So how do you describe the indescribable?

I’m intrigued by the next section. It’s entitled ‘God’s Angel to Prepare the Way’ and starts like this –

See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.  Exodus 23:20-21

You see, to me that sounds a lot like Moses. Isn’t that what Moses has been doing all along? So my question is – is God referring to Moses here, God’s angel in disguise, a human fulfilling a spiritual role, or was there another angel? Because I may be wrong, but I believe God’s name is in each one of us. God created each one of us in his own image and we all carry the essence of God within us in our hearts. We all have the capacity to do good, to bring heaven into situations of hell on earth, to be God’s messengers. And sometimes it works out great and other times, not so great – that’s not actually our problem or responsibility; all we can do is play our part faithfully.

Then we come into a passage outlining the basis of a prosperity gospel – do the right thing and I will wipe out your enemies; listen and obey what I command and I will bless your food and water; don’t be tempted to worship any other god and I will make you live long, stay healthy and never miscarry; do what I say and I will give you their land. This makes me so uncomfortable – not that I particularly question what God did for those people at that time in that place, but I struggle so much with the prosperity gospel that is out there right here, right now – that says that God will bless you (financially, materially, with good health, with success…..) if you obey and if you face hardship, then that must be because of sin in your life. I know wonderful people of faith who have died of cancer. I know individuals who trust in God that have suffered the tragedy of miscarriage or the agony of stillbirth. I know fantastic people who struggle every week to make ends meet. God is there in the midst of all the agony and tears and mess and ugliness and will walk with us towards the light….that is the blessing, right there.

When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”  Exodus 24:3

At that stage, symbolism still really mattered. The people had been used to being surrounded by all sorts of gods with all sorts of graven images. Seeing and feeling something outwardly helped the people understand what was going on inwardly.  So Moses built an altar with twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Burnt offerings and young bulls were offered to the Lord. Half of the blood collected was sprinkled on the altar and half sprinkled on the people (pretty gruesome, huh?) as a sign of their obedience –

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”  Exodus 24:8

And then – and I have never come across this passage before –

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.  Exodus 24:9-10

Wow! How do you describe the indescribable? You can’t. Is that it? Is that all the description that we get? Not much to go on there! We can understand this though, can’t we? How would you describe a glorious sunset or an exquisite piece of music? Some things are, and always will be, beyond words.

Then Moses goes up the mountain with his assistant Joshua and enters the cloud for forty days and forty nights. A significant period – like the flood and Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness…..and Advent and Lent……

To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.  Exodus 24:17

Something that is strangely beautiful and yet all powerful. Extreme potential. Something to make you stare in awe and tremble at the knees. Something to admire and fear and wonder at. Something that draws you in. You cannot look away. You are in the presence of something special and incredible and indescribable. That is God in all his glory.