Title: The Sight of
Christ’s Glory
Text: Ex 24: 12-18
Date: July 14, 2019
Place: SGBC, NJ
Last time in Exodus
24, we beheld the new in the old.
First, we beheld the new Mediator, Christ Jesus, typified in the old
mediator Moses. Secondly, we beheld the new
way in the old way—as God through Moses made a covenant of works with the
children of Israel, so God through Christ makes God’s everlasting covenant of
grace with each of God’s elect Israel. Lastly,
we beheld our new relationship with God in their old relationship—through that
covenant the elders went up into the mount with Moses and saw God. They feasted picturing our fellowship with
God through faith in Christ. They
feasted upon the sacrifices God had accepted—we feast upon Christ’s broken body
and shed blood through faith—and we do so looking forward to the marriage
supper of the lamb when we shall feast with Christ in person face to face.
The nation of Israel continued
for almost fifteen hundred years after this covenant was made but they never
again “saw God” and never again had the fellowship they had that day. Why? In an upcoming passage we will see their very
next act was that they broke their end of the covenant by breaking the law by
making and worshipping a golden calf and calling it God. They broke the law before Moses ever came
down out of the mount with the law.
No sinner can come to God by the works of the law. But believer, what a blessing to know that what
Israel enjoyed for a brief season is now ours forever! Christ having fulfilled the law for his elect,
before God, we can never break it. Christ
is the way opened for us into the very presence of God within the vail where we
have everlasting communion with God!
Proposition:
Christ resurrection is our guarantee that we have been redeemed and shall be
saved. We see a picture of Christ’s resurrection
in our text today.
After Moses finished the work God gave him to do, we read Exodus 24: 12: And the LORD said unto
Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there:…and I will give thee tables
of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest
teach them. 13: And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up
into the mount of God. 14: And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us,
until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you:
if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. 15: And Moses went
up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. 16: And the glory of the LORD
abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day
he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17: And the sight of the
glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the
eyes of the children of Israel. 18: And Moses went into the midst of the cloud,
and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty
nights.
Moses is a type of Christ our Mediator. In addition, Joshua is a type of Christ. Joshua’s name is Jesus, savior. Joshua will be the one God raises up to lead
Israel into the promised land. Therefore,
God called him up with Moses to show the children of Israel that Joshua was God’s
minister. In God calling Moses and Joshua up into Mt Sinai after Moses finished
the work God gave him to do, we see a picture of God the Father calling Christ
into heavenly Mt Zion after Christ finished the work God gave him to do. Christ’s resurrection is every believer’s guarantee
that we have been redeemed, that we are accepted of God in Christ and that we shall
be saved.
Title: The Sight of Christ’s Glory
THE RESURRECTION DECLARES
GOD IS SATISFIED
Exodus 24: 12: And the
LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there:… 13: And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and
Moses went up into the mount of God.
After Moses finished
the work God gave him by making the covenant with Israel then the LORD called
Moses up to the top of Mt Sinai. But after
Christ finished his work, God the Father called Christ up to heavenly Mt Zion.
By the resurrection
of Christ, God declares to his people that he is satisfied. God the Father sent his Son to declare his righteousness
by magnifying and making honorable his holy law. Christ fulfilled the law for God and for his
people. For God, Christ declared
God’s righteousness. He shows that God
is a just God and a Savior. Christ
manifest that God is both Just and the Justifier of his people. Christ
fulfilled the everlasting covenant as he promised his Father. For his people, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by
being made a curse for us. Therefore,
Isaiah 42: 21: The
LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he [has] magnify[ied] the
law, and [made] it honourable.
Isaiah 53: 10: It pleased
the LORD to bruise him…the pleasure of the LORD [prospered in Christ’s hand.]
11: He [saw] the travail of his soul, and [is[ satisfied: by his
knowledge [God’s] righteous servant [has] justif[ied] many; for he [bore] their
iniquities.
Psalm 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness
and peace have kissed each other
Therefore, it is as it was that day in the mount of transfiguration. When Christ appeared in his glory with Moses
and Elijah on each side, Peter recommended they build a tabernacle for all
three. “While he yet spake, behold a
bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which
said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased; hear ye him” (Mt 17:
4). When they looked up they saw
Christ alone.
