Flaming Mountains

Recently in prayer, the Lord showed me a vision of mountain tops that were on fire and I heard the words “Flaming Mountains”. The Lord spoke to me from Exodus 24 about how He will continue to give me instruction just like He did Moses, to lay down structure and order in the body of Christ.

In Exodus Chapters 21-23, Moses, as mediator between God and Israel, received diverse laws and ordinances from God privately. In Chapter 24, Moses writes the laws, and reads them to the people, who repeat their consent (v. 4-7), and then by sacrifice, and the sprinkling of blood, ratifies the covenant between them and God (v. 5, 6, 8). Moses then returns to God to receive further directions, taking seventy of the elders, to whom God made a discovery of his glory (v. 9-11). When Moses is ordered up into the mount (v. 12, 13); the rest are ordered down to the people (v. 14). The cloud of glory is seen by all the people on the top of mount Sinai (v. 15-17), and Moses was there with God forty days and forty nights (v. 18).

---

Communion with the Lord Never Fails on His Side

When a communion is begun between God and us, it shall never fail on his side, if it does not first fail on ours. Moses was directed to bring his brother, Aaron and his sons, and the seventy elders of Israel, so that they be witnesses and testify of the glory of God and the communion that Moses was admitted into.

1. They had to be very reverent: Worship you afar off (v. 1). Before they came near, they worshiped. Thus we must enter into God's gates with humble and solemn adorations, draw near as those who know our distance, and admire God's grace in admitting us to draw near.

2. None of them came so near as Moses (v. 2). They came up to the Lord (those who approach God must ascend), but Moses alone came near; like the high priest, he entered alone into the most holy place.

3. Moses told the people the words of the Lord (v. 3). He did not lead them blindfolded into the covenant, but laid before them all the precepts, general and particular, and fairly put it to them whether they were willing to submit to these laws or not. In our day and age, this can include church protocol, etiquette and order.

4. What is church protocol and etiquette? It is the formal system of rules for correct behavior on official occasions. A code of courtesies, proper practices, set of rules regarding church worship service. In the scriptures we find a good definition from 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NKJV) says “Let all things be done decently and in order”. The people unanimously consented to the terms proposed by Moses, without reservation or exception: All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. They did not question but just submitted. God’s kingdom is all about governance- there needs to be order and structure while also freely allowing the Holy Spirit to move-being led of the Spirit-but that does not look like chaos and free will as some people seem to think.
   

---

A Covenant that if the People Observe His Precepts, God will Keep His Promises

 Moses wrote the words of the Lord (v. 4), that there might be no mistake; probably he had written them as God dictated them on the mount. As soon as God had separated to himself a peculiar people in the world, he governed them by a written word, as he has done ever since, and will do while the world stands and the church in it. God's covenants and commands are so incontestably equitable in themselves, and so highly advantageous to us, that the more we think of them, and the more plainly and fully they are set before us, the more reason we shall see to comply with them.

The requirements were sealed by the blood of the covenant, that Israel might receive strong consolations from the ratifying of God's promises to them and might lie under strong obligations from the ratifying of their promises to God. The covenant must be made by sacrifice (Ps. 50:5), because, since man has sinned, and forfeited his Creator's favour, there can be no fellowship by covenant till there be first friendship and atonement by sacrifice.

In preparation therefore for the parties interchangeably putting their seals to this covenant, Moses builds an altar, to the honour of God. He erects 12 pillars, according to the number of the tribes. These were to represent the people, the other party to the covenant; and we may suppose that they were set up against the altar, and that Moses, as mediator, passed to and fro between them. Probably each tribe set up and knew its own pillar, and their elders stood by it. He appointed sacrifices to be offered upon the altar (v. 5), burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. We are not concerned to enquire who these young men were that were employed in offering these sacrifices; for Moses was himself the priest, and what they did was purely as his servants, by his order and appointment. No doubt they were men who by their bodily strength were qualified for the service, and by their station among the people were fittest for the honour.

