Message 80
Scripture Reading: Exo. 24:1-2, 9-18
The book of Exodus may be divided into two sections: chapters one through twenty-four as the first section and chapters twenty-five through forty as the second. The second section, composed of sixteen chapters, is primarily a record of visions concerning the tabernacle. These chapters contain very little history. Here we see the details concerning the design, materials, and construction of the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place on earth.
Many Christians have read through the book of Exodus without being deeply impressed with the fact that the goal of God’s salvation is to bring His redeemed people into His dwelling place on earth. God’s aim in His salvation is to make us His dwelling place. This crucial matter must be emphasized repeatedly until it makes a deep impression on us. Therefore, we need many messages covering the details of the wonderful, heavenly visions described in chapters twenty-five through forty of Exodus.
During the last century and a half, Bible teachers among the Brethren have written a number of books about the tabernacle and its furniture, including the ark, the incense altar, the showbread table, the lampstand, the laver, and the brass altar. However, when I was with the Brethren I was never told that today’s church is God’s tabernacle.
In the Bible the word tabernacle is used in three ways. First, it refers to the tabernacle built at the foot of Mount Sinai. Second, it denotes the Lord Jesus as God’s tabernacle with man. John 1:14 says that the Word, which is God, “became flesh and tabernacled among us.” Through incarnation, Christ became God’s tabernacle on earth. Hence, the tabernacle in Exodus is a type of Christ as the tabernacle of God. Third, the tabernacle refers to the New Jerusalem, the ultimate, consummate, enlarged tabernacle of God which includes God’s redeemed people from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The goal of God’s salvation revealed in the book of Exodus is to bring His people into the tabernacle as His dwelling place.
In this message we shall consider 24:1-2, 9-18. When we come to this portion of Exodus, we are at the threshold of the heavenly visions contained in the following chapters. Unless we come to this threshold we shall not be able to see the heavenly visions.
In order to arrive at the threshold in Exodus 24, it was necessary for God’s people to experience all the events recorded in the previous chapters. The people were slaves in Egypt under Pharaoh’s tyranny, but God prepared Moses and then sent him as an apostle to rescue the people. In chapter twelve we have the Passover; in chapter fourteen, the crossing of the Red Sea; in chapter fifteen, the waters at Marah and the twelve springs and seventy palm trees at Elim; in chapter sixteen, the heavenly manna; in chapter seventeen, the living water from the cleft rock and the warfare with Amalek; and in chapters nineteen through twenty-three, the decree of the law and of the ordinances at Mount Sinai. God’s people had to pass through all these experiences before they could stand at the threshold in chapter twenty-four.
In chapter nineteen the people were brought into fellowship with God at Mount Sinai. However, at first this fellowship was rather obscure, for it took place in the darkness of a thick cloud. Exodus 19:9 says, “Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud,” and 20:21 says, “Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.”
Although the people were brought into fellowship with God at Mount Sinai, they did not know what kind of God He was, and they did not realize that they were a fallen, sinful, and corrupted people. They did not have the revelation either of God or of themselves. Instead, they had a natural concept of God and also of themselves. But as a result of their stay at Mount Sinai, eventually through their fellowship with God they were enlightened.
We have pointed out that when the law of God was enacted, Moses built an altar, and sacrifices were offered with the shedding of blood. This blood, the blood of the covenant, was then used to sprinkle the people. The altar, the sacrifices, and the blood indicate that God regarded His chosen people as having been redeemed, terminated, and replaced. Then, as indicated by the twelve pillars set up by Moses, they could become pillars standing before God to reflect Him as His living testimony.
I do not believe that God’s people had this realization concerning themselves. They did not know the significance of the altar, the sacrifices, the pillars, and the blood. Today when either Jews or Christians read Exodus 24, they are veiled and do not understand the significance of these things. But God had a full understanding of what was taking place. He knew what He had planned and what He was doing through the enactment of the covenant. He realized that He had gained a people who were redeemed, terminated, and replaced to become His living testimony.
