Laws. Laws, laws, laws and more laws. Here, outlined in detail, is THE LAW, or at least, the beginning of it. This is what Jesus came, not to abolish but to fulfill. Shouldn't we be acquainted with it? Listen to what it says? These are things that we hope to abide by still, some are culturally contextual, but all can be related to our daily lives and problems. These are laws about relating to each other, dealing with other sinful people, and laws about remembering and worshiping our God.
The part of this passage that made me excited though, came at the end. In chapter 24 Moses comes down the mountain, the people agree to obey all that the Lord says and Moses sprinkles them with blood. They have been cleansed, a sin offering has been offered and they have come into relationship, covenant relationship, with the Lord. So what happens next?
"Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 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. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank." Exodus 24:9-11 - I added the italics.
Hello. Woah. Can anyone say AMEN!!
They were cleansed with the blood of an oxen, or two or however many, became a part of the covenant and saw God. And then, like it's no big deal, ate and drank with him.
This is going to become a broken record moment for me, but I don't know how many times I have read Exodus and missed that the elders saw God and then had a meal. How significant is that? What are we going to do when we finally see God? The wedding feast of the bridegroom? What a picture! With the paving stones of sapphire stone? God allows these men to see him in his splendor, to get a glimpse of heaven and more importantly, to have a communal, relational moment with him and with their people.
God is a God of relationships, both through the law and how to treat each other and then through the covenant in relationship with us. Now, we are no longer under that covenant. After all, if you are anything like me, you are part of the gentile majority that would have been excluded from this opportunity. No, thanks to Jesus we have a new covenant in His blood. Now, instead of having to sacrifice oxen to get a glimpse of heaven, we agree to obey and become a part of his covenant through our acceptance of Christ and then we get the assurance that one day, we too will get a feast in the presence of the Lord.
Thank you Exodus for giving us such a picture of our father and his splendor and glory. He let them see him, and then, they ate and drank in his presence. Oh how I am looking forward to that day in heaven.
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