Christ in the Old Testament

Exodus 24:9-10

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. (NIV)

Today’s Reading: Exodus 24:1-18 and Mark 9:2-13

Moses and the Israelites are camped at the bottom of Mount Sinai. Moses had been the mountain a few times already to receive the law from God. He will go up a few more times when he will eventually receive the instructions from God of how to build the tabernacle – God’s dwelling place.

In Exodus 24, God calls Moses up the mountain in what appears to me to be two separate trips. The first trip occurs in verses 9-11 and the second trip occurs in verses 13-18. It’s possible they are the same trip since we aren’t told in between that Moses came down at any time. Regardless, these two trips remind me of the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Let’s take note of a the similarities between these trips of Moses and Jesus.

• This seems obvious but they both went up a mountain (Ex 24:9 and Mark 9:2).
• Moses took with him three of his closest companions along with seventy elders (Ex 24:9) and Jesus took with him three of his disciples (Mark 9:2).
• Another obvious one but God did not kill any of them (Ex 24:11 and Mark 9:8).
• A cloud with the glory of the Lord covered both mountains (Ex 24:15 and Mark 9:7).
• Moses waited six days to hear from God (Ex 24:16) and Jesus waited six days before going up the mountain (Mark 9:2).
• The glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire to the Israelites (Ex 24:17) and Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white (Mark 9:3).
• And the last obvious one is that Moses was there both times (Mark 9:4).

The most amazing part of Moses’ original trips up the mountain for me is recorded in Exodus 24:9-11 ending with, “They saw God, and they ate and drank.” Simply amazing that they got to see God and lived to tell about it. However, in the same way, Jesus’ disciples got to see God every day too. Every day they spent with Jesus they spent time with God and lived to tell about it. They were indeed also blessed!

For Peter, James and John, this mountaintop experience no doubt brought to their mind the imagery of Moses on Mount Sinai. They’ve likely been told the account of Moses at Mount Sinai many times and probably even memorized much of it. And there they were in real life on a high mountaintop with Moses hearing from God in the cloud. A surreal experience no doubt!

We don’t get to see God face to face. Yet we are called to be obedient just as the Israelites and Jesus’ disciples were called to be obedient. If you recall, after Thomas sees the risen Jesus for the first time, the gospel of John says that he stops doubting and believes. Then Jesus says to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). We are also blessed indeed!

Today’s Prayer: Thank you Lord for revealing yourself to me even though I’ve never seen you. I look forward to the day when I see your face!