In 1 Corinthians 10:5 Paul indicates that the condition of God’s people in the wilderness was actually very poor: “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn along in the wilderness.” Nevertheless, when Balak hired the Gentile prophet Balaam to curse the children of Israel, Balaam declared, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel” (Num. 23:21). Balaam also said, “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!” (Num. 24:5). Balaam had been hired to curse God’s people, but he blessed them instead. By this we can see that, in the sight of God, His redeemed people were without fault. This should teach us to not speak negatively of the saints. Such negative speaking may be offensive to the Lord. It may seem to us that the condition of the believers in a certain locality is not good, but God regards them as those who have been redeemed, terminated, and replaced. In the eyes of God, all His redeemed people have been terminated by the cross and replaced by Christ and with Christ. In Exodus 24 we have such a redeemed, terminated, and replaced people.
The scene in chapter nineteen was dark and threatening. But suddenly, in chapter twenty-four the thick cloud passes away, and the sky becomes clear and beautiful. Exodus 24:9 and 10 say, “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of transparent sapphire, and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness” (lit.). Beneath God’s feet they saw something that had the appearance of a large transparent stone. Because human words cannot describe this scene, verse 10 says that they saw “as it were a paved work of transparent sapphire, and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness.” The words “as it were” indicate that human language cannot adequately describe this marvelous sight. Moses could only liken what they saw under God’s feet to a transparent sapphire stone, which was like the body of heaven in clearness.
Verse 11 goes on to say, “They looked upon God, and did eat and drink” (lit.). While they were looking upon God, they ate and drank. As they experienced a most wonderful sight, they were refreshed by eating and drinking. Those on the mountain saw something no one had ever seen before. God’s redeemed, terminated, and replaced people were given a wonderful view of Him, even of His feet.
To see such a vision of God is to worship Him. Exodus 24:1 says that those who went up the mountain with Moses were to worship afar off. But in the following verses nothing further is said about the worship of God. If we read this chapter carefully and thoughtfully, we shall wonder when they worshipped Him. The worship in this chapter consists of beholding God and of eating and drinking. This is true worship, the worship God desires. God does not want us to worship Him by prostrating ourselves before Him. He wants us to enjoy Him and to worship Him out of this enjoyment. Have you ever been in a chapel or cathedral where the people worshipped God by eating, drinking, rejoicing, and enjoying the Lord? This kind of worship is altogether contrary to our religious concept. Yet this is the worship described in verse 11: “They looked upon God, and did eat and drink.” This was the way they worshipped Him.
We should not try to analyze the Bible according to our natural mentality, and we should not try to systematize biblical doctrine. John 1:18 says that no one has seen God at any time, but Exodus 24 says that the seventy elders and the others who were with Moses saw God. They even saw God’s feet. Moses does not say that a paved work of transparent sapphire was under God’s feet; he says that what was under His feet was “as it were” a work of transparent sapphire. In Colossians 1:15 Paul speaks of the invisible God. How can the invisible God be seen? Questions like these remind us that the Bible is divine, spiritual, and mysterious and cannot be systematized or analyzed by the natural mind.
We need to apply the record in Exodus 24 to our spiritual experience. We have been redeemed, we have experienced the termination of the cross, and, at least to some extent, we have experienced being replaced by Christ. We can testify that we have been brought into fellowship with God. At first, this fellowship is somewhat obscure. But eventually, during the course of our fellowship with the Lord, the sky becomes clear and even beautiful. Then it seems that a certain spiritual element comes into view. This element can be compared to transparent sapphire, which is as clear as the body of heaven. When we experience such fellowship it is difficult to say where we are. This is beyond words. If you have experienced the Lord in this way, it is a sign that your fellowship with Him has been enriched and uplifted.
