Exodus 24:9-18 The Glory of the Lord

Exodus 24:9-18 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet they saw what looked like a pavement of sapphire as clear as the sky. 11The LORD did not lay his hand on the dignitaries of the people of Israel. They gazed at God, and they ate and drank.

12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Wait there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, so that you can teach them.”

13Moses set out with his assistant Joshua and went up onto the mountain of God. 14He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come back to you. Look, here are Aaron and Hur. They will be with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”

15Moses went up onto the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The Glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud. 17The appearance of the Glory of the LORD looked like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18Moses entered into the middle of the cloud and climbed up the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

The Glory of the Lord

I.

Think about your favorite celebrity. Who would you most like to meet? It might be a musician or an athlete. Perhaps it’s movie or TV star. Maybe a politician or some titan of industry you admire. You might be at least a little bit nervous to be in the presence of someone like that.

Now imagine being the Children of Israel, camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. The presence of the Glory of the Lord was infinitely more impressive and imposing than any celebrity. When Moses came down from his first trip up Mt. Sinai, he shared the message of what God had told him with the people. The people said: “Everything that the LORD has said, we will do” (Exodus 19:8, EHV).

Then the people were told to prepare for God to come down on Mt. Sinai in front of the people (Exodus 19:11ff). No one was to go close to the mountain, or touch it, or they would be put to death. God’s presence was imposing.

By the time today’s First Reading begins, Moses had been up and down Mt. Sinai four times. Though God allowed no one else, he spoke with Moses in person. Each time, Moses relayed to the people the Word of the Lord.

“Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10They saw the God of Israel” (Exodus 24:9, EHV). Moses, perhaps, knew what to expect. Do you think the other 73 might have been more than a bit nervous to come into God’s presence? He wasn’t just some A-list celebrity; this was God.

Later, God would say to Moses: “You cannot see my face, for no human may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20, EHV). They must not have been allowed to see God truly face-to-face, but Moses and the other 73 were given some sort of special meeting with the Lord. “They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet they saw what looked like a pavement of sapphire as clear as the sky. 11The LORD did not lay his hand on the dignitaries of the people of Israel. They gazed at God, and they ate and drank” (Exodus 24:10-11, EHV). None of the 74 deserved to come into the presence of God. No human being deserves to come into the presence of God.

Yet they did. Not only were the 74 in the presence of God, they ate and drank with him.

One day Peter, James, and John found themselves up another mountain with Jesus. They had gotten used to Jesus and his celebrity. Sure, he always seemed like a great teacher; they had seen him perform miracles. But they didn’t think of him as a celebrity, exactly. He was their Master; their friend.

“There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2, EHV). Notice how Matthew reports Jesus’ transfiguration. His face wasn’t reflecting light, like the moon might; Jesus’ face shone like the sun in and of itself. His clothing was as white as light.

Then Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. A bright cloud overshadowed them. The voice of the Heavenly Father spoke to them. “When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified” (Matthew 17:6, EHV).

Before this moment the disciples had glimpses of Jesus’ glory, but nothing like this. They might have had a vague idea that he was the Messiah—that alone made him a celebrity. But now they realized they were in the presence of God himself. They couldn’t stand in the presence of God. Sinners never can stand in the presence of God. They collapsed, face down.

II.

Before the Heavenly Father spoke to the three disciples, Peter had said: “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4, EHV). Peter was expressing his want—his desire. He wants to bask in the glow of Jesus’ glory. He wants to stay up there, listening to Moses and Elijah and Jesus talking together. What could be more awesome?

Peter’s reaction seems natural. People today want to have awesome religious experiences, too. If only we could see God for ourselves; if only he would appear before us face-to-face. If it can’t be that, at least stop talking about sin.

Back to Mt. Sinai. The 74 went back down the mountain. They must have been filled with excitement at what they had seen and heard. They had been allowed in the presence of God, and had lived to tell about it.

Still, standing there at the bottom with all the people of Israel, the elders looked up. “The appearance of the Glory of the LORD looked like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel” (Exodus 24:17, EHV). The glory of the Lord was imposing and frightening again. While it certainly would qualify as an awesome religious experience, a “devouring fire” is not something to be taken lightly. It’s something that makes an impression, but not necessarily something that brings much comfort.

The people began to wonder whether Moses was still alive in the “devouring fire” up above. They misunderstood the Glory of the Lord. Mt. Sinai ended with the people being afraid.

Peter, James, and John misunderstood the Glory of the Lord, too. Parts of what they experienced was quite exciting, but the Mount of Transfiguration wasn’t the place where God’s glory would be fulfilled.

III.

As for Moses, God told him: “Come up to me on the mountain. Wait there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, so that you can teach them” (Exodus 24:12, EHV). For the sixth time, Moses climbs Mt. Sinai.

“Moses went up onto the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The Glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses out of the middle of the cloud” (Exodus 24:15-16, EHV).

Only Moses entered the cloud. Only Moses was in the presence of the Glory of the Lord, standing between God and the People of Israel. Moses was their mediator, their go-between.

At the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John heard what the Heavenly Father said, even though they were flat on their faces. “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5, EHV). Even though Moses appeared up there talking to Jesus, Moses isn’t the mediator between God and his people anymore. Jesus is. And Jesus is the very Son of God.

The Glory of the Lord didn’t shine the brightest from the devouring fire on Mt. Sinai. The Glory of the Lord didn’t shine the brightest on the Mount of Transfiguration, either.

The Glory of the Lord is really to be found in the only Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus. The Church Year is about to enter the somber season of Lent. We will sing hymns in a minor key. We will listen to the Passion History of our Lord Jesus, as the greatest Glory of the Lord is revealed. The devouring fire will be the all-consuming hatred for sin poured out by the Heavenly Father on his One and Only Son, our Savior Jesus, on the cross. The greatest glory will come when darkness covers the whole land; when Jesus sighs: “It is finished.” “Paid in full.”

IV.

Flat on their faces, trembling in fear at the Glory of the Lord, the disciples wouldn’t have known what to do. “Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, ‘Get up, and do not be afraid.’ 8When they opened their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone” (Matthew 17:7-8, EHV).

That’s your Christian life. There is no fear of the devouring fear at the top of Mt. Sinai. You don’t have to tremble before the Heavenly Father in all his glory. There is just “Jesus alone.”

The very last line we sang in the Psalm of the Day said: “Blest are those who trust in God.” Not “blessed are those who see the Glory of the Lord with their own eyes.” Not “blessed are those who climb the mountain,” whether Mt. Sinai, or the Mount of Transfiguration. But “How blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, EHV).

Transfiguration Sunday is more than meeting your favorite celebrity. It’s not about chasing glory, or about trying to have fabulous religious experiences—you don’t even have to be nervous about meeting Jesus. He carried the Glory of the Lord to the cross. Because of the crucified Son, the Glory of the Lord is not a destroying fire. It’s the gentle assurance “It is finished.” Jesus’ glory is now yours by faith. Amen.