Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
In obedience to God's command Moses took Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the most influential elders as representatives up the mountain while the people worshiped below, with the elders called nearer but kept at a distance and Moses alone permitted to come near the Lord. Going up together they were honored with a sight of the God of Israel, seeing not the Deity itself but the inexpressible glory of His presence enshrouded in thick cloud, with under His feet as a paved work of sapphire stone as heaven for clearness, and God spared them so they lived, saw God, and ate and drank. The One they met was Jesus Christ Himself, the true and only begotten Son of God who gave the Sinai directions, conversing face to face with them in divine form with His glory covered by a cloud upon the sapphire pavement. They were able to live through the sight because they had been prepared, as exhibitions of God's power filled them with fear and awe that wrought repentance, and by love, reverence, purification, and contemplation of His glory, purity, and mercy they were made able to approach nearer. That great honor did not remove responsibility to obey, as shown when Nadab and Abihu, who stood next to Moses and Aaron and dwelt in the light of His glory, later transgressed in sacred service, and their light and privilege did not excuse them or cause God to overlook it but rendered their sin more grievous, teaching that great blessings require returns of virtue and holiness and never give license to sin with impunity.
Ascent and Divine Vision
In obedience to the divine command Moses took Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel up the mountain while the people worshiped below at its foot. They were the most influential men, chosen as representatives to assist him in his work, and they were placed at a distance where they might behold the majesty of the divine presence. The elders were called nearer, yet Moses alone was permitted to come near the Lord.
Going up together they were honored with a sight of the God of Israel. They saw not the Deity or person of God itself but only the inexpressible glory of His presence surrounding Him. That glory was enshrouded with a thick cloud so the people below could not behold it. Under His feet was as a paved work of sapphire stone, as the body of heaven in clearness, like a sapphire-like pavement beneath His feet. God laid not His hand upon them but spared them, so they lived, saw God, and ate and drank.
The One they met was Jesus Christ Himself, who gave the Sinai directions. They conversed face to face with Jesus Christ the true and only begotten Son of God. They saw the divine form of Christ with His glory covered by a cloud, standing on the sapphire pavement in wonderful glory.
The ascent came after Moses told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice that all the words the Lord had said they would do. After Moses wrote all the words and read the book of the covenant in the audience of the people, they repeated that all the Lord had said they would do and be obedient, and Moses sprinkled the blood on the people and declared it the blood of the covenant, to worship afar off. Afterward the Lord called Moses to come up into the mount to receive tables of stone and a law and commandments written that he might teach them. Moses rose with his minister Joshua and went up into the mount of God, where directions for building a sanctuary and the pattern of the ark were given, and when the people saw Moses delayed in coming down they became discontented and their unbelief was revealed.
Among those who went up and beheld the divine glory with special manifestations of God's power and greatness were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and his fellow-conspirators. They ate and drank in God's presence without being destroyed, yet afterward a change came over them.
The elders were given God's Spirit and a clear sense of His greatness, majesty, power and glory to prepare them with wisdom and reverence for their office. That nearer view was given because their office was to aid Moses in governing Israel and in the great work of leading Israel to the promised land, so they would act with wisdom in guiding the people with His fear and glory continually before them. While Moses was away on the mountain with God, Aaron and Hur, assisted by these elders, were responsible for the people. Aaron's permission to ascend and behold the divine glory belonged to his forty-year work united with Moses in leading Israel out of Egypt, to which God called him at age eighty-three, together with holding up Moses' hands in the battle with Amalek.
Privilege Demands Holy Obedience
They lived through the sight because they had been prepared for it. Exhibitions of God's power had filled them with fear and awe that wrought repentance for past transgressions. By love and reverence for God, by purifying themselves, and by contemplating His great glory, purity, and mercy, they were made able to approach nearer.
That honor did not remove responsibility to obey, as Nadab and Abihu's later misuse of wine and disobedience in sacred service show. Next to Moses and Aaron they stood highest in Israel, and they had been permitted to ascend the mount, behold His glory, have communion with God, and dwell in the light of His glory. Such great light and privilege did not excuse their later transgression or cause God to overlook it or to regard it lightly, but rendered their sin more grievous.
