102 - Now That's a Mountaintop Experience!

You pick up your Bible and wonder, is there more here than meets the eye. Is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper may look like just print on a page, but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than he knows that Moses went up on the mountain for 40 days and nights. But how does Exodus action described blesses the people looked at it look like a devouring fire tonight yet I not only does walk into it. He stays up there for 40 days – you need to look into this today, more than Inc. three to you, this is Jim and this is Dorothy and we are excited to come back to the narrative in exes.

We spent the last words about three chapters, looking at the working out or the fitting of the 10 Commandments to the actual society that would become the new nation of Israel and this is the chapter actuates is that Moses actually wrote it down and eroded down for the people, but it's not yet written in stone and get to that part in this chapter. Yeah, but we wouldn't have any action since Exodus 20 I think it is now the action comes back were still at Mount Sinai and at the top of it and and the covenant is going to become unveiled in a very clear way, here is God meets with Moses and Aaron and the elders is just very exciting. So today we go to the top of the mountain.

Amazing account and I probably need to say right up front that this really connects to the end of the previous chapter, and so kind at toward the end of the previous chapter and verse 2122 chapter 23 he said now pay careful attention to the angel of the Lord is going before you rebel against him or listen to him obey his voice, but if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say and I'll be an enemy of your enemies and adversary to your adversary, so he setting up the covenant idea that God Is Giving Way, God will give the direction and you will agree and you will go forward in relationship with God. On that basis so that sets us up so after all of that. Then in chapter 24 then he says to Moses now you come up right and it is interesting. I mean, in contrast to the story could have gone that God came sprung about Egypt government in the desert and aim to him toward the promised land in several guys. Good luck with that from now on I did what I need to do justice bring you from Egypt and I'll see you later tell me how works out because I got to sprung them out of Egypt so that he could actually dwell with them that bring them into into a house in relation to relationships of guy doesn't just bring us from jails to get his free. He springs us from Jill to have relationship and what he gave them in the wilderness was primarily hymns itself right he gave them away with him. He gave them his word to give the man a really show them who he was to them in his intention to live in relationship to talk more about them. We finish the shelter because it really is a fascinating thing what happens. This is a pivot point Exodus is everything that happens after this is in the context of so will talk about that solicitous to do it. Chapter 24 want to reinforce from verse one. Okay then he said to Moses, come up to the Lord, you and Aaron not dab a Navajo, and 70 of the elders of Israel and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near the people shall not come up with him, 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 of the Lord has spoken we will do. 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 12 pillars, according to the tribes of Israel, and he sent young men of the people of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. Can we stop there because he's setting it up now at this point in verse six is going to get very serious just counting what happened right. It is interesting how already has said now you're going to come gather mode.

Aaron and Ed have a nap who which are his two older son and later on in the story we find out something very interesting about this point there still visit you guys from the burned and that is in Leviticus 10 and you can if you look at your cross-references in your column. You can find out that story about may dab well you can just find who they are just across right they already were mentioned way back early in because Aaron had four sons mentioned, but these seem to be older to so so this is apparently a very important meeting at the Moses and Aaron and his two sons the same seven of the elders and it's a really big deal. Something really big is going down find it even out of them. Only Moses allowed to really come near. At this point, yet they do come up and I need and they receive something remarkable. I think and it says all the words of the Lord that has the Lord is spoken we will do the same response and then she triggers a problem because we know what we read. That was so those words right there that you know the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. They're not going to do what God asks of them and and is it invokes is not able to be able to write and so this this the conflict that happens right here there's this requirement for being a citizen of God's kingdom and in God can make very clear what that is but they're knocking to be able to do that and that sort of forms the basis which they don't know yet for solving the problem of the rooms already said that back in chapter 13 when the Lord said now if you'll obey my voice and keep my commandments. This is 19 five then I'll be to you at kingdom are you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel and all people said, yeah, we really, really well. They didn't yet have the complete words packed but they already had said will do everything you say.