We have pointed out that in chapters nineteen and twenty the fellowship between the children of Israel and God was obscure, for a cloud of thick darkness was present. But in chapter twenty-four, after the blood of the covenant was sprinkled on the people, the sky immediately became clear. There was no thunder and no sense of threat, tension, or uneasiness. The entire atmosphere became tranquil and peaceful. Have you not entered into such an atmosphere in your fellowship with the Lord? Have you not experienced this kind of situation in your contact with Him? I can testify that many times I have had a vision of the Lord like that described in Exodus 24. The sky above me was clear, and in front of me there seemed to be something like a beautiful, transparent sapphire like the body of heaven in its clearness. There, in such a spiritual environment, I saw God.
When some hear us testify of seeing God in this way, they may find fault and say, “This is absurd and even heretical. The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God. God is invisible. How can you claim to have seen Him?” The Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Certainly He was not in error in saying this, and He did not contradict the Bible. In my fellowship with the Lord I like to have a clear sky and to see a work of transparent sapphire underneath Him. I am happy when there is nothing between me and the Lord, when there is no cloud, shadow, or obscurity and everything is clear. Those who have had a certain amount of experience with the Lord can bear witness to what I am speaking concerning the vision of God in a transparent and clear heaven.
Only when we are in such a clear atmosphere can we receive the heavenly vision of the building of God’s dwelling place. This was necessary for seeing the vision of the tabernacle in the Old Testament, and it is necessary also for seeing the vision of the church today. The vast majority of the people, however, were at the foot of the mountain and could not see this view. They might have seen something, but they did not have as full a view as did those who were with Moses on the mountain.
Those who see God according to the scene described in Exodus 24 are “nobles” among the human race. They are particular people who have entered into a particular state. They have seen God in a transparent and clear sky. This experience itself is very noble. Have you not had such a noble time with the Lord? Many of us can testify of having had this kind of noble experience. Those who have had this experience of seeing the Lord under a transparent and clear sky will not trade it for anything in the world. Nothing can compare with it.
If you have not had the kind of spiritual vision described here, it may indicate that you have not yet come to Mount Sinai in your experience with the Lord. You need to come to Mount Sinai and stay there with the altar, the sacrifices, and the blood. Then in your fellowship with the Lord, the sky will eventually become clear and transparent. It will seem that in front of your eyes there is something which resembles the body of heaven in its clearness. Then, in such an environment, you will see God and the heavenly vision concerning the desire of His heart to have a dwelling place on earth. The reason there is virtually nothing said among Christians today concerning God’s dwelling place is that many believers have never come to Mount Sinai to receive the vision of God’s dwelling place. Many of those who are truly saved have not yet come up the mountain to behold the Lord in a transparent and clear heaven.
In 24:12 we see that God called to Moses and said, “Come up to me into the mount.” The Lord seemed to be saying, “Moses, the others see Me, but they must worship afar off. They cannot be close to Me. I want you to come to Me and stay with Me.” Here we have something which goes beyond beholding God under a transparent and clear sky. In our spiritual experience first the sky becomes clear over us. Then in this clear atmosphere we receive a call from God to come to Him. Although this experience is very real, words cannot define it or illustrate it. If you have had the experience, you understand what I am talking about.
Exodus 24:13 says, “And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua; and Moses went up into the mount of God.” Joshua was one who helped Moses and ministered to him. I have studied this chapter again and again, but I have not been able to find out where Joshua was during the time Moses was with the Lord receiving “tables of stone, and a law, and commandments” (v. 12). In verse 14 Moses told the elders, “Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you.” The words “us” and “we” indicate that Joshua did not remain with the elders. But what did he do, and where did he go? Verse 15 says, “And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.” Not a word is said about Joshua. The fact that we are not able to locate him has an important spiritual significance. In our experience we may come to the stage of seeing God under a clear heaven without reaching the stage of remaining with God under His glory. At such times it may seem that we cannot be located. Others do not know where we are, and we ourselves do not know. We may desire to return to the experience of the clear sky, but not be able to do so. On the one hand, we cannot go back to the experience of seeing God under a transparent sky; on the other hand, we have not yet entered into the glory. The reason is that in our spiritual experience of fellowship with God we are still Joshua; we are not yet Moses. Just as we are not able to locate Joshua in the remainder of Exodus 24, we also cannot be located by others and we cannot tell where we are. This is an aspect of the experience of fellowship with God.
