SCRIPTURE: Exodus 24
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. [Luke 9:29-31] Jesus has a similar mountaintop experience as Moses, but there is something greater about Jesus.
Moses spent time with God, and his face glowed as a result [Exodus 34:33-35]. Elijah was caught up to heaven by glorious chariots of fire [2 Kings 2:11]. Now they appear with Jesus, also in the “consuming fire” of God. But God endorses Jesus, not Moses or Elijah: this is My Son, listen to Him!
God is so powerful, so magnificent, He dwells in unapproachable light [1 Timothy 6:16]. How do we approach an unapproachable God? How could the Israelites approach Him? The sacrifices they offered were symbolic: of the fact that they should have died, but instead that they enjoyed fellowship with God through the sprinkled blood of the sacrifices.
God is invisible and unapproachable, a consuming fire. It’s hard to have a fellowship or a relationship with a consuming fire. But thankfully, the God Who is consuming fire has become approachable. He has made Himself visible. In Jesus, we see the invisible God, we approach the unapproachable God. Peter understands that Jesus is God, but He misunderstands God’s intent. Normally people build a shrine around their God to protect the people from God, and to control access to Him. But in Jesus, God’s intention is to veil His glory and become visible, approachable. Now everyone can see God, now everyone can approach God. He is not separated from us in a shrine, He lives with us in the middle of life.
God is still a consuming fire [Hebrews 12:28-29], but now, through Jesus, we may approach Him with confidence, having been sprinkled by His blood (His death makes fellowship with God possible for us) [Hebrews 10:19-22]. And now, with Jesus, we too experience and reflect the glory of God through the Holy Spirit in us [2 Corinthians 3:18].
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You that I do not need to go up a mountain to meet with You. Thank You that You now live in me, and Your glory shines through me!
LORD, thank You for the power of Your covenant promises that are revealed to us as we study the book of Exodus.
Thank You LORD for the gift of Your Holy Spirit in our lives today so that we too can experience You in just as powerful ways today. Different yes, but no less powerful as we open ourselves up to all that You are.
Thank You for Your glory that is displayed in the beauty of creation – meeting us as we take the moment needed to be in awe of the magnificant splendor that You display for our delight.
Thank You LORD for the people around me that so openly live their faith that I meet Jesus in such very real and tangible ways. It’s so wonderful to walk this earth with You, my Father, Jesus, my Saviour and the Holy Spirit.
Thank You LORD for the gift of prayer that allows me to have incredible conversations with You. Thank You LORD for the incredible ways You speak to my heart as I journal and have godly conversations with others.
Thank You LORD for daily mountain top experiences that You allow still today as we open our hearts, minds, souls and lives to You.
LORD, I ask that You help me to daily live my life in awe of You and all that You are and all that this means not just for me but for every person that walks this earth…. I love You LORD.
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. WoW! A mountain top experience! This certainly different than God speaking to others for if they saw God they would certainly die.In Christ Jesus I too may see the Lord and one day I will see Him face to face. In the meantime, I experience His presence in my living for Jesus each day. And where did I meet Him? In the children I teach. In the guards who greet me cheerfully each morning. In knowing my wife and daughter and save in His hands while they are in Gonaives. In being alive to serve Him this day for He has given me purpose. I am alive, alive forevermore in Him. That makes each day a God experience. Lord, help me this day to follow You. May others see You in me. Thank You for a new day for service.
Alive alive alive forevermore
My Jesus is alive
Alive forevermore
Alive alive alive forevermore
My Jesus is alive
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
My Jesus is alive forevermore
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
My Jesus is alive