You are cordially invited to a fellowship meal. Place to be held: Mount Sinai. Your Host: the God of Israel. This is a “by invitation only” event . . . open only to Moses, his brother Aaron, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel. Upon arrival, please remove your sandals . . . (Exodus 24:1-2 kinda’)

What was that like? Maybe for Moses there was some familiarity with interacting with the presence of God . . . and Aaron had been up close and personal with the mighty hand of God as an agent involved in God’s displays of power in Egypt. But for the other 72 guys, I’m thinking this is a bit of a first. The mountain’s aflame with the appearance of the glory of God . . . a cloud hovering about it, signifying “God is in the building” . . . and they are told, “Come up to the LORD” (24:1).

How do you even prepare for that? How do you get ready to enter onto holy ground? And, what’s the sense of anticipation like? You’ve been called to approach Him who dwells in unapproachable light (1Tim. 6:16) . . . you’ve been asked to dine with Him who no man can see and live (Ex. 33:20) . . . so how do you come? By His invitation . . . according to His grace . . . and by faith . . . I’m guessin’.

Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under His feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And He did not lay His hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.   (Exodus 24:9-11)

Of all the happenings on Mt. Sinai, this “afternoon tea” with the Lord isn’t one that I would have readily recalled . . . or, to be honest, have remembered reading before. But God calls these 74 men into His presence . . . that they might know the intimacy of divine fellowship . . . that they might behold Him, if only His feet . . . that their senses might be lit up as their optic nerves process a sapphire blue pavement unlike anything earth has to show, but the color and clearness of heaven itself . . . and that they might eat and drink with the God of heaven, Himself! Unreal!

Who wouldn’t want to be on that exclusive invitee list? Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to pull up a chair, as it were, at a table with the Lord of heaven, Himself? Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to enjoy a meal in His presence? Not so much to engage in over the table chit chat, but to take in the wonder of His presence . . . to reflect on the magnificence of His Name . . . to be in awe at the depths of grace which provides such access . . . to process, as much as our senses permit, something of His unearthly glory . . . to be still and know that He is God Who wouldn’t RSVP with a resounding, “Count me in, Lord!”

Been there . . .

This past Sunday, as is the custom of our fellowship once a month, many of us accepted the invitation to come up and eat and drink with the Lord. Wasn’t on Mt. Rainier (though that would be pretty cool if it were to light up) . . . but in our building’s sanctuary. The invitation wasn’t limited to just “the chief men” . . . but to all who, through the blood of Jesus, had known entrance into the family of God. Wasn’t a big meal . . . just a bit of bread . . . a small sip of grape juice. The floor was carpeted, not covered with sapphire pavement. No smoke . . . no pyrotechnics.

Ah, but the presence of the Lord was there . . . dwelling in the living temple formed by His people . . . His Holy Spirit abiding in and through all those He had redeemed through the finished work of His blessed Son on the cross. And together we . . . as in we, brothers and sisters in Christ . . . and as in we, the LORD and those He calls the sheep of His flock . . . and together we ate . . . and remembered . . . and reflected . . . and rejoiced . . . and we worshiped.

Yes, you are cordially invited to a fellowship meal.

Been there! . . . Sweet!