So it was, you know very attention to this is the tension which which is what you just read is an interesting one to punch were Moses brings us.they say yes will do it do it and he says you go sacrifice of animals or what. When we do that well only because were going to be making covenant is making covenant with you, where about to enter the actual ceremony. This covenant ceremony, which always required a sacrifice of the agreement so well and I might add to this the sacrifice is always needed because because of the sin ranks of this covenant is covenant with God. That's going to be, you know it's gonna be cemented with the sacrifice is why sacrifice as well because the company is going to be there but since a problem or in the middle of the covenant, and so what cements the covenant is the sin atonement well their offerings here listed in verse five. There's a burnt offering and peace offering us write this blog represents the life like right when you are our life is forfeit, if we break this covenant right.

In this way you look at the blood very carefully. Here is not just a weird kind of a cultic symbol mean in Leviticus, he tells us that there's the life of the flesh is in the blood. So when you see being blood spilled is being shipped for some to life is coming from something to someone, so it's actually pouring out of white from one to another, said this is life-and-death business.

This is life and your relationship with God outpouring on life. For another, and why would that be necessary because the shortfall sin. This is also tied in. As we read forward. Now listen carefully for what happens to the blood because this is very few remember this is life being poured out for another great no good okay starting verse six. Six and Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins and half of the blood. He threw against the altar and then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people and they said all the Lord has spoken we will do and we will be obedient and Moses took the blood and through it and said, behold, the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.

Okay, so where did the blood go went on the altar to places to place went on the altar and it went on people, people over the book of the covenant words of God. They were agreeing to obey and live according to this again is not rocket science symbolism, but this a strong symbolism here were where you see you see God's words read you see a sacrifice.

After that, you see the receiving of those words like yeah we heard it we do this and then and then you see the receiving of the sacrifice receiving a result of the sacrifice that that that four step process is very New Testament well and forwarding down here. I want to make sure that we point out the contrast between this old covenant and the new covenant because when you just said in that sequence is very important. Thanksgiving the word and then the sacrifice the blood sacrifice and then the receiving end that the celebration of doing life together on our participation word in that solution.

Yeah, that's what happens or that's the picture. It is being Aladdin I guess is the official ceremony and I was trying to remember.

Maybe you can remember more but I this is my only member where the blood was actually sprinkled on the people as opposed to something else that actually was the one in the form of the of the covenant. But you're right, but this is the initial one, but is is very clear here so if if the flooring of the blood is the outpouring of one life to another. The life is coming from the sacrifice animals and it's going directly onto people so you can see that they've lost their lives and this is going with that they get life well in between the shedding of the blood and the blood bank sprinkled on the people is the word of God is the word God has said so you know when we come to think about prefiguring Jesus. He is the living word become flesh that we saw. He gave his blood and we receive the benefit of that so will unpack that a little bit more later, but I want you to start thinking about that now yeah and in the upper room in the Last Supper.

He says this. This is the this is my blood of the covenant. So when they heard that phrase they would instantly flashback Texas 24 this is the new covenant in my blood, not the audibles got to see Bruce tells us the blood of bulls and goats never did anything so we stand back for second, we see we see a profound covenant happening covenant that ties God and man together. I mean even symbolically with the blood going on the altar and the blood going on the people. The people's need for life which they don't have in the solution to that life, which is coming from the sacrifice is all tied together in this covenant. And again, don't just get glazed over religious eyes and say was just a goofy covenant you're not through blood all over the place. There's great and profound and well understood meaning in this blood.

Maybe we better take just a second and define what a covenant it ought to go to covenant is very as solemn and binding agreement to do life together based on the promise right.

I will be for you and you will be for me. From this point on, we have agreed to do life together right in a certain way and and you said the keyword is primarily relational. Yes, it is relational, primarily relational and we we see in our modern culture, most obviously in marriage maraschino valves to one another.

That's a mutual covenant with this is a mutual you even if you buy into a particular neighborhood. You have documents that determine how you will all keep your garden site so that the frivolous idea how you slice it was something that makes the relationship possible. Okay, so we need to press on huge things, and it is that you will only take up from verse nine. Okay then Moses and Aaron Nate ab and Abby, who in the 70 the elders of Israel went up and they saw the God 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 eight and drink okay. Stop. You know this is stunning. I thought no man God and left, right, and even Jesus said in John six. No man has ever seen God, right right so they see. What did they see you.

