Larry Devich
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Saturday Lent 4. The Lord's Supper at Sinai
Read: Exodus 24:1-18 (If you have more time, Ex. 19:16-25)
So they saw God, and they ate and drank. (Ex. 24:11)
As promised, the Lord led Israel to Mt. Sinai, present in the pillar of cloud
and fire all the time. At Mt. Sinai, the Lord descended onto the top of the
mountain with darkness, quake, lightning, thunder and trumpet; and except for
Moses, no one was allowed on the mountain, lest they see God and die (Ex.
19:21). God was present with His people, close enough that they could point to
the cloud and say, “There He is;” but not too close.
Then comes Exodus 24. The Lord commanded Moses and seventy-three
men to ascend the mountain and worship Him. Before they went, however, look
what happened in the camp. Moses read the Word of God to the people, who
confessed it to be true and right. Then, sacrifices were offered; Moses took half
the blood and poured half of it on the altar, presenting it to God. He then took
the other half and gave it to the people; he sprinkled it on them and said, "This
is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to
all these words.” (Ex. 24:8) The Lord had gathered His people and spoken His
Word to them; the blood of the sacrifices sealed the covenant.
It was only after the blood of the covenant was shed that Moses and the
others climbed up Sinai. There, they saw God. There, they ate and drank. Still
very much on earth, they had a foretaste of heaven as they dined in the presence
of God. There He was.
The same privilege is yours, because the Sacrifice of the New Covenant has
been made for you. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has shed His blood for you,
for your salvation. On the one hand, God has accepted this sacrifice for your
sins. On the other, the risen Jesus says to you, “Take and drink, this cup is the
New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.”
While you do not see the Lord in His glory as Moses and the elders did on
Sinai, make no mistake: in Holy Communion, there He is. Your Savior is truly,
body-and-blood present to forgive your sins. He does not orchestrate this meal
from heaven, but visits you with forgiveness, strength and peace.
As this first short week of Lent concludes, here is cause for reflection and the
ongoing theme of this devotional: consistently, throughout Scripture, the Lord
remains present with His people. He is not far away, but very near. As you
make your way in this season between Christmas and Easter, it is cause for great
wonder that the Lord became flesh to dwell among us (Jn. 1:14); and it is an
even greater wonder that He offers that flesh and sheds His blood on the cross
for your sins. But He is still with you now, just as present in His means of
grace. He speaks His Word to you as surely as He did to Moses. He washes
you clean of your sins in Holy Baptism, as surely as He led Israel across the Red
Sea. And He gives you His body and blood—the same body and blood that lay
in the manger, hung on the cross, and rose again—to forgive your sins and keep
you as His beloved child. ¶ 2/24/2007 03:26:00 PM 0 Comments
So they saw God, and they ate and drank. (Ex. 24:11)
As promised, the Lord led Israel to Mt. Sinai, present in the pillar of cloud
and fire all the time. At Mt. Sinai, the Lord descended onto the top of the
mountain with darkness, quake, lightning, thunder and trumpet; and except for
Moses, no one was allowed on the mountain, lest they see God and die (Ex.
19:21). God was present with His people, close enough that they could point to
the cloud and say, “There He is;” but not too close.
Then comes Exodus 24. The Lord commanded Moses and seventy-three
men to ascend the mountain and worship Him. Before they went, however, look
what happened in the camp. Moses read the Word of God to the people, who
confessed it to be true and right. Then, sacrifices were offered; Moses took half
the blood and poured half of it on the altar, presenting it to God. He then took
the other half and gave it to the people; he sprinkled it on them and said, "This
is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to
all these words.” (Ex. 24:8) The Lord had gathered His people and spoken His
Word to them; the blood of the sacrifices sealed the covenant.
It was only after the blood of the covenant was shed that Moses and the
others climbed up Sinai. There, they saw God. There, they ate and drank. Still
very much on earth, they had a foretaste of heaven as they dined in the presence
of God. There He was.
The same privilege is yours, because the Sacrifice of the New Covenant has
been made for you. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has shed His blood for you,
for your salvation. On the one hand, God has accepted this sacrifice for your
sins. On the other, the risen Jesus says to you, “Take and drink, this cup is the
New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.”
While you do not see the Lord in His glory as Moses and the elders did on
Sinai, make no mistake: in Holy Communion, there He is. Your Savior is truly,
body-and-blood present to forgive your sins. He does not orchestrate this meal
from heaven, but visits you with forgiveness, strength and peace.
As this first short week of Lent concludes, here is cause for reflection and the
ongoing theme of this devotional: consistently, throughout Scripture, the Lord
remains present with His people. He is not far away, but very near. As you
make your way in this season between Christmas and Easter, it is cause for great
wonder that the Lord became flesh to dwell among us (Jn. 1:14); and it is an
even greater wonder that He offers that flesh and sheds His blood on the cross
for your sins. But He is still with you now, just as present in His means of
grace. He speaks His Word to you as surely as He did to Moses. He washes
you clean of your sins in Holy Baptism, as surely as He led Israel across the Red
Sea. And He gives you His body and blood—the same body and blood that lay
in the manger, hung on the cross, and rose again—to forgive your sins and keep
you as His beloved child. ¶ 2/24/2007 03:26:00 PM 0 Comments