The blood of the sacrifice which the people offered was (part of it) sprinkled upon the altar (v. 6), which signifies the people's dedicating themselves, their lives, and beings, to God, and to his honour. In the blood (which is the life) of the dead sacrifices all the Israelites were presented unto God as living sacrifices, Rom. 12:1. The blood of the sacrifice which God had owned and accepted was (the remainder of it) sprinkled either upon the people themselves (v. 8) or upon the pillars that represented them, which signified God's graciously conferring his favour upon them and all the fruits of that favour, and his giving them all the gifts they could expect or desire from a God reconciled to them and in covenant with them by sacrifice. This part of the ceremony was thus explained: "Behold the blood of the covenant; see here how God has sealed to you to be a people; his promises to you, and yours to him, are both yea and amen." Thus our Lord Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant (of whom Moses was a type), having offered up himself a sacrifice upon the cross, that his blood might be indeed the blood of the covenant, sprinkled it upon the altar in his intercession (Heb. 9:12), and sprinkles it upon his church by his word and ordinances and the influences and operations of the Spirit of promise, by whom we are sealed. He himself seemed to allude to this solemnity when, in the institution of the Lord's supper, he said, This cup is the New Testament (or covenant) in my blood.

The people having, besides their submission to the ceremony of the sprinkling of blood, declared their satisfaction in their God and his law, again and again, God here gives to their representatives some special tokens of his favour to them and admits them nearer to him than they could have expected. Thus, in the New-Testament church, we find the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, honoured with places round the throne, being redeemed unto God by the blood of the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, Rev. 4:4, 6; 5:8, 9. They saw the God of Israel (v. 10), that is, they had some glimpse of his glory, in light and fire, though they saw no manner of similitude, and his being no man hath seen nor can see, 1 Tim. 6:16. They saw the place where the God of Israel stood (so the Septuagint), something that came near a similitude, but was certainly something of which no image nor picture could be made, and yet enough to satisfy them that God was with them. Nothing is described but that which was under his feet; for our conceptions of God are all below him,  and fall infinitely short of being adequate. They saw not so much as God's feet; but at the bottom of the brightness, and as the footstool or pedestal of it, they saw a most rich and splendid pavement, such as they never saw before nor after, as it had been of sapphires, azure or sky-coloured. The heavens themselves are the pavement of God's palace, and his throne is above the firmament. See how much better wisdom is than the precious onyx or the sapphires, for wisdom was from eternity God's delight (Prov. 8:30), and lay in his bosom, but the sapphires are the pavement under his feet; there let us put all the wealth of this world, and not in our hearts.

When we consider what a consuming fire God is, and what stubble we are before him, we shall have reason to say, in all our approaches to him, It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

They saw God, and not only had their lives preserved, but their vigour, courage, and comfort; it cast no damp upon their joy, but rather increased and elevated it. They feasted upon the sacrifice, before God, in token of their cheerful consent to the covenant now made, their grateful acceptance of the benefits of it, and their communion with God, in pursuance of that covenant. Thus, believers eat and drink with Christ at his table, Luke 22:30. Blessed are those that shall eat bread in the kingdom of our Father, and drink of the wine new there.

Communion with God is Worth Waiting For

The public ceremony of sealing the covenant being over, Moses is called up to the mount for 6 days to receive further instructions.

He appointed Aaron and Hur to be as lords-justices in his absence, to keep the peace and good order in the congregation, v. 14. The care of his government he would leave behind him when he went up into the mount, that he might not have that to distract his mind; and yet he would not leave the people as sheep having no shepherd. Good princes find their government a constant care, and their people find it a constant blessing.

He took Joshua up with him into the mount, v. 13. Joshua was his minister, and it would be a satisfaction to him to have him with him as a companion, during the 6 days that he tarried in the mount, before God called to him. Joshua was to be his successor, and therefore thus he was honoured before the people, above the rest of the elders, that they might afterwards the more readily take him for their governor.  He was prepared for service, by being trained up in communion with God.

A cloud covered the mount six days, a visible token of God's special presence there, for he so shows himself to us as at the same time to conceal himself from us. He lets us know so much as to assure us of his presence, power, and grace, but intimates to us that we cannot find him out to perfection. During these six days Moses staid waiting upon the mountain for a call into the presence-chamber (v. 15, 16). God thus tried the patience of Moses, and his obedience to that command (v. 12). If Moses had been tired before the seventh day (as Saul, 1 Sa. 13:8, 9), and had said, Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? He would have lost the honour of entering into the cloud.

Moses was called up into a cloud on the seventh day, probably on the sabbath day, v. 16. The thick cloud opened in the sight of all Israel, and the glory of the Lord broke forth like devouring fire, v. 17. God is a consuming fire, and so he was pleased to manifest himself in the giving of the law, that, knowing the terrors of the Lord, we may be persuaded to obey, and may by them be prepared for the comforts of the gospel, and that the grace and truth which come by Jesus Christ may be the more acceptable.