In fact, I went to chase that down to see if I was thinking of this wrong but but that's what it is.

I mean later annexes 33 you cannot see my face for man shall not see me and live right and then even beginning of John one regenerates the gospel.

No one is ever seen God. The only God is the fungicide right. He has made it known, but no one's ever seen God, right just before John says that verse 14 of John when he says, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among him and we saw the ultimate lesson we saw is Lori right right so there is some sense here that were seeing the presence of God without necessarily CCing God imprisons the emphasis so much on his feet and went under his feet right to come to gives you the impression that that their gazes bow down and not really in his face looking in his eyes so there's something others will but Mr. here, but there's something about the fact that they have seen God so they know this is God, but not in the sense that that though be condemned were suddenly welcomed into the presence of God. After the agreement after the covenant right there welcomed up welcomed into the presence of God grants them relationship with him and they eat and drink in his presence, yet makes me think mentioning marriage and I do marriage ceremony. Wedding ceremony is always a party to party you and and you see this all through the Old Testament special were you make a couple right and then you service over you tell the feast is an essential part of your recognition of the covenant because as months sit down to eat together, which is representing doing life together. That's right, I would encourage you listeners to find out looking your cross-references. You have cross-references in your column here.

Look where else this imagery shows up on the pavement that's under his feet, and the glory, because you'll find it in Ezekiel and you'll find in Revelation right and the descriptions are very very similar. So I'm nothing to give you those references you look them up them being the best reference in your column and I would encourage you to read the verses around them because the person they are seeing is the visual incarnate representation of you seen God, and the seam is deliberately meant to impress upon you that you are coming into the present. This made me think is eating and drinking stuff, or may remember, just remember just who I am okay yeah he came in he makes a profession of faith and who this God is who brought them out of Egypt, you know.

And then all the elders of Israel come in and they sit down right that's an essential part of reading to live in Jesus as a sacrifice if he actually right. You know he starts this covenant with God, the God of Israel and the drink so this is so pesticide when you press on verse 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. So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua and Moses went up into the mountain of God, and he said the elders wait here for us until we returned. You.

And behold, Aaron, and her are with you and whoever has a dispute let go to them. Okay okay so Moses is going up farther right thing all come to God on the mountain. But God says to Moses now, and just be there me what it says in verse 12 come up on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone that is literally high. That is just being there exists there and by the end of the chapter really find out he's up there for 40 days and nights yeah yeah exactly and and everything that he had already written in the book on the scroll behind is going to write himself on stone. That's a very important picture here yes because we have you from verse seven were to have the book of the covenant right which presumably is the stuff written down from chapters 20 through 20 right exactly reading, but this is different to something much more important here and will unfold as we see it. I like to mention of Joshua come to businesses like we all just rational before not too long remember when Moses was holding up his staff and Maren and her were helping him hold his arms in the air and who was down there in the battle, watching people dyer survived that was just an Joshua is this is an introduction to him is a very important assistant to Moses and even after Moses dies, he will take over the leadership role for Moses so that's Joshua he's right appear on the mount of Moses.

It's incredible 1515 and then Moses went up on the mountain. Now listen for the repetition here. Moses went up on the mountain and the cloud covered mountain.

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 know 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. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain and Moses was on the mountain.

40 days and 40 nights in those few verses we have the cloud and the glory and the mountain over and over and over again. This is a very important picture is a big deal. This is why this is the pivot point in Exodus in so many ways this is the pivot point and I've always wondered he goes up in and he's in the midst of that fruit.

Six days before God pulls in the summer had just common be here right and and you know if your Bible student you say wait six days plus one that rings a bell what's going on here and them really that to you. The new long because that's just if it's a marvelous very deliberate parallel case and she brings up an idea that I want to touch on being a study skill that is slow reading.

Right read the passage aloud read slowly enough and when something attracts your attention. Pause just be there right and let the significance of it sink in.

This is the way we beat too fast, yet so much of the time.

So this whole chapter is one that benefits from the slow read well and I encourage people to do in active questioning, yes, ask good questions because you know you can read and just say will that's just what's there. So I just read. I keep going but for instance on the six days +1 if you're so if you're going so much as a way sick time.

