Secret Ingredient

When I worked in a bakery years ago, we baked a particular kind of chocolate chip cookie that almost always sold out before the day was over. Customers told us that they'd made a trip to our store for the express purpose of purchasing those cookies -- and as a bonus, they'd usually walk away with several types of bread, pretzels, and cinnamon buns, too. 

I've made chocolate chip cookies all my life with several different recipe variations, but before I'd worked in the bakery, I'd never before tried adding vanilla pudding to the mix. It seemed to make all the difference. The cookies had perfect thickness, softness, and flavor. They were the delicious of the delicious, the cream of the crop.

I was trying to think of a great metaphor for today's reading, yet in all honesty, I think I failed. Excellent cookies fall far short of the mark, but I hope they generate the idea.

In Exodus 24, Moses and God wrap up the Book of the Covenant, and Moses gets Aaron and his two oldest sons Nadab and Abihu. The four of them get the 70 elders of Israel, and all together, they prepare to ceremonially make this new covenant with the Lord, sort of put the finishing touches on it.

Moses begins the process by building an altar at the foot of Mt. Sinai, and he has young Israelite men sacrifice bulls on the altar as a fellowship offering to the Lord. Then Moses collects the blood from the bulls, and he sprinkles it on the people, saying: "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words" (Exodus 24:8).

Contrast this action to Hebrews 12:23-24: "You have come to God, the Judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

I've heard -- and I admit to a faulty understanding of this myself for a long while -- that when Jesus came to earth, died, and conquered death... in so doing, He cancelled the original covenant in His creation of a new covenant. 

I'd like to point out that Jesus, in doing what He did, fulfilled and perfected the covenant, so that while He does indeed lay a new covenant on the table, it's one that has many of the same ingredients as the original covenant, but with a secret ingredient -- and it's not vanilla pudding.

"...To the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." 

Blood, the essence of life, is necessary in this holy covenant. In Moses' time, blood is the seal on this covenant between God and man. When Jesus comes, blood is also the seal on this covenant between God and man, but it's a once and for all sign -- a sign that bridges the unbridgeable gap between darkness and light, between death and life.

So, back to Exodus, "Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel" (Exodus 24:9-10). Just like that. "Hey, y'all, I saw God today." 

"Under His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself" (Exodus 24:10).

Flip over to Ezekiel 1:22: "Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome." And then Ezekiel 1:26: "Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a Figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be His waist up, He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down, He looked like fire, and brilliant light surrounded Him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him."

And then Revelation 4:2: "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with Someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne." Revelation 4:5: "From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder."

There is more, but I included these references to remind us: this isn't a casual thing. God -- on His throne, is beyond description and comprehension. Moses, Ezekiel, John -- they only had human words to describe the indescribable. 

So this covenant between this great and awesome Presence and sinful, fallen man -- it's a really, really big deal. No wonder this covenant shows up in the first books of the Bible... and is fulfilled in the New Testament. It's too big of a story to contain in a few well-chosen words.

In Exodus 24:11, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders... have a holy party. "But God did not raise His hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank."

Because... people didn't just see God and live. Such was the contrast between the awesome holiness of a perfect God and sinful man. But this moment, this sealing of the covenant was such a big deal that "they saw God, and they ate and drank" to seal the covenant.

After the party, Moses goes on with Joshua his aide, leaving Aaron and Hur in charge of Israel for a bit until he gets back. "When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mt. Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day, the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain" (Exodus 24:15-17).

Flipping back to our cross-reference passage in Hebrews 12:28-29: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming Fire." 

I'd like to point out the eternal nature of God: Fire. Fire in the Old Testament (Exodus 24:17). Fire in the New Testament (Hebrews 12:29). Fire in Ezekiel 1:26: "I saw that from what appeared to be His waist up, He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down, He looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him." Or fire in Daniel 7:9: "The Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze." And fire in Revelation 1:14-15: "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters."

In this covenant between God and man, this great story that spans the entire stretch of time from the beginning to the end...

Our God is a consuming Fire.

Our Jesus is the Mediator of a New Covenant, Whose blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 

This recipe is perfected on the cross and from the tomb. It isn't until the secret ingredient is added... that the taste is perfect. 

"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him" (Psalm 34:8).

I realize my pitiful metaphor falls far short of the glorious message of this Story... but, like Moses, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John... I've only got human words.

Apologies in advance.