Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - 2014 Lutheran Hour Ministry Daily Lenten Devotion "COME AND EAT Holy" by Reverend Wayne Palmer Wednesday, 16 April 2014 - Read Exodus 24:1-11

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - 2014 Lutheran Hour Ministry Daily Lenten Devotion "COME AND EAT Holy" by Reverend Wayne Palmer Wednesday, 16 April 2014 - Read Exodus 24:1 He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance. 2 Moses alone shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near. The people shall not go up with him.”
3 Moses came and told the people all Yahweh’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do.”
4 Moses wrote all Yahweh’s words, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to Yahweh. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient.”
8 Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words.”
9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10 They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire [a] stone, like the skies for clearness. 11 He didn’t lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
Footnotes:
a. Exodus 24:10 or, lapis lazuli
TEXT: The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever (Psalm 22:26).
Whenever God's people were in distress in Old Testament times, they would pray for help. When the Lord delivered them they brought a sacrifice called a "peace offering." In every other offering the whole animal was burnt on the altar. But this sacrifice was unique because the worshipper was given a portion of the sacrifice to eat. This food was God's pledge and promise He had forgiven the sinner and was now in full fellowship.
Tomorrow night Christians gather to celebrate how God delivered us from the affliction of sin, death, hell and Satan by sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ, the great Passover Lamb. And like the peace offering of old, God gives us some of that precious sacrifice for us to eat and drink in His presence. He shares the very body and blood of Jesus Christ given and shed for our salvation.
When we eat and drink this great Supper, we are forgiven all our sins, delivered from death and hell, and united in fellowship with God our Father and Jesus Christ our victorious King. We are also united together with all God's children in heaven and on earth: the great assembly in which Jesus our Lord proclaims His Father's goodness and love.
Even in the midst of our troubles in this life Christ invites us to come into His presence and seek His help and deliverance, and eat the very sacrifice that won God's mercy and forgiveness.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what afflictions I face, You are with me. Strengthen me in the company of my Christian brothers and sisters that we may honor You for Your great deliverance. Amen.
-------
Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center
St. Louis, MO 63141 United States
-------