By raising Christ from
the grave to his right-hand God declares he is satisfied. God will not accept any sinner who attempts
to come to God by his own works under the law because God is satisfied with
Christ Jesus, his Righteous Servant. Believe
on Christ and God will accept you.
THE GODMAN HAS
ENTERED INTO HIS GLORY
Exodus 24: 15: And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud
covered the mount. 16: And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and
the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of
the midst of the cloud…18: And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat
him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
This cloud was the glory of God. It was God’s presence. He made Moses wait six days. Then the seventh day God called Moses into
the midst of the cloud. And Moses entered
into his glory. In scripture, six days
speaks of labor, the seventh day speaks of rest. After Christ finished the work God gave him to
do, Christ prayed to the Father requesting to be glorified as the GodMan.
John 17: 4: I have finished
the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with
Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.
As the Son of God
Christ had glory with the Father before the world was made because Christ is
God. But Christ returned and was glorified
as the GodMan! When Christ arose, he
entered into his rest because the works were all finished.
Hebrews 1: 3:…when he
had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high [entered rest] (Heb 1:3)
Speaking of Christ the Hebrew writer said,
Hebrews 4: 10: He
that is entered into His rest, He also hath ceased from His own works.
So Moses going up the
mount and entering the cloud to commune with Jehovah is a type of the ascension
of Christ into his glory due to his triumphant completion of his work. All who believe on Christ enter into Christ’s
rest. Christ is our Sabbath. God has provided us all that we need for
acceptance in Christ so that when we believe on Christ we enter into our
perpetual Sabbath rest.
CHRIST TEACHES FROM MOUNT ZION
Exodus 24: 12:...and
I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have
written; that thou mayest teach them…14: And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye
here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with
you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
In like manner as God gave Moses the law to instruct the
children of Israel, God the Father entrusted Christ to teach his people the law
and the gospel. Therefore, like as Moses
left the children of Israel with under shepherds to guide them until he returned,
so Christ has given his pastors through Christ teaches his people until Christ
returns. But it is not from Mt Sinai that
Christ teaches us, it is from heavenly Mt Zion.
Isaiah prophesied of this gospel day in which we live when Christ would
teach his people from his holy, heavenly Mt Zion.
Isaiah 3: 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, [these
gospel days are the last days] that the mountain of the LORD’S house
shall be established in the top of the mountains, [not an earthly mount] and
shall be exalted above the hills; [in the heavenly mount] and all nations [Christ’s
redeemed from all nations] shall flow unto it. [we flow unto Christ who is seated
in heavenly Mt Zion] 3: And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us
go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he
will teach us of his ways, [Christ does not teach us of our ways but of his
ways] and we will walk in his paths: [we walk in Christ’s righteousness by
faith] for out of Zion [out of heavenly Zion where Christ is seated] shall go forth
the law, and the word of the LORD from [heavenly] Jerusalem. [from heavenly Jerusalem
Christ teaches his people the law and the gospel in spirit and in truth] 4: And
he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: [Christ judges
who are his and he calls us out, setting judgment (discernment) in our hearts. Then our weapons cease being carnal and become
spiritual] and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more.
What does Christ
teach his people concerning the law and the gospel through his pastors from
mount Zion? He teaches us the same thing
he taught on this earth. In what we commonly
call the sermon on the mount, we see a type of this. Christ went up into that mount and sat down
and his disciples came unto him and he taught them. That is what his people do now, except we go
to Christ in heavenly Mt Zion from where he teaches us. How do we gather unto him in heavenly Mt
Zion? We gather in his local assemblies
to hear the gospel preach through which Christ teaches us in spirit and in truth.
What does Christ
teach us concerning the law? He teaches us that he has fulfilled the law the
same as he fulfilled the prophets.
Christ said in his sermon on the mount,
Matthew 5: 17: Think
not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil. 18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth
pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled.
Some use that passage to argue that Christ was saying
believers are still under the law. But
if Christ meant we must fulfill the law then he also meant we must fulfill the
prophets. No! Christ meant that he came to fulfill the law
and the prophets. To fulfill is to fill
full so that nothing can be added. That
is what Christ did for his people. He
fulfilled the law so that nothing else can be added by us. It is done!