Moses was able to go into the midst of the cloud, with an extraordinary presence of mind which the grace of God furnished him during the six day's' preparation, else he durst not have ventured into the cloud, especially when it broke out in devouring fire. Moses was sure that he who called him would protect him. He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly, is able to dwell even with this devouring fire, as we are told, Isa. 33:14, 15.

His continuance in the cloud was no less wonderful; he was there forty days and forty nights. The six days (v. 16) were not part of the forty; for, during those six days, Moses was with Joshua, who did eat of the manna, and drink of the brook, mentioned, Deu. 9:21, and while they were together it is probable that Moses did eat and drink with him; but when Moses was called into the midst of the cloud he left Joshua without, who continued to eat and drink daily while he waited for Moses's return, but thenceforward Moses fasted. Doubtless God could have said what he had now to say to Moses in one day, but, for the greater solemnity of the thing, he kept him with him in the mount forty days and forty nights. We are hereby taught to spend much time in communion with God. Those that would get the knowledge of God's will must meditate day and night.

After giving the Ten Commandments (“the first Covenant”) and many statutes to interpret them, God had the people pledge their obedience. This ceremony was a wedding ceremony between God and His people. Moses was the witness and best man for God’s people. The wedding contract was the Ten Commandments. Yet, because of sin and the building of the golden calf, the wedding was not completed. The wedding will only be completed in heaven.

From this Chapter, God teaches us 7 important lessons about His First and Second Covenants:

1. Sin Separates Us from God First, the inability of the 70 elders to join Moses in His ascent up God’s mountain symbolized the broken relationship between God and His people. Sin was a barrier that separated them. God has looked down from heaven and observed that not one person is holy and without sin: ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’ (Rom. 3:10-11). “There is no one who does good.” (Ps. 14:1; 53:1).
   

2. A Public Confession of Faith is Required Second, as symbolized by the public acceptance of the 70 elders, God’s Covenant (both Old and New) requires a public confession of faith. When Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” (Ex. 24:3). When the people spoke “we do,” they were agreeing to enter a wedding contract (consisting of the Ten Commandments) with God. In Jewish culture, a couple enters the wedding contract before they dwell together. God tells us that He was betrothed to Israel (Jer. 2:2). He was faithful to His bride (Ps. 18:25). But a wedding contract must be signed by a friend of the bride and a friend of the groom. Moses was a friend of the bride, Israel. But God did not allow him to sign the contract. Instead, Moses later broke the Ten Commandments (Ex. 32:19). The sin that caused the people to break the wedding contract was spiritual adultery and idolatry. God also wants you to publicly confess your faith in His New Covenant. If you confess Jesus to be Lord and Savior before others, He in turn will confess you in heaven: “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;” (Lk. 12:8; Matt. 10:32). Are you sharing the good news of the Gospel with others so that others may join the wedding in heaven? (Matt. 28:16-20).
   

3. The Covenant Requires Faith in God’s Word (Ex. 24:4) Third, a Covenant relationship with God requires faith in Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Have faith in the Word you are confessing. Part of having faith is believing what you are confessing is true. Jesus repeatedly referenced Moses as the drafter of the Torah (Matt. 19:7-8; 22:24; Mk. 7:10; 10:4-5; 12:24; Lk. 24:44; Jo. 7:23). In fact, Jesus pointed out that those who doubted Moses’ authorship would also likely have trouble believing Jesus’ words: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:46-47). Will you believe the Word of God to be true? Faith also comes by hearing the Word. Many of the people that Moses spoke to were illiterate; thus, the Jews needed to hear God’s Word. Hearing God’s Word is also important for every believer. That is how you build your faith: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Ro. 10:17). “[F]or you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Pet. 1:23). Are you working to build up your faith muscles?
   

