Covenant, Commandment, and a Cloud
Notes
Transcript
Pastoral Prayer:
Gratitude -
Membership: Linda Orr - opportunities to speak boldly the good news of Christ. Her children would be receptive to the gospel.
Illumination
1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2 “Moses alone, however, shall come near to the Lord, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.” 3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” 4 Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on 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 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. 12 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.” 15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Introduction
What does it take to make it to the top? I don’t know about many of you, but as a young kid playing sports you start to ask that simple question. You start to see the best of the best play that sport you love on tv and you begin to wonder, what would it take for me to get there? Not everyone can make it of course! Maybe with enough drive and commitment and some natural gifting even I could make it to the big leagues. It’s only a dream at the point, but there aren’t many who turn that dream into a real pursuit and really get to taste that glory at the end of the day. Not many have what it takes to begin with.
Very often that childhood dream gets set aside for a career ambition and the pursuit continues. What does it take to make it to the top? With a little hard work, time and some gifting maybe we can make it to that position at the top. Many times it’s a worthwhile pursuit! If God has given us gifts to use, let’s cultivate them and advance them if we have the opportunity, but there’s a difference between the pursuit of faithful stewardship and the pursuit of glory.
I’m afraid the world we live in has a tendency to turn a game to be enjoyed into a means of advancing personal glory, one giant game of king of the hill where only a few can fit at the top where all the glory is. The world has done the same to ordinary career pursuits. Rather than a means to provide for your family or steward the gifts we’ve been given, careers have turned into means of advancing personal glory, one big competition for the top spot where all the glory and reward is. There’s nothing wrong with career advancement or taking the next opportunity, but when someone takes that next step to elevate themselves above those around them, that’s a different pursuit.
In our text this morning, we see a very literal climb to the top! There’s a very evident taste of glory awaiting those who make that climb, but this taste of glory is fundamentally different than any earthly pursuit. Moses and the priests and the elders don’t attain any glory for themselves, they’re taste of glory is the glory of God. They they have not proven themselves any more worthy than the others around them, they were sprinkled with the blood of the covenant just like everyone else and invited up the mountain by God Himself. It turns out that the path to glory, the path to the presence of God, requires the shedding of blood. That’s a bit different from the way the world thinks isn’t it?
Firstly, glory doesn’t come from the praise of men it comes from the presence of God.
Secondly, we don’t get there by any degree of hard work, we must be sprinkled by the blood of the covenant. Only then can we approach God and experience the glory of His presence, true glory!
The glory and presence of God are reserved for a High Priest and His priesthood. By the blood of a better covenant we can draw near as the holy priesthood of Christ.
The glory and presence of God are reserved for a High Priest and His priesthood. By the blood of a better covenant we can draw near as the holy priesthood of Christ.
The Blood of the Covenant
The Presence of God
The Glory of God.
1. The Blood of the Covenant
1. The Blood of the Covenant
I mentioned last week that we were anticipating the “signing” of the covenant. All the terms have been laid out for the people and they’re about to appear before the LORD to cut this deal, we’ll get there in a moment, but I want us to pause on the first two verses because I believe we have a little foreshadowing of what we anticipate in the next couple chapters.
1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2 “Moses alone, however, shall come near to the Lord, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”
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Right at the start, God invites Moses back up onto the mountain so He can give instructions regarding the worship of Israel: the tabernacle, the priesthood, all the way down to the recipe of the incense. You’ll notice though three groups of people God has made distinct from each other. Firstly, there are those who will remain at the foot of the mountain. This is the majority of Israel. They will only behold the glory of God from a distance. Secondly, there are those who will come part way up to worship though still at distance. These are the heads of the priesthood: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu along with the elders. Finally, Moses will be the only one actually coming near the LORD. The instructions for the tabernacle haven’t even been given yet, and already God is showing the people how they will approach God for many years to come. The whole of the people will be welcome in the courtyard of the tabernacle to behold God’s glory from a distance, but they will not enter the holy place. The priesthood however are given a special task and privilege. They are set apart to enter the holy place to perform holy acts of worship on behalf of the people. Finally there is a great high priest who will enter the Holy of Holies once a year to appear before God in a cloud hovering over the ark of the covenant.
