Exodus 24:9 - Meaning and Application

After the people had agreed to the ceremony of the blood sprinkling and had again declared their delight in God and his law, God gave their representatives special signs of his favor. God meets the one who rejoices and does what is right, and he brings such people closer to himself than they could have expected. In the New Testament church, this is like the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders being honored with places around the throne, because they were redeemed to God by the blood of the Lamb who stands in the middle of the throne (Revelation 4:4, Revelation 4:6; Revelation 5:8, Revelation 5:9).

They saw the God of Israel (Exodus 24:10), meaning they caught some glimpse of his glory in light and fire, though they saw no form or likeness. No human has seen God in his full essence, and no one can (1 Timothy 6:16). The Septuagint says they saw the place where the God of Israel stood, which suggests something close to a likeness, but still not one that could be drawn or copied. Whatever they saw, it was certainly enough to convince them that God was truly with them.

Only what was under his feet is described, because every idea we have of God is far beneath him and falls far short of the truth. They did not even see God's feet, but beneath the brightness, like a footstool or base, they saw a rich and beautiful pavement, like sapphire, with a clear blue or sky-colored look. The heavens themselves are the pavement of God's palace, and his throne is above the sky. This shows how much better wisdom is than precious stones like onyx or sapphire, because wisdom was God's delight from eternity and was with him then (Proverbs 8:30), while the sapphires were only under his feet. Let us place all the wealth of this world there, under his feet, and not in our hearts.

The nobles, or elders, of Israel were not struck down by his hand (Exodus 24:11). Even though they were men, the shining glory of God did not overwhelm them. It was moderated (Job 26:9), and they were strengthened so they could bear it (Daniel 10:19). Even though they were sinful and exposed to God's justice, he did not lay his punishing hand on them, as they may have feared he would. When we think about how God is a consuming fire and how much we are like dry stubble before him, we have good reason to say, whenever we draw near to him, that it is the Lord's mercy that keeps us from being destroyed.

They saw God, and they ate and drank. Their lives were preserved, and so were their strength, courage, and comfort. Their joy was not dimmed, but lifted higher. They ate the sacrifice before God as a sign that they gladly accepted the covenant, gratefully received its blessings, and enjoyed fellowship with God through that covenant. In the same way, believers eat and drink with Christ at his table (Luke 22:30). Blessed are those who will eat bread in our Father's kingdom and drink the new wine there.