Why is happening here at the question arises in your mind. Is this like the six days of creation in the day of rest is the Sabbath rest mean what what is it and so if you if you go too fast. The questions don't write right and it's always great to ask the questions way moving and. And speaking of parallel 40 days and 40's. What is that remind you of will immediately for me.

I'm thinking of Jesus and the temptation of Matthew four. Well, I thought about that to you that this is in response to God giving his word. People want Jesus out in the wilderness.

How was he responding to those temptations by God. Yes, all three yet he was refuting just temptation rightly, and then when those 40 days and 40 nights are done.

The word who was flesh walked among them. So it's interesting his ministry is publicly accessible life. After this, the word will be publicly accessible, because it's written on stone. It will be later deposited in the ark of the covenant will be there point of reference and written on stone is good to become a very important idea. Later on when we come to talk about the new covenant which is not written on stone living hard hearts still by the finger of God, but in the destination hearts. Yet his work is working to close this off, I mean the big picture for me. I sit as a pivot point in Exodus is because from this point forward in Exodus, the tabernacle dominates the discussion. I mean just tremendously and what is the tabernacle.

Well, it's a portable tent symbolizing God's presence with where they go from here.

So here if you think about it. Here we are in the mountain and you know the cloud and the fire and the light from heaven. It's all it's all clustered around Mount Sinai, but pretty soon here were gonna come off the sign I start wandering away from here in the place in which God chooses for his glory to be a parent is this portable tent called the tabernacle and actually working to get into reading the very specific instructions that God gives us for the tabernacle right if I'm not mistaken he has in his hand when he comes down the mountain and finds them already having built yeah so when we finish the book of Exodus on chapter 40 we finish the tabernacle.

So this from here on to the end of Exodus is all about how God is going to say this will hit God's intentions, I want to dwell in your midnight, and for that to work in the terms and the conditions for God to dwell in their midst. In the tabernacle is going to be the entire press for here to the end of Exodus.

How can God be in your midst, because God does want to dwell in your midst, and here's how it's possible over the sacrifice for sin. All of that instruction. Moses is going to receive on the mountain and then come down and collaborate on it to the people and engage them in the building of the tabernacle and because of that sin you.

We have this constant tension.

We've got God in their midst, but they can't come near right yeah and so is it's a fascinating tension which goes on even to man in the present day, which is, here's a God who desires to dwell in our midst, but because of our sin, we can't draw near to him.

However, there is a solution to that sin. And then we can draw near to, but from here on out it's God's way of saying here's the terms and conditions so that I can dwell on you and I can be your visible leader from the tabernacle so and is very specific about the design of this tabernacle and what it symbolizes and what it what it teaches. Just because of the way it's made that allows them to understand how it is that God can be with us, but we cannot come near to him is a it's a fascinating tension I that construction of the tabernacle is so full of symbolism. I read a Psalm earlier this week and I can read which one was where the psalmist says and everything in your tabernacle cries glory well glory, the primary meaning of the word glories recognition is known who this God is what is essential character is and outshine it so we were in court glory glory on the mountain glory, the glory of the presence of God. And so it's all pointing actually to John wanted Jesus will and when says the Word became flesh, and he dwelt he tabernacle tabernacle is temporary during play God's intention to an old house asked to see his we could recognize God in the face of Christ and if you remember even at the Last Supper, when Philip says to Jesus, you know, just show us a lot of artery and he says if you've seen me you seen so long you so I can't really mean to suggest without saying this old covenant idea is critical, but it all points to a new covenant, not written in stone human hearts, not by the blood of bulls and goats by the blood of Christ. This is so tightly connected with Christ not only sacrifice but in his desire to dwell among us. He became flesh. God is so intention became flesh and dwelt among us. This is been the intention of God. Since the garden is to dwell and so here in excess of us.

He worked out in the creation of the tabernacle and receipt completed when Jesus comes in the tabernacle.

So glad you're with us were totally out of time and the narrative will pick up next week as we look at this tabernacle and the fulfillment of God will come back and join the excitement you look at this together on Main Street church is solely responsible to contact us with your questions or comments. When we