We’ll have plenty of time to cover the tabernacle later, but let’s see here the beginning of how God is going to interact with His people and ultimately dwell among them. He will be among them, but His glory is not something so ordinary as to be approached by any ordinary Israelite. God will select a particular few to approach him, but even they will need to be sprinkled with blood just like every other Israelite before they come before God.
Why is the shedding of blood necessary though? That’s going to be somewhat foreign to us.
We don’t exactly sign contracts in blood today.
Throughout Scripture when an agreement is made between two parties particularly between God and His people, a promise or commitment to that agreement is very often made with blood. An animal is killed in the making of the agreement as an oath. It says to the other party, “If I fail to uphold my end of the bargain, I will be like this dead animal. I will be the one whose blood should be shed.” Two simple pieces. The agreement itself and the oath. The contract and the signature. The covenant in this case and the blood that was shed.
In verses three through 7 the contract is put on the table if you will.
3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” 4 Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on 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!”
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We have the covenant being presented in two different forms. First verbally by Moses. When the people hear it they respond in agreement: “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!”
But then Moses presents it to them again in a book in verse 7 after it’s all written down. And again the people respond in agreement: “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” All this meanwhile numerous sacrifices are being made evidencing the peace they seek with God as a sinful people, but these sacrifices are also the burden of commitment they take upon themselves. Moses seals the deal in blood in verse 8.
8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
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What’s the significance of this? What is it exactly that the people have agreed to? They’ve committed to be the holy people God intends them to be. This blood of the covenant binds them to be set apart and consecrated to the Lord. If they do what the LORD has commanded they will be a consecrated people and live. And if they do not, the blood is on their own heads. Literally in this case. If they do not uphold the covenant commitment they’ve made they will be like the animals they’ve killed - they will die.
At this point there is no going back. All of the people of Israel are bound before God to this covenant of obedience and faithfulness to God. They’ve been consecrated and set apart for a holy purpose in this covenant to display before all the nations the holiness of God. Yet if they fail to uphold the law given to them, if they forsake this covenant, they will be deserving of death.
Three big implications from this covenant made with blood.
The shedding of blood binds them to God.
The shedding of blood consecrates and sets apart.
The shedding of blood brings the threat of death.
These are three important categories we should consider.
How am I bound to God? What hope do I have that he will dwell with me in fellowship?
How am I consecrated? How am I made holy and set apart to display the goodness and holiness of God to the world?
What do I do with that simple truth: The wages of sin is death?
Fellowship, holiness, and judgement. This covenant before Israel addresses all three, how has God addressed these things before us?
Today we’re probably not thinking in terms of literally sacrificing animals, but we may have a tendency to think about sacrifice when we approach God.
Let me address all three real simply.
No amount of our own sacrifice will bring us any closer to God.
No sum of our own blood, sweat or tears is going to set us apart from the rest of the world as holy.
No degree of our own diligence can spare us from that justice everyone will face one day: The wages of sin is death.
In an effort to be closer to God there are many who try to set themselves apart from the world by means of sacrifice.
There's no shortage of ways to set ourselves apart from most of the world, that’s true, we can work a little harder, we can abstain from certain vices, we can give more of ourselves to worthy causes, but there’s a big difference between being different from the world and being consecrated unto God. The people who gathered at the tower of Babel tried to set themselves apart from the world by building a tower. They thought they would find themselves closer to God in this effort, but in truth they found themselves further from God and humbled in the end. Distance or distinction from the world doesn’t necessarily mean we’re close to God.
God would come to rebuke His people for this very thought.
