Continuing directly from yesterday's Living Life [#14]~

God bless! ^^

-Love, GinniePark

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Memory Verse of the Week:

"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not ert justice by siding with the crowd." - Exodus 23:2

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Seeing God - Exodus 24:9-18

Ate and Drank

9: "Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up,"

10: "and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.

11: "But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

 

The Glory of God

12: "The LORD said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.'"

13: "Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God."

14: "He said to the elders, 'Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.'"

15: "When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it,"

16: "and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud."

17: "To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain."

18: "Then Moses entered the cloud as he went up on th mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights."

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Reflection

Ate and Drank (24:9-11)

Moses and the people ascnd Mount Sinai to have a covenant meal - a special eating ceremony between the parties of the covenant. The scene of a covenant mal is also seen in Genesis when Isaac dines with the neighboring Philistins after establishing a covenant (Gen. 26:30). Likewise, Jacob also has a celebratory meal with Laban after making a covenant (Gen. 31:46). This celebrating of eating and drinking has great significance. In the ancient world, having a mal togther conveyed accceptance and approval. This is why Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners (Luke 5:30) drew so much hostility from religious leaders. Jesus was not simply dining with them; He was granting them acceptance, respect, and approval. A covenant meal is a sign of mutual respect and agreement, and on Mount Sinai, God is extending His acceptance and approval by means of a covenant meal.

 

The Glory of God (24:12-18)

We are told that "the cloud" covered the mountain as Moses went up. This cloud, which represents God's glory, also appeared during the daytime as a pillar of cloud, and during the night as a pillar of fire (Exod. 13:21-22; 14:19-20). God appears as a cloud just as He promised earlier: "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud" (Exod. 19:9). Later, we see this same cloud of God's glory covering the tabernacle (Exod. 40:34). God's glory cam and protected the Israelites when they were running away from Pharoah. The cloud, somewhat mysterious but also all-encompassing, represents a temporary dwelling of God's glory: God's glory needed a dwelling place - hence, the tabernacle. However, we ar told that now we are the holy temple of God, and the Holy Spirit is always present within us (1 Cor. 6:19)

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Application

-Eating together can be extended to show hospitality and welcoming others - whether into our homes, churches, or simply our lives. Jesus dined and welcomed sinners, and we are also welcomed into His family by His grace. Think of ways you can welcome others into your life.

-In the Old Testament, God's glory dwelt in the temple, and the cloud was a visible sign of His glory. Through the New Covenant, we are now the new temple of the Holy Spirit. Does your body and life reflect God's glory?

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"It is not great men who change the world, but weak men in the hands of a great God."

-Brother Yun

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Family Meals

What do you think is one of the most common activities we engage in with our friends and loved ones? It's probably eating together. Eating is one of the most important aspects of life. When we do not eat, our bodies suffer; and if we withhold food from our bodies long enough, we will die. But food has more than just physical implications for us; it has powerful social implication as well. Most people don't like to eat alone. Eating with others is an important aspect of our lives.

In Exodus 24, God invited Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel to come up Mount Sinai, and He showed up in a mighty way. Here God could have struck them dead as they were unholy people standing before the Holy God. But instead, He allowed them to celebrate with a meal. This banquet served more than just the purpose of filling empty stomachs. It pointed to the Lord's Supper and our access to God.

As Tim Chester writes, "Again and again in the Bible salvation is pictured as a feast with God....So the meals of Jesus represent something bigger. They represent God's coming world. But at the same time they give that new reality substance...Meals are more than food. They're social occasions. They represent friendship, community, welcome." That is why eating together as a family is so important. In the age of social networking and online communication, families have become more disconnected than ever before. And families are under serious spiritual attack. So take advantage of meal times. Reconnect, break bread together, and share the Gospel with those who mean the most to you.

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A Letter to God

Dear Father, help me to live a life that glorifies Your name.

Help me imitate Your hospitality, extend blessings to strangers, and welcome those who are outsiders.

In Jesus' name. Amen.