; comp. xix. 22) One point of this ceremonial has a profound con nection with our Lord's institution of the Eucha rist (comp. ver. 8 with Matt. xxvi. 28; Mark xiv. 24 ; Heb. x. 22 ; I Pet. i. 2). The sacrifice was followed by a festive commemoration, by which God showed his gracious approval of the nation's acceptance of his covenant, in the presence of their future priests and seventy representatives (ver. II).
This impressive and happy ceremony ended, Moses is invited to ascend the mount for a length ened and solitary interview with God-to receive from him additional laws, now rendered necessary by his new relation to them as their theocratic king. A suitable residence must be provided for their Divine King, who purposed to dwell among them. Tent-like must be the palace, as befitted the at present nomadic condition of the people. The king„"oo, must have his court-officials, through whom access to the royal presence must be arranged for his subjects. Hence the next great portion of the Mosaic law pertains to the sanc tuary or tabernacle, and to the priests and their sacred garments. With directions about these the book of Exodus is wholly occupied (except in one or two historical chapters) from chap. xxv. to the end. God gave his servant these details on the mount, patterns themselves of things in the heavens' (Heb. ix. 23 ; comp. viii. 5), and this their heavenly original, as well as the minute care bestowed on them in the law, impresses on this part of the Mosaic code a profound importance, not only as the vehicle of elevated instruction to the Jews of old, but in its relation to the gospel. Christianity in fact is the pattern, of which, as already existing in the mind of God, the Mosaic scheme was a copy, impress (renros), or imitation' (Freeman, Principles of Divine Service, p. 15r). Bertheau pursues his theory here, and sees as before decalogues of laws (Gruppen, ro4-128). His arrangement, which, however, more than anywhere else dislocates the text of Scripture, we here set down, specifying as before the beginning of each commandment by the verse figures :- Section I. Exod. xxvi. 1, 4, 6, 7, to, II, 15, 18, ; containing ten laws about the materials of the tabernacle, etc.