Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then 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 we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Meditation Often when we think of God’s people eating with Him, we picture the last supper, Jesus eating breakfast with Peter on the beach, or Jesus eating meals throughout the gospels. You are invited to dine with the Divine, feasting on the richness of His grace, celebrating His glory and goodness (Revelation 19:6-10). Imagine the magnitude of the moment, former slaves whose faces had been beat down into the mud now able to look up and behold the glory of God seated on a sea of blue glass. God’s grace moves us from slavery to celebration. Today’s passage summarizes Scripture: Moses and the elders were invited to come into God’s presence yet separated by their sin. God gives His word and then atones for their sin, covering them in blood. Through the blood of the covenant they can enter into His presence and behold God’s glory, dining with the Divine. Moses was invited to “come up.” Jesus showed His love by coming down. Jesus’ sacrifice and blood are better than the blood and sacrifice of animals because “by means of His own blood Jesus secures for us an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). As at a wedding, the union between two lovers is marked with promise, vows, delight, and celebration. God’s covenant relationship with His people is a greater banquet of blessing whereby you are invited to the head table to feast with the Bridegroom. Richly Dwelling -God’s grace moves us from slavery to fellowship with Him. How can you celebrate the freedom of forgiveness and bondage to sin through worshipping the Lord? -The blood of the covenant covers God’s people so we can enter into God’s presence. The sacrifice of Jesus for your sin is complete. How can gratitude and generosity grow from this grace in your heart? -What does it look like for you to feast with the Lord? Do you need to move something from your schedule, add something (like a time of solitude) into your schedule, or miss a meal to be with Jesus in fellowship? Key Verse 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. Comments are closed.
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AuthorPastor Mitchell celebrates twenty-five years of marriage with Lisa and together they have four adventurous children. |