Those who have received great light, have ascended to the mount, and have been privileged with communion and glory must not flatter themselves that they can afterward sin with impunity or that God will not be strict and exact to punish their iniquity, for that is a fatal deception. Great blessings and privileges should never lull to security or carelessness, never give license to sin, nor cause the recipients to feel that God will not be exact with them. Great light and privileges bestowed require returns of virtue and holiness corresponding to the light given, and anything short of this God cannot accept. All advantages God has given are His means to throw ardor into the spirit, zeal into effort, and vigor into carrying out His holy will.
The sacred privilege honored Nadab and Abihu and was meant to prepare them for their ministry, deepen their reverence for God, and help them teach the people to honor and obey His requirements. It gave them understanding that the most careful self-examination and sanctification were required before presenting themselves in the sanctuary where God's presence was manifested.
Their later rebellion showed they had forgotten this honor and the evidence it gave of God's presence and authority. After first entertaining small doubts they nurtured distrust, envy, and suspicion until a change of heart came. A temptation slight at first was harbored and strengthened as it was encouraged until Satan controlled their minds, and they ventured into disaffection and opposition to Moses. They whispered discontent while professing great interest in the prosperity of the people and believing themselves actuated by zeal for God.
The ascent followed Israel's covenant pledge to obey all that God had said, making Aaron's later sin especially grave. The priests and rulers later rejected that same One whom their elders had met, choosing Barabbas and having Christ sacrificed. That continued the same rejection shown when Israel shouted over the golden calf and when they set aside their invisible Leader and Counsellor for an earthly king in Samuel's day.
This belongs to the teachings God gave to Moses in the mount in Exodus 19-24 that men should obey and that must be studied and presented before the people now just as verily as the children of Israel needed them then. The directions on Mount Sinai were given by Christ Jesus Himself, the same Teacher who has spoken in human flesh. The instruction ends all contention and calls for loving as brethren with softened and subdued hearts, and the laws written in a book guard against doing injustice and guide dealings with one another.
In obedience to God's command Moses took Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the most influential elders as representatives up the mountain while the people worshiped below, with the elders called nearer but kept at a distance and Moses alone permitted to come near the Lord. Going up together they were honored with a sight of the God of Israel, seeing not the Deity itself but the inexpressible glory of His presence enshrouded in thick cloud, with under His feet as a paved work of sapphire stone as heaven for clearness, and God spared them so they lived, saw God, and ate and drank. The One they met was Jesus Christ Himself, the true and only begotten Son of God who gave the Sinai directions, conversing face to face with them in divine form with His glory covered by a cloud upon the sapphire pavement. They were able to live through the sight because they had been prepared, as exhibitions of God's power filled them with fear and awe that wrought repentance, and by love, reverence, purification, and contemplation of His glory, purity, and mercy they were made able to approach nearer. That great honor did not remove responsibility to obey, as shown when Nadab and Abihu, who stood next to Moses and Aaron and dwelt in the light of His glory, later transgressed in sacred service, and their light and privilege did not excuse them or cause God to overlook it but rendered their sin more grievous, teaching that great blessings require returns of virtue and holiness and never give license to sin with impunity.
Ascent and Divine Vision
In obedience to the divine command Moses took Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel up the mountain while the people worshiped below at its foot. They were the most influential men, chosen as representatives to assist him in his work, and they were placed at a distance where they might behold the majesty of the divine presence. The elders were called nearer, yet Moses alone was permitted to come near the Lord.
Going up together they were honored with a sight of the God of Israel. They saw not the Deity or person of God itself but only the inexpressible glory of His presence surrounding Him. That glory was enshrouded with a thick cloud so the people below could not behold it. Under His feet was as a paved work of sapphire stone, as the body of heaven in clearness, like a sapphire-like pavement beneath His feet. God laid not His hand upon them but spared them, so they lived, saw God, and ate and drank.
The One they met was Jesus Christ Himself, who gave the Sinai directions. They conversed face to face with Jesus Christ the true and only begotten Son of God. They saw the divine form of Christ with His glory covered by a cloud, standing on the sapphire pavement in wonderful glory.
