Another True View on Humanity
Exodus 24 talks to us about the covenant between God and the
people – one that was specifically made before God gave them His physical copy
of the Law. I cannot help write
sarcastically about the response found in Exodus 24:3. It seems like I am not alone. The commentaries that I read cannot help
comment sarcastically about it either.
The words “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will
do” might be satirically re-written to read: “The the words that the Lord has
spoken we will do when it is convenient, when it makes sense, and when there
isn’t a much more human way to accomplish what we want instead.” The reality is that in only a matter of a few
weeks these people will be worshipping a golden calf and not worshipping God. It is really sad to say just how quickly we
break our promises – even promises that we genuinely intend to make.
Please don’t hear me as continuing to pick on the Hebrews. While I certainly am pointing in their
general direction, I am not just
picking on them. I do the same thing
that God’s Word illustrates them as doing.
I promise to stand true. I
promise to do whatever God wants. Then I
find my lazy hindquarters sitting on the bed browsing the internet or something
else that distracts me from doing the will of God.
So while I suppose that I am picking on them, I guess I am
really more identifying with them. How
often have I said “Yes, God!” when really I am saying, “So long as it is on my
terms and my agenda, Lord – and using my ideas and my ways, of course.”
Others Go Up The Mountain with Moses
For the life of me, I don’t think I have ever consciously
read Exodus 25:9-11 before. I know I
have read the words, but these don’t sound familiar to me. In total, 75 people go up to the mountain in
God’s presence.
Here’s what is funny, though. The people go up, having just been sanctified
by the blood. That’s important, by the
way. We are told that God doesn’t lay a
hand on them. But what is really strange
is what they do. They don’t fall onto
their faces – out of fear or reverence – in worship as we might expect. They eat and drink in the Lord’s presence. What on earth is going on here?
Obviously, the Christian looks at this story and says, “I
know!” Of course we do. When we are sanctified we recognize that
worshipping God isn’t about fear and reverence as much as it is in being in relationship
with the very presence of God. It is
about understanding who is creator and who is creation, and then living that
reality out. It is about understanding
who is the meal-provider and who are the invited guests, and then living that
reality out. Absolutely God desires us
to “fear Him.” Absolutely God wants us to be reverent. But above all else, God wants relationship.
What does relationship look like? Well, it is communing with God. It is what the people do here in this passage. It is what Christ does with His disciples at
the pinnacle of His life before He dies.
So while it may seem strange that these 75 people do not fall to their
faces and hide from God, it actually does make brilliant sense. Our God is a God who desires our relationship
with Him. He desires the fruit of that
relationship be born in our relationships with others.
Joshua
The last thing I’d like to talk about is that it is Joshua
what follows Moses up the mountain, not Aaron. Even though Aaron is going to be the father of
the high priestly line, Joshua is to be Moses’ successor.
It is never too early to start mentoring another person in
the faith.
You never know when God will call that person into service.
We should equip people when the time is right.
Joshua follows Moses up the mountain to begin to learn what
it is like to be in Moses’ shoes. Joshua
continues to learn how to be a leader here in this passage. All of us can do the same. Every one of us can at the very least become
a student of someone else’s walk with God.
Some of us are even ready to take a Joshua under our
wing. The important part is to remember
that we are called to become disciples like Joshua did here. Eventually, we can all make disciples as Moses
does here with Joshua.
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