6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
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Israel would go on to offer sacrifices distinct from the rest of the nations, but that didn’t mean they were loyal to God. It didn’t mean they even knew God.
If we are to draw near to God we must draw near to Him on His terms that is His covenant. The wonderful news is that Jesus has come shedding his own blood declaring a new covenant to accomplish all of this for those who believe!
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
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The author says if this shedding of blood consecrated Israel, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse us? It is not merely an outward cleansing either. Our very consciences are cleansed from dead works that we may serve the living God. We are bound to God not by our own covenant faithfulness, but by the redemption accomplished in the blood of Christ. We have been bought at the price of the blood of Christ. That is a check that will not bounce! There is no more debt to be paid. Furthermore, we no longer fear death! The wages have been paid in the death of Christ. Even more so we have received an eternal inheritance that not even death can take from us.
Have you ever wondered, “Is God for me?” Have you ever wondered “Is God with me?” In those moments of questioning we don’t look to our sacrifices to bind us to God. We look to the blood of Christ which redeems. That is what unites us with God.
Have you ever wondered, “How am I going to be different from the world?” “How am I going to set myself apart from that evil and wickedness?” Before we look to acts of devotion or deeds of righteousness we must be washed clean. We must look to the blood of Christ shed for sin to wash us clean. What does that look like?
John describes it this way:
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
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The thing that sets us apart from the darkness of the world is walking in the light. That is to bring our sin into the light in repentance before God. “Dear God you know my sin. I am guilty before your holy law. I know that the blood of Christ is sufficient to take the penalty for my sin. Will you forgive me? Will you lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake?”
It’s that kind of prayer, that heart which sets us apart from the world. A clean conscience washed clean by the blood of Christ and His forgiveness.
Finally, Have you ever wondered “How will I be spared the penalty for my sin?” Even as Christians we need reminded, God’s not looking for a sacrifice from us to atone for sin. In all the sacrifices that God required of Israel he was pointing to a greater sacrifice to be made once and for all:
26bbut now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
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For those whose faith is in Christ, the perfect sacrifice, there is no fear of the penalty for our sin! We need not fear judgement because the wages of sin have already been paid, and we can eagerly await the return of our Savior - the judge. Someone with unpaid debts doesn’t eagerly await the return of the judge. Those who’ve been redeemed by the blood of Christ, washed by the blood of Christ, and forgiven in His perfect sacrifice these are the ones who eagerly await His return. That day when the presence of God will fully and finally be amongst His people.
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Even here in Exodus the people will come to taste the presence of God under the Old Covenant, but it anticipates an even greater presence that even we wait for.
2. The Presence of God
2. The Presence of God
9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
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If you ask me, these are three absolutely extraordinary verses dropped right into the middle of this text with next to no explanation whatsoever. If you were like me, you might have a handful of questions!
They saw God! Let’s start there. Ordinary people don’t just look God in the eye.
He’s described with the features of a man, he has feet, but there’s no further description.
There’s a pavement of sapphire. What’s that all about?
And a striking note from Moses, “He did not stretch out His against the nobles.”
They saw God, he’s standing on a sapphire pavement, and they survived. Then! They sit down for dinner?
Did they talk? What did they talk about? What did God say? I have so many questions!
It’s extraordinary, but how do we make sense of this? What understanding should we take away from this?
Again, if we see the trajectory of Exodus I think we can understand better what’s happening here. God is about to provide instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, but also the establishment of a priesthood. The heads of that priesthood to be established are here in the presence of God with the elders. Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu. God is making a very personal introduction to the leading men of Israel and actually fellowshipping with them in their presence before they take on the work of interceding and worshipping on behalf of the people.
Let’s say you’ve been asked to be an ambassador of the United States with another country. You’re going to act as an intermediary between the United States and this other country. How do you think your job performance is going to look like if you never actually meet with the dignitaries or rulers of this other nation. You never shake hands, you never take time to know them or consider their needs or desires or customs. Things aren’t going to go very well are they?