In Exodus 24 the majority of the people were at the foot of Mount Sinai, some were on the mountain far off from the Lord, and Moses was on the top of the mountain under God’s glory. This difference with respect to the degree of distance from the Lord can be illustrated by the tabernacle with the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The people at the foot of the mountain were in the outer court, around the altar. The seventy elders, along with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and Hur, were on the mountain, in the Holy Place. Moses on the mountaintop was in the Holy of Holies, where the shekinah glory was. Later, after the tabernacle had been built, the high priest could enter into God’s glory in the Holy of Holies, where he could receive revelation and vision from God concerning His people. The principle is the same in Exodus 24 with Moses on the mountaintop under God’s glory receiving commandments from God that he may teach the people.
It is true that in the Lord’s recovery today we all are priests and that we have neither clergy nor laity. Nevertheless, actually and experientially there are differences among us concerning our fellowship with the Lord. Many saints are in the outer court with the altar and the sprinkled blood, others have entered the Holy Place to enjoy fellowship with God to a certain degree, and some are in the Holy of Holies, under God’s glory.
Moses was actually the only one to receive the direct vision of the tabernacle. The seventy elders who worshipped afar off did not see the vision directly. During the forty days Moses was with the Lord on the mountaintop, they were waiting. Enjoying a transparent sky and a clear view of God, they ate and drank for forty days, while God gave Moses vision after vision concerning the design of the tabernacle. It took forty days for Moses to receive a detailed vision of God’s dwelling place.
If you had been there at the time, would you prefer to receive the vision of the tabernacle or would you rather be with those afar off waiting for Moses? Waiting exhausts a person’s patience. The nobles on the mountain waited for Moses, but the people at the foot of the mountain became impatient and demanded that Aaron make a god for them to worship. Thus, during the time Moses was on the mountaintop, the people practiced idolatry. While the people were practicing idolatry at the foot of the mountain, Moses was on the top of the mountain dwelling with God under His glory and receiving the vision of His dwelling place. Praise the Lord for the vision through which we know the desire of God’s heart. God’s desire is to have a dwelling place on earth constituted of Christ and constituted according to Christ.
We need to consider the picture portrayed in Exodus 24 and ask ourselves where we are in our fellowship with the Lord. Are we with the people at the foot of the mountain, are we with those on the mountain, or are we Moses on the mountaintop? Perhaps some of us are Joshua who cannot be located, because in our experience we are between the transparent sky and the glory of God on the mountaintop. Among believers today there are different degrees of fellowship with the Lord and different degrees of closeness to Him. The majority are in the outer court; that is, they are at the foot of the mountain. Others, a much smaller number, are on the mountain; that is, they are in the Holy Place. A few have come to the mountaintop; that is, they are in the Holy of Holies dwelling with God under His glory.
It is very difficult to describe the appearance of God’s glory. In 24:16 and 17 the glory is likened to a cloud and also to a consuming fire. Actually God’s glory is neither a cloud nor a fire. We cannot describe fully what the glory of God is. This reminds us that, as human beings, we can understand spiritual things only to a limited degree. It is simply not possible for us to comprehend these things in a full way. Although what we have covered in this message lies beyond human utterance, we can at least partially comprehend that in Exodus 24 we have the vision of God in a transparent and clear heaven and also the stay with God under His shekinah glory. Here we receive the revelation that the desire of God’s heart is to have a dwelling place with man on earth.