4. Reconciliation of the Covenant Requires the Blood of Atonement (Ex. 24:4(b)-6.) Fourth, recall that the blood was split and then poured on the altar and on the people. This symbolized that both God and His people were bound by the Covenant. The people never needed to worry about whether God would keep His Word because He is always faithful: “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Dt. 7:9; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Tim. 2:13). Without the blood of atonement, a Covenant relationship with God cannot exist. Once we recognize that sin has created a barrier between us and God, we must ask how we can remove this barrier to fellowship with God. God ultimately selected blood as the symbol of atonement. “But why blood?” someone might squeamishly ask. It is gross to look at. God chose blood for several reasons. First, it lets us know how gross our sins are before God. Second, blood is the agent of life for all the organs in the body. It brings life giving oxygen. Third, blood is also a cleansing agent. It carries impurities from the body to the kidneys where the impurities are filtered and removed from the body. “[T]he life of every creature is its blood.” (Lev. 17:14; Gen. 9:4). Fourth, the shedding of the blood symbolized the exchange one life for another life: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” (Lev. 17:11). “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Heb. 9:22). The transfer of sins from the sinner to the blood of the sacrifice foreshadowed what Christ did for us: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21). “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” (Rom. 3:25). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, . . .” (Gal. 3:13). ‘“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ [Christ] said to them.” (Mk. 14:24; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 2:24; Is. 53:4-5, 10, 12). If you don’t believe that your sins today were transferred more than 2,000 years ago onto Christ at the time of His death, what meaning does His death have for you? If you are openly sinning against God, how grateful are you for Christ’s death for you on the cross? While Christ fulfilled the need for blood sacrifices, God still wants spiritual sacrifices. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Rom. 12:1). Are you living your life as a living sacrifice for God? Today, how are we renewed of our sins? How are we washed clean? How do we invoke/take upon the name of Jesus? The answer is baptism in Jesus name. In Acts 2:38, Peter says  "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
   

5. Maintaining the Covenant Requires a Pledge of Obedience (Ex. 24:7-8). Fifth, although salvation cannot be taken away, disobedience can break a person’s communion or fellowship with Him. Maintaining a covenant relationship with God requires obedience. “There must be a response to God’s word: ‘All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.’ Just as much as God would not negotiate His covenant with Israel, neither would He force it upon them. They must freely respond.” (David Guzik on Exodus 24). If the Jews were not obedient, their Covenant with God was broken and had to be restored through a sin offering. Today, Christians are no longer “under the Law” in the sense that they must make blood or other sacrifices for sin to be saved (Gal. 5:18; Ro. 7:6; 8:3). By “fulfilling” the Law, Christ freed us from the impossible task of trying to obtain salvation through the Law (Matt. 5:17). But Jesus also says that, if we love Him, we will keep His Ten Commandments: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Jo. 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 Jo. 5:3; 2 Jo. 1:6). He was the “I AM” who gave Moses the Ten Commandments (Jo. 8:58; Ex. 3:14). His “disciples” were the “disciplined ones” in keeping His Commandments. As bondservants or freed slaves, they were obedient out of love, not obligation. Whether you follow the law out of love instead of obligation is also a test for whether you really know God: “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3). “What matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.” (1 Cor. 7:19). Obedience is a foundation upon which the Covenant stands. Those who fail to obey the Ten Commandments step outside of God’s protection. The disobedient do not lose their salvation. But the disobedient are like the people who build their houses on poor foundations. They have no protection when floods come (Matt. 7:24-27). Are you selectively obeying the Commandments that you only agree with or obeying EVERYTHING which is prescribed by the word of God?
   

6. Maintaining the Covenant Requires Ongoing Fellowship with God (Ex. 24:9-11) Sixth, as symbolized through the Shalom sacrifice, peace with God requires ongoing efforts to stay in fellowship with Him. For Christians, this is symbolized today through Communion. As a symbol of the people’s commitment to maintain their fellowship with God, they ate a communion meal in God’s presence: “Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Ex. 24:9-11). Although salvation cannot be lost, fellowship can be lost temporarily through rebellion and sin. The Shalom sacrifice, or peace offering, helps us understand how to maintain communion. Atonement was a necessary step (but not by itself a final step) for a believer to restore true fellowship with God. The reason why atonement does not automatically bring fellowship is that we were “enemies” of God before we were reconciled through Jesus’ blood (Ro. 5:10; Phil 3:18-19; Col. 1:21). Enemies don’t automatically become friends when they end their hostilities. In the Old Testament, parties solidified covenants with a meal, which showed the parties to be at peace (Gen. 26:26-31; Ex. 18:12). The Shalom or peace offering served this purpose with God (Lev. 3; Nu. 7:88). The Shalom offering symbolized a believer who was in peaceful fellowship with the Lord. It is not a temporary condition. It instead is a state of being. This offering was the only offering that was voluntary. It was also the only offering where the believer could eat a part of the sacrifice. It symbolized a higher walk with God. The Jews shared this Shalom meal in God’s presence out of devotion, not obligation. God in turn brought them peace. The relevance of the Shalom offering to Christians today. Today, Christians make “spiritual sacrifices,” not physical ones (1 Pet. 2:5). Christ’s death ripped the temple “veil” and gave us direct access to God through Christ (Matt. 27:51; Mk. 15:38). Yet, our “access” to God does not automatically mean that we have “fellowship” with Him (Rev. 3:20). An example of a saved believer who is not in fellowship with God is a believer trapped in addiction, rebellion, stress, or a lack of faith. Thus, atonement is merely the first step to finding fellowship with God. Christ also offered to believers the joy of spiritual intimacy with Him, symbolized by dining together with Him, like the Shalom offering: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20). Christ offered this so that we could find both fellowship and peace through Him (Jo. 16:33). One of the reasons to take Communion on a “frequent” basis is to remind believers of the need to constantly seek out fellowship with Christ (Lk. 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-34). Your future wedding in heaven to Christ will also be celebrated through a great feast (Rev. 19:9). Sadly, many believers have been led to believe that being saved is the end all be all of being a Christian. But it is only the first step in a person’s walk with Christ. If you want true peace and fellowship with God, you must accept Jesus’ knock on the door of your heart. “For He Himself is our peace . . .” (Eph. 2:14). Are you seeking out Christ’s fellowship to find His peace in your life?
   