Perhaps a more ordinary situation: You get hired onto a new job, but on day one you never talk to anyone. You never talk with a manager, no one gives you any training. No one shows you how to do your job or gives you the tools to do your job. There’s a good chance you’re not going to meet expectations at your one month review, and to no fault of your own.
Knowing God is about to call upon a new priesthood to intercede on His behalf with the people of Israel, what is the very first thing they need to know? They need to know who they serve! They need to know who God is. They need to know this glorious God is one they worship.
If they forget that one thing, If they leave that one essential detail behind, “Who do we serve?” they will certainly fail to be the priests they’ve been called to be.
Just from these three verse you can imagine how this isn’t something that’s going to be easily forgotten. It’s not just an image, or a handshake, it’s a meal with God Himself. It’s a posture of fellowship God extends to this priesthood. He’s not threatening their lives, he’s inviting them to the dinner table.
Isn’t that what we know of God’s presence among us? Christ did not come to judge, he came calling sinners to repentance. He sat down to dinner as holy God, with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees were busy trying set themselves apart from the sinners by their own means and couldn’t comprehend why Jesus would sit among them. They thought themselves more worthy of the priesthood than those “sinners”. In truth it was those “sinners” who looked to Christ in repentance, stepped into the light and were washed by the blood of Christ who would be called priests at the end of the day. They would know His fellowship more than any earthly priest ever would.
The extraordinary thing about the blood of Christ in the new covenant is that no one is left at the foot of the mountain. Everyone is a priest and everyone is welcome into the holy place!
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
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Coming before Christ Himself, knowing His presence, and interceding for fellow saints is not a task exclusive to a priesthood - in our time - a pastorate or an eldership. It’s a work of every believer whose been made clean by the blood of Jesus our great High Priest. Don’t remain far off waiting for an invitation. Christ has given us all that invitation. Draw near in full assurance of faith in the name of Christ. We can approach him in confidence because of the work which He has accomplished.
If I may add, once we draw near, once we experience His presence and we know Him. We’ve read our Bibles, searched the Scriptures, prayed diligently to know God and walk with Him intimately. When we come to know Christ in that way we’ve been given a gift to steward.
The priests and the elders of Israel aren’t going to stay on the mountain. They’re about to enter into a ministry of caring for the people of Israel. They will encourage and direct their worship. They will come before God on their behalf. They will teach them the Word of the LORD. They will attend to them when they are sick.
As priests we are given the privilege of boldly approaching the thrown of grace, but we’ve also been called to a work of ministry. A work of interceding and ministering to the saints who themselves are priests. Are we praying for our brothers and sisters? Are we sharing the Word of God with one another? Are we confessing our sin to one another attending the illness of the heart which still plagues us. We’ve been given the presence of Christ in the Spirit that we might share Him with one another. That’s the work of a priest! Bringing the fullness of God in Christ to the people of God, and bringing the needs of the people back to God. That is the calling of every believer!
In our day and age we probably don’t think about waiting for a priest to come to us or a priest to take our needs before God. More likely we’re probably waiting for professionals.
When our car breaks down we call the professionals.
When our sink springs a leak we call the professionals.
When we need help with our taxes we call the professionals.
What do we do when someone has a spiritual need? Maybe they’re depressed. Maybe there’s fear, anxiety, or sin. Maybe they’re an unbeliever and need the gospel. Maybe they just need someone to pray for them. In many ways I understand the sentiment: call the professionals! Call the pastor. In some cases that may be appropriate, but at the end of the day we are all priests! As Christians we are the professionals if you will. We have all been equipped with presence of Christ in the Spirit and the gospel. We’ve looked upon His glory in His death and resurrection.
