“And (Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders) saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.” Exodus 24:10
This verse, marked in my Bible, is both fascinating and funny to me.
First, can we all stop for a moment and acknowledge this nugget of a verse hidden in between a list of rules and the story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments.
SEVENTY-FOUR MEN SAW GOD AND DID NOT DIE.
The funny part for me is this: they saw GOD and the description here is of the pavement He stood on.
I remember watching the wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles. That was as close to a fairy-tale-come-true story as young girls like me would ever know. I was glued to the television to watch the royal wedding. I could tell you, even now, about her veil, her dress, her hair, her eyes, and her lovely smile. But I couldn’t tell you about the pavement she walked on to get from the magical carriage to St. Paul’s Cathedral. I wasn’t looking. I assume there was a red carpet but that’s just a logical conclusion.
It’s funny to me that this is the description given: details about the pavement under God’s feet.
The reason could be that:
- #1 God forbid them to talk about it.
- #2 It was literally an indescribable sight and the best the writer could do was attempt a description of the ground under His feet.
- #3 When they saw Him they fell to the ground and that’s all the writer saw. Like, “Then God appeared and it felt just like jagged rocks ripping up my nose as my face hit the ground in reverence.”
Or maybe something else. But each of the above are possible reasons.
The fascinating (and heart breaking) part is that, even after this: after Aaron and SEVENTY-TWO others (all top leaders) SAW GOD—a clearly indescribable event—they still turned away from God to the golden calf.
I too, have been at the feet of God, in spirit anyway. I too, scraped my nose on the pavement (so to speak) when I fell down to worship. My heart has been filled with wonder and worship…
And then I get a phone call, hear a comment, see a post on Facebook, or find myself in a situation that plunges me into fear, or an ungodly reaction, or ill-spoken words, or judgmental thoughts.
Oh, that I would consistently have the faith I experience when my face is pressed down on that blue pavement—when I am overcome by His presence.
May we be found faithful to our Lord, even when it’s not the popular thing to do (see Aaron’s excuse in Exodus 32:22-25).
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1,2a
What causes you to forget the “blue pavement” times? What do you do to keep your focus on God and NOT on the “sin that so easily entangles”?