7. Reconciliation Provides Direct Access to God (Ex. 24:12-18). Finally, as symbolized by Moses’ ascent to God, the New Covenant promises that you will also one day be in God’s presence in heaven. By the blood of Christ, you are now offered something that was only granted to Moses; direct access to God. Because none were righteous before God, only Moses could approach Him through God’s grace: “Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. But to the elders he said, ‘Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.’ Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” (Ex. 24:12-18). The Jews could only look at God’s feet because no one could look at God directly and live (Gen. 32:30). Before Jesus, no one had previously seen God directly (Jo. 1:18; 1 Tim 6:16; 1 Jo. 4:12). Through Christ, you will one day have the right to see God directly in heaven (1 Jo. 3:2). “For but now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13). As symbolized by Moses’ ascent, you will one day ascend into the clouds to be with God when the great trumpet blows (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Words cannot describe the joy that awaits you (1 Cor. 2:9). When faced with trials, are you looking forward with great hope and joy for what awaits you? Are you sharing this hope with others when they are depressed or sad?

---

Be Patient for Jesus’ Return 

Moses and Joshua left the congregation to climb up Mount Sinai and Moses told the others to wait for his return (Ex. 24:13-15). But the people later grew impatient and built a golden calf believing that Moses would not return. This foreshadows events in our present time. People have grown tired of believing in Christ’s return (2 Pet. 3:3-10). The people saw a devouring fire where God was at the top of the mountain (Ex. 24:18). For some, the devouring fire will be all they see after the Day of Judgment (Rev. 20:12-15). Will you stay pure waiting for Christ’s return? Or, have you turned to the sins of the world while waiting for God?

We are Privileged to be able to Communicate with God Daily

I read Exodus 24 and then I think, “Wow. I have the privilege of meeting with God anytime, anywhere, any day.” The same God who appeared in a devouring fire on top of the mountain is the same God we’re about to talk with, we’re about to have communion with at church. It is the same God that I had communion with this morning - and every morning - and whom I had the opportunity to talk to all day long. Thanks to his sacrifice on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus has opened up the way for sinners who trust in him to have access to God. This is incredible!  

Prayer

God, help us to stay pure waiting for your return. Help us not to be consumed by the things of this world. Oh God, we come into your presence with awe and joy and reverence and delight and fear and love. This mixture of all kinds of different emotions and thoughts and at the bottom of it all we’re just overwhelmed, oh God, that we are with you, that we are in your presence, that you’re listening to us right now, and that we can cry out to you for different things in our life. We can hear from you, we can speak with you and you are hearing us, you’re not devouring us. We deserve to be devoured. But Jesus, you’ve paid the price for our sins to make this possible. We’re free from the penalty of sin. We’re sons and daughters of the living God. The God of Exodus 24. Oh, we worship you, we praise you, we praise you for your grace. We thank you for your love for us. Thank you for making this possible. God, please keep us from being a prayer-less people. God, help us to experience this privilege in prayer. Just all day long, pray continually as you tell us in your word and then spend concentrated time in prayer before you. Oh God, thank you. We worship you. We praise you for the privilege of communion with you. May this never, ever, ever get old or routine for us. In Jesus’ name, by Jesus’ blood, we pray. Amen.