Good Morning.
Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. (Exodus 24:9-10)
Though the Aaron and the other men were not permitted to approach the Creator as Moses was, they were still close enough to catch a glimpse of the God of Israel; close enough to see that beneath His feet were stones that had the appearance of sapphire. From this verse has come many traditions as to just what these men saw. Some say it was a vision of the heavenly Throne Room and that the Almighty was seated upon His Throne.
Another tradition is that when the One who created heaven and earth, including the stones of Mount Sinai, came into contact with the earth’s stones, those stones were transformed into sapphire. In other words, the All Consuming Fire caused what was common to the earth to be transformed into something precious. I like this tradition for this reason: it speaks of what happens to us when we become His people.
Earlier in Exodus, God told the children of Israel that they were a special treasure unto Him. The Hebrew word סגלה s’gulah literally means “jewels.” They were to be His jewels when they agreed to listen to His voice and keep His commandments (Exodus 19). Likewise, when we are born again, a transformation occurs; we are no longer the old creation but a new one. We are no longer destined to be earthbound but have the promised that we will be changed and be just as Messiah is and abiding in heavenly places.
In the meantime, we understand that we are being transformed into the image of the Son of God. Everyday that we deny ourselves and pledge to live in obedience to Him ,we become more like our Messiah. If we continue to be faithful, we have the promise that we, too — like Aaron and the elders of Israel — will see the God of Israel in all of His Glory.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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