Exo 24:9-10 | KingComments | STEP | Although at a distance, they still see something of God’s glory. Ezekiel saw something similar: “Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, [was] a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and [there was] a radiance around Him” ( ). What Moses, and later Ezekiel, see, is not the glory of His grace, but the glory of His holiness. It is also not so much related to the glory of His Person. What Moses and others see of Him is connected with His feet, which speaks of the way He goes in holiness. In it something becomes visible that is “as clear as the sky itself”. The sky in all its brightness is seen in the way He goes. What He does, makes visible what it is like where He lives. That is perfectly seen in the life of the Son of God Who came from heaven to earth. “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” ( ). God has come to men in a way that they are not consumed by His holiness, but attracted by His grace. Only in this way God, “who … dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” ( ), could come to men (cf. ). The fact that God does not send out a consuming fire to this company, but that they may behold this scene while eating and drinking, is a ray of His grace in the midst of the darkness and threat of Sinai. He tempers, as it were, the full glory of His majesty by hiding most of it (cf. ).

‏ Exodus 24:9-10

The Representatives of the People See God

Although at a distance, they still see something of God’s glory. Ezekiel saw something similar: “Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, [was] a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and [there was] a radiance around Him” (Eze 1:26-27).

What Moses, and later Ezekiel, see, is not the glory of His grace, but the glory of His holiness. It is also not so much related to the glory of His Person. What Moses and others see of Him is connected with His feet, which speaks of the way He goes in holiness. In it something becomes visible that is “as clear as the sky itself”. The sky in all its brightness is seen in the way He goes. What He does, makes visible what it is like where He lives.

That is perfectly seen in the life of the Son of God Who came from heaven to earth. “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:9 ; Col 1:19). God has come to men in a way that they are not consumed by His holiness, but attracted by His grace. Only in this way God, “who … dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1Tim 6:16), could come to men (cf. Jn 1:18).

The fact that God does not send out a consuming fire to this company, but that they may behold this scene while eating and drinking, is a ray of His grace in the midst of the darkness and threat of Sinai. He tempers, as it were, the full glory of His majesty by hiding most of it (cf. Job 26:9).