"And they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity" (Ex. 24:10).
The people, having agreed to the terms of the covenant, were called by God to Himself, the Holy One of Israel. The text says that they saw God, that is, they had some glimpse of His glory in light and fire, though they saw no manner of similitude, for no man has seen, nor can he see, God (1 Tim. 4:16). The representatives of Israel saw a visible manifestation of the Lord, and they saw the place where Jehovah stood. Nothing is described of this visible manifestation except that which was under His feet, for our conceptions of God are all below Him and fall infinitely short of being adequate. Even to those God has chosen to reveal Himself, the Lord is clouded in mystery, for He is so much greater, so much more than we could ever imagine, even in our redeemed state.
They saw, not so much God’s “feet,” but the footstool or pedestal on which He stood. They beheld a most rich and splendid pavement made of sapphire, the color of the heavens, for the heavens themselves are the pavement of God’s palace, and His throne is above the firmament. He is not bound by His creation, but is above it, and even the most precious things of this world remain under His feet.
As the elders gazed at this extraordinary sight, God did not lay His hand upon them. Because of man’s rebellion against God, men are not worthy to come before His presence. The men who saw God’s glory that day did not deserve to live, but deserved to be consumed by the judgment of God’s hand. Yet, He did not exercise justice, but showed them mercy. When we consider the greatness of our God, we should wonder that we are not consumed, for He is holy and we are an offense to Him. Because our God is a merciful God and we stand in the name of Jesus Christ, we can stand before Him in the assembly of the righteous and not be consumed. We are covered by His righteousness, and in Him we can come into the presence of the Lord without fear of judgment.
Too many Christians cower before the Lord, acting more like slaves than the sons they are. They hide their faces from God’s presence because they are ashamed of their sin and do not realize the forgiveness they have in Christ. May you know the freedom of Christ and be confident that God will not lay His hand of wrath upon you.
Think about what it must have been like for the elders to go before the Holy One of Israel and behold something of His glory. Think about how awesome your God is. Be humbled by your sin before Him, but glory in the freedom you have in Christ to come before His throne without fear.
