EXPOSITION. Vers. 9-11.-TnE BA0RIFICIAL FEAST AND The mountain was to be partially ascended, TRE VISION OF Goo. After the covenant had but not to any great height. Nadab, Abihu, been ratined by the unanimous voice of the and the elders were to "worship God afar off." people, Moses proceeded to carry out the injunc- Ver. 10.-They aaw the God of Israel. tions ~ith respect to Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and These words can scarcely mean less than that the elders, which he had received while still they saw with their bodily eyes some appear- in the mount (see the comment on vers. 1, 2). ance of the Divine being who hat.! summoned Taking them with him, he ascended Sinai them to his presence for the purpose·. Moses, once more to a certain height, but clearly not we know, saw a "similitude of God" (Num. xii. 8). Isaiah "saw the Lord sitting upon to the summit, which he alone was privileged his throne " (Is. vi. I). Ezekiel saw upon to visit (veis. 2 and 12). The object of the the throne " the appearance of a man " ascent was twofold. I. A sacrificial meal (Ezek. i. 26). It does not follow from Deut. always followed upon a sacrifice; and the iv. 12, 15, that the elder, saw no similitude, elders might naturally desire to partake of it since in that passage Moses is speaking, not to the elders, but to the people, and referring, as near the Divine presence as should be per- not to what occurred at the sacrificial feast mitted them. This was their purpose in after the ratification of the covenant, but to ascending. 2. God desired to impress them the scene at the giving of the Ten Co1DD1and- with a sense of his awful majesty and beauty, ments previously (eh. xx. 1-18). What the and was prepured for this end to manifest form was which the elders saw, we are not told; but as it had " feet," it was probably a himself to.them in some strange and wonder- hwnan form. It may have been hazy, inde- ful way as they were engaged in the solemn finite, "too da.zzl.i..ng bright for mortal eye'" to meal (ver. 11). This was his purpose in rest upon. But it was a true "vision of God ., inviting •their presence. The manifestation -and, as Keil says, "a foretaste of the is described in ver. 10. It was a "vision of blessedness of the sight of God in eternity."' There was under his feet, as it were, a paved God," but of what exact nature it is impos- work of a sapphire atone. Rather, "lnd sible to say. Havmg recorded it, the author under his feet was, as it were, a work of de11r parenthetically notes that the Divine vision sapphire." Nothing is said concerning u paYe- did not destroy any of those who beheld it, or ment, but only that below the feet of the cause them any injury, as might have been figure which they saw was something, whirh looked as if it were made of bright bluo expected. sapphire stone. something a:; de:ir u.ntl a.:, Ver. 9.-Thun wunL ul' Comiiare ver. 1. blue as the blue of heaven. L'anou Louk 'l'HE BOOK OF EXODUS. (cu. XXIV. 9-12.
snppnses the e.~t ue.l sk~- to be meant ; but the wu viewed as a kind of profanitf.. Yet some l'xprPss10n. " a,, ii ,,,,....,, the body ol heaven." times he chose to show himsel , in vision or or " Uh the very heaven," makes this impoii- otherwise, to his people, and then, 88 there sible. A thing is not like itself. could be no guilt on their part, there wu no Ver. 11.-The noblN----i.e., the notables- punishment on his. It is generally llllpposed the 11e,·enty elders. and other persons. already that, in all such C11Bes, it wu the Second mentioned (vers. l, 9). He laid not hil ha.nd. Person of the Blessed Trinity who conde- G0d did not smite them '1'1-ith death, or pesti- scended to show himself. Al■o they aaw God. lence. or e,·en blindnesi;. It wu thought to Rather, "they both saw God, e.nd did eat e.nd be impossible to see God and live. (See above, drink." The two were simultaneous. As Gi!n. xxi.ii. 30 : Ex. xi.xii. 20 : Judg. vi. they were enga.ged in the sacrificial meal, 22, 23. etc.) Man was unworthy to draw God revealed himself to them. 11ear to God in any way ; and to look on him
HOMILETICS. Vers. 9-11. TM Covenant Meal on Sinai.--The Old Testament contains no mention of any other meal so wonderful as t-his. Newly entered into covenant with God, fresh from the blood of sprinklini, which was representative of the blood of Christ, Moses, Aaron with his two sons, and the seventy elders, half-way up Sinai, engaged in the sacrificial feast upon the peace-offerings (ver. 5), when lo I the heaven was opened to them, and there burst upon their astonished sight a vision of Jehovah in his glory and: his beauty, standing on pellucid sapphire, dazzling in its brilliance. As the meat and drink entered their mouths, God shone in upon their souls. It was indeed a" wondrous festivity," and certainly not without a spiritual meaning, extending to all time, and even beyond time into eternity. Surely, we may say, without over-great boldness, or anv undue prying into holy things:- 1. THAT THE HEAL WAS A TYPE OF THAT DIVINE FEAST WHICH THE LORD INSTI- THTKD ON THE 1''IGHT OF HIS BETRAYAL, FOR THE SUSTENTATION OF BIS PEOPLE. The Holy Communion is a feast upon a sacrifice-the sacrifice of Christ-partaken of by Christians as the most solemn rite of their religion, in the wilderness of this life, for their better sustentation and support through its trials. It brings them very near to him, as it were into his presence. As they partake of the bread and wine, they partake of him; his light shines into their souls; his beauty and glory are revealed to their spirits; they obtain a foretaste of heaven. Blessed is the man who thus eats and drinks in his kingdom-ting and drinking and s98ing God. II. THAT THE HEAL WAS, FURTHER, A TYPE OF THAT MARRIAGE-SUPPER OF THE LAlllB, '11BEREOF ALL THE FAITHFUL SIIA.LL O},,'E DAY PARTAKE IN HEAVEN (Rev. xix. 7-9). 'fhere the saints shall eat and drink in the Divine presence, their meat the heavenly manna, angels' food, their drink the wine which they " drink new" in their Father's kingdom. The glory of God shall shine on them. For the place of their dwelling" has no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it ; " for it is " the glory of God tha.11 lighrens it, and the Lamb that is the light thereof" (ib. u.i. 23). The sapphire of Sinai has there its counterpart; for "the first foundation" of the city wherein they dwell "is jasper, and the second sapphire" (ib.19). The Divine presence is with them perpetually; for the "throne" of God is there, and they "see his face," and" his Name is in their foreheads" (ib. xxii. 4)- Thrice blessed they who attain to this heavenly feast, and are counted worthy of that beatific vision!