Let’s pause before we call the professionals and consider how God has equipped us to meet the needs of the saints around us as daunting as that may feel at times. Maybe this is a new category for you. If I were to provide a first step, it’s as easy as, “How can I pray for you?” How can I approach God on your behalf? Let’s boldly approach our Lord and Savior with the needs of our brothers and sisters, then might we come alongside them and labor with them in that season of need. Our access to God as priests, as redeemed saints, is a gift not just for us but for every believer around us.
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We’ve seen the first glimpses of a priesthood, but as we follow our narrative, we’ll see Moses take on a High Priestly role.
3. The Glory of God
3. The Glory of God
12 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.” 15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
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We have a couple different descriptors of God’s presence on the mountain: We’ve already seen a number of these elements, but let’s just recognize the trend again. We’ve seen the LORD lead his people out of Egypt in a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. We saw similar descriptions as they approached the mountain. Here we see that same description, and if we turn all the way to the end of the book. The very last paragraph carries these same elements as God comes to dwell in the Holy of Holies: A cloud, fire, and glory like we see here.
We can say from the beginning of this meeting that God does not intend to remain on the mountain. His plan all along is to bring His glory into the presence of His people, and this isn’t the first time a high priest is going to appear in the presence of the glory of God, but this meeting is different.
What is it’s purpose? Moses is here to receive the ten commandments written in stone (vs. 12) and the instructions regarding the ongoing worship of Israel. Two timeless expressions of the glory of God Himself. How is that?
How does the law reflect the glory of God?
When we look at the laws and instructions of God we see a reflection of Himself. We see His righteous character expressed in commandments and instructions. God in the fullness of His glory reveals Himself before men when He requires their worship as a matter of primary importance. God reveals Himself as love when he teaches His people to preserve and protect the well-being of their neighbor. He shows them the love that has been eternally present within the trinity for all of time. The commandments of God is the how to manual to being an image bearer of God. This is how we look like God! In the negative, when the people deny the commandments they fail to reflect the glory of God.
As Paul put it.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
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God is going to have His glory dwell among His people. He’ll do that in the form of the law, but also in the tabernacle. An image of His heavenly dwelling as Hebrews put it.
For the next couple chapters we’re going to see God’s glory put on display before the people of Israel in the form of the tabernacle. We’re going to see gold angelic figures, golden lampstands, ornate fabrics and designs in the curtains. It’s a tent befitting God Himself. A tent which displays His glory and yet conceals it from ordinary eyes among the people of Israel.
If we follow the biblical narrative we’ll notice a growing infatuation with the expressions of God’s glory over God Himself. There are those who will boast in the law and forget, the law reflects God. There are those who will boast in how long it took for the temple to be built and miss it’s purpose entirely that is to welcome people from every nation, tribe and tongue to worship God!
The people of God were always intended to dwell amidst the glory of God and advance His glory among the nations, and it’s extraordinary to see how God’s people turn things intended for God’s glory into means of their own glory. For centuries and millennia people have been seeking glory in one way or another. You would think Israel would realize what they have. The very presence of the glory of God among them and even they will seek ways to seek a false glory in lieu of God.
The truth is that we all fall short of the glory of God just like Israel, and yet God has provided us a way to experience His glory just like he always intended.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
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Christ has entered the Holy of Holies on our behalf, with his own blood, as a forerunner. As the holy priesthood of Christ, one day we will know the glory of the presence of God with Christ. He’s gone before us to prepare a place for us and when He returns from that heavenly mountain top we’ll be ushered into the glory of heaven with Him. We’ll finally know the perfection of our triune God before our very eyes. God will accomplish His plan of redemption! God will be united with His people as He has always intended. It’s a sure and steadfast hope. It’s an anchor for our soul!
Let’s not lose sight of the forerunner! Fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. When we follow in His footsteps we are guaranteed to share in His glory. There is no such guarantee in this life.
Let’s pray.
Devotion:
Local Ministry: First Light of Vandalia - Pastor David Starry:
International Church: The Church in Italy