The ascent came after Moses told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice that all the words the Lord had said they would do. After Moses wrote all the words and read the book of the covenant in the audience of the people, they repeated that all the Lord had said they would do and be obedient, and Moses sprinkled the blood on the people and declared it the blood of the covenant, to worship afar off. Afterward the Lord called Moses to come up into the mount to receive tables of stone and a law and commandments written that he might teach them. Moses rose with his minister Joshua and went up into the mount of God, where directions for building a sanctuary and the pattern of the ark were given, and when the people saw Moses delayed in coming down they became discontented and their unbelief was revealed.
Among those who went up and beheld the divine glory with special manifestations of God's power and greatness were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and his fellow-conspirators. They ate and drank in God's presence without being destroyed, yet afterward a change came over them.
The elders were given God's Spirit and a clear sense of His greatness, majesty, power and glory to prepare them with wisdom and reverence for their office. That nearer view was given because their office was to aid Moses in governing Israel and in the great work of leading Israel to the promised land, so they would act with wisdom in guiding the people with His fear and glory continually before them. While Moses was away on the mountain with God, Aaron and Hur, assisted by these elders, were responsible for the people. Aaron's permission to ascend and behold the divine glory belonged to his forty-year work united with Moses in leading Israel out of Egypt, to which God called him at age eighty-three, together with holding up Moses' hands in the battle with Amalek.
Privilege Demands Holy Obedience
They lived through the sight because they had been prepared for it. Exhibitions of God's power had filled them with fear and awe that wrought repentance for past transgressions. By love and reverence for God, by purifying themselves, and by contemplating His great glory, purity, and mercy, they were made able to approach nearer.
That honor did not remove responsibility to obey, as Nadab and Abihu's later misuse of wine and disobedience in sacred service show. Next to Moses and Aaron they stood highest in Israel, and they had been permitted to ascend the mount, behold His glory, have communion with God, and dwell in the light of His glory. Such great light and privilege did not excuse their later transgression or cause God to overlook it or to regard it lightly, but rendered their sin more grievous.
Those who have received great light, have ascended to the mount, and have been privileged with communion and glory must not flatter themselves that they can afterward sin with impunity or that God will not be strict and exact to punish their iniquity, for that is a fatal deception. Great blessings and privileges should never lull to security or carelessness, never give license to sin, nor cause the recipients to feel that God will not be exact with them. Great light and privileges bestowed require returns of virtue and holiness corresponding to the light given, and anything short of this God cannot accept. All advantages God has given are His means to throw ardor into the spirit, zeal into effort, and vigor into carrying out His holy will.
The sacred privilege honored Nadab and Abihu and was meant to prepare them for their ministry, deepen their reverence for God, and help them teach the people to honor and obey His requirements. It gave them understanding that the most careful self-examination and sanctification were required before presenting themselves in the sanctuary where God's presence was manifested.
Their later rebellion showed they had forgotten this honor and the evidence it gave of God's presence and authority. After first entertaining small doubts they nurtured distrust, envy, and suspicion until a change of heart came. A temptation slight at first was harbored and strengthened as it was encouraged until Satan controlled their minds, and they ventured into disaffection and opposition to Moses. They whispered discontent while professing great interest in the prosperity of the people and believing themselves actuated by zeal for God.
The ascent followed Israel's covenant pledge to obey all that God had said, making Aaron's later sin especially grave. The priests and rulers later rejected that same One whom their elders had met, choosing Barabbas and having Christ sacrificed. That continued the same rejection shown when Israel shouted over the golden calf and when they set aside their invisible Leader and Counsellor for an earthly king in Samuel's day.
This belongs to the teachings God gave to Moses in the mount in Exodus 19-24 that men should obey and that must be studied and presented before the people now just as verily as the children of Israel needed them then. The directions on Mount Sinai were given by Christ Jesus Himself, the same Teacher who has spoken in human flesh. The instruction ends all contention and calls for loving as brethren with softened and subdued hearts, and the laws written in a book guard against doing injustice and guide dealings with one another.