Exodus 24 NLT
Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God. (9-13)
How often does God have to move, bless, or deliver for us to be willing to wait on Him as long as it takes? He always comes through, and he never fails, yet it seems like we forget the experiences of the past so quickly and then impatiently stamp our feet for Him to hurry up today. In the text above, it is not just Moses, Aaron, or Joshua who sees the glory of God. Instead, the entire leadership of Israel sees His glory, and by His grace, they are not destroyed. After receiving the covenant, they have more than just a glimpse of God (which would seem like enough), but they actually have a covenant meal with Him—eating and drinking in His presence.
Then Moses climbs further up the mountain to receive the remainder of the law. Moses did not disappear without explanation, but he told them what he was going to do and who was in charge until his return. Then the next seven chapters of Exodus take place on the mountain top between Moses and God. When you pick up with the Israelites again in chapter 32, you might be tempted to think that a huge amount of time had passed—in reality, it had only been 40 days. The shelf life for Israel’s obedience was only 40 days and now they were slipping right back into idolatry by worshipping a golden calf. 40 days after having eaten in the very physical presence of the holy God, the Jewish elders are rushing headlong into breaking the covenant. What is the shelf life of your obedience? Think back to all the times that God has been faithful and all the times that you have sensed His very presence in your life. What does God have to do for you, and how often does He have to do it, for you to be faithful all the time? In these trying days we often oscillate in our spiritual walk between valleys and mountains; it’s like we are on a roller coaster, either up or down. We are impatient, we are spoiled and we are not willing to wait on God’s timing and trust in His goodness regardless of our circumstances. Like the Israelites, we often go from glory one moment… right down into the gutter the next. Be patient, remind yourself of His goodness and faithfulness in the past, and wait on Him—wait as long as it takes. Faithfulness