Therefore, also, Christ teaches us that to think we have
kept the law is to break it. And to teach
others they can keep the law is to teach others to break it. Christ
said,
Matthew 5: 19: Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do
and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20: For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of heaven.
That is what the scribes and Pharisees did. They claimed they kept the law but in reality
they never kept it, nor has any other sinner. By teaching others they must and could keep the
law, they also taught others to break the law.
Those who do so shall receive the worst place in hell. They are regarded by those in the kingdom of
heaven as the very least. But Christ is
he who did the law and who teaches his people that it is through believing on Christ
that we establish the law. Therefore,
Christ is called the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The righteousness that exceeds is the
righteousness of Christ freely imputed to his people through faith in Christ.
Also, Christ teaches us the spirituality of the law. He teaches us that the law reaches to our
heart. By Christ we are made to know
that sin is not only what we do but what we are.
Matthew 5: 21: Ye
have heard that it was said by them of old time, [by the scribes and Pharisees]
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment: 22: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry [in the heart] with
his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and [they
taught falsely] whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council: [of man’s council. But
Christ teaches] but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell
fire [of God’s judgment].
So Christ teaches us to cease trying to come to God by
our gifts and sacrifices. He teaches us
to come to Christ who has ought against us and ask mercy at his hand. Then through faith we can serve God on the
basis of redemption accomplished by offering gifts out of heart thankful for
his grace in saving us in and by Christ.
Matthew 5: 23: Therefore
if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother [Christ]
hath ought against thee; 24: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy
way; first be reconciled to thy brother, [first come to Christ for reconciliation]
and then come and offer thy gift. [then serve God by faith in Christ] 25: Agree
with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; [agree with
Christ quickly because today is the day of grace] lest at any time the
adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer,
[Christ is all of these] and thou be cast into prison. 26: Verily I say unto
thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing. [in hell]
So from heavenly Mt
Zion, through his preachers, Christ teaches his people that he alone fulfilled
the law. He did it so that his righteousness
can be freely imputed to his people through faith in him.
Romans 8:3: For what
the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
When we believe on him,
we have reached the end for which the law was given at Mt Sinai
Romans 10:4: For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Oh that Christ might
teach you this hour from heavenly Mt Zion.
Sinner do not attempt to come to God by your works of the law. Come believing on Christ. Paul said I want to “be found in him, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Php 3:9)
THE SIGHT OF CHRIST’S
GLORY
Exodus 24: 17: And
the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the
mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Whichever mount we
attempt to come to God by shall determine our sight of Christ’s glory. If we
attempt to come to God by the works of the law we shall behold the glory of Christ
like devouring, consuming fire. But if
we come to God through faith in Christ, we shall behold Christ’s glory as the Light
of favor and acceptance! He says to
believers,
Hebrews 12: 18: For ye
are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire,
nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19: And the sound of a trumpet,
and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the
word should not be spoken to them any more: 20: (For they could not endure that
which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be
stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21: And so terrible was the sight, that
Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22: But ye are come unto MOUNT SION,
and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels, 23: To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect, 24: And TO JESUS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT,
and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of
Abel. 25: SEE THAT YE REFUSE NOT HIM THAT SPEAKETH. For if they escaped not who
refused him that SPAKE ON EARTH, much more shall not we escape,
if we turn away from him that SPEAKETH FROM HEAVEN [it was bad enough to
reject Christ on earth, but far worse to reject him now that he is ascended to
Mt Zion in heaven] 26: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath
promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27:
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things
that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be
shaken may remain. 28: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, LET
US HAVE GRACE [grace rather than works; faith rather than law] whereby we may serve
God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: [for if we attempt to come to God
apart from grace, apart from faith in Christ; if we come by our works, by the
law of Mt Sinai] 29: For OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.”
Oh, let us have grace! If we attempt to come to God by Mt Sinai—by the
works of the law—we shall behold the sight of Christ’s glory like devouring,
consuming fire. But if we come through faith
in Christ, we shall behold his glory as the Light of grace and acceptance! May Christ be our teacher now!
Amen!