Fresh Vision of the L-RD!

Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
January 29, 2011

Exodus 24:8-11, “Moshe took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant which ADONAI has made with you in accordance with all these words." 9 Moshe, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and seventy of the leaders went up; 10 and they saw the God of Isra'el. Under his feet was something like a sapphire stone pavement as clear as the sky itself. 11 He did not reach out his hand against these notables of Isra'el; on the contrary, they saw God, even as they were eating and drinking.”

Who sees and who doesn’t see a vision of the L-rd? How do we see the L-rd? We pray that He pour out a fresh vision of who He is on us today!

In this passage 74 people saw Him together; collectively they had a vision of the L-rd. Sometimes, we can’t see Him unless we are gathered together. There is a collective blessing as we gather together and that extends to our family even when they aren’t present.

We experience the fullness and dimension of G-d when we gather together as reflected in Ephesians 1:22-23, “Also, he has put all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the Messianic Community, 23 which is his body, the full expression of him who fills all creation.” Praying alone or at home is not a substitute for coming together; there is a special blessing when we are together where the anointing comes down (Psalm 133).

In the Exodus passage, they SAW the G-d of Israel! The Hebrew word used is ra’ah means to see, to discern the G-d Elohey Israel! Then in verse 11, the passage says they GAZED at Him. The word here is chazah which is like gazing at someone you love or have a longing for, to gaze at with beloved. It also means a revelatory vision of G-d just like when we will see Him face to face. This word is also used in two other passages:

Psalm 63:2, “I used to contemplate (ra’ah) you in the sanctuary, seeing (chazah) your power and glory.” and Psalm 27:4, “Just one thing have I asked of ADONAI; only this will I seek: to live in the house of ADONAI all the days of my life, to see (chazah) the beauty of ADONAI and visit in his temple.”

We see G-d in the Face of Messiah! The Talmidim asked Yeshua to see the Father. Yeshua answered as recorded in John 14:9, “Philip said to him, "Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Now we don’t yet see Him, we believe and trust. We haven’t seen Him yet, but we are going to see Him. We rejoice now without seeing His Face. We see Him now in His Body, in His Actions and His Word!

1 Peter 1:8, “Without having seen him, you love him. Without seeing him now, but trusting in him, you continue to be full of joy that is glorious beyond words.”

When John saw the Messiah in Revelation, he appeared in His glorified state as Cohen Hagadol! John knew him prior to His crucifixion as the Lamb but this time he saw Him as the Lion! He is in place of judgement now!

In Exodus they saw Him by looking upward toward the base of the Throne. When John saw Him, he fell at His feet as if dead and when Isaiah saw Him he was struck with his sinfulness. When we draw near to Him we will be impacted!

There are many passages where it is described that G-d is seen and others where we can’t see or hear His voice. Which is it?

We see G-d in a unique way now through the love we have for one another. 1John 4:12, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains united with us, and our love for him has been brought to its goal in us.”

Now look closely at what happened in Exodus 8. The covenant was ratified through the shedding of blood and the blood was sprinkled upon the people. They saw from below the Throne of G-d and they knew they were His! They ate and drank at peace under this vision.

Similarly, under the New Covenant, with Messiah’s blood sprinkled upon us, cleansing us from our sin, washing away our past and we are now His!

Have you had an explosion in your heart knowing that He loves you, removed your past and that you can trust Him? Do you know you are His? That is a true revelation or vision of Who He Is!

When John wrote of his vision of Messiah in Revelation, his goal was showing that we might see how Yeshua HaMachiach will reign on His Throne! There was a time in John’s life when he laid his head on Yeshua’s shoulder but now he fell at his feet as dead! We must know Him as Savior but He is also King!

Ephesians 1:17-18, “the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of him. 18 I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your hearts, so that you will understand the hope to which he has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance he has promised his people.”

So how do we see the L-rd? In humility as John did while on the Island of Patmos, by participating in the Body of Messiah realizing the fulness of being together and suffer with each other, and by enduring in tribulation because sometimes in the worst conditions G-d reveals Himself to us and to others.

When John saw Messiah as High Priest He was walking among the Menorahs inspecting them to see which lamps are burning brightly or not. Menorahs require oil to burn continuously never burning out. Yeshua himself was trimming the lamps so they would burn more brightly. If my light grows dim, my light can be replaced and we can become complacent indicated by making excuses and justifying myself. Here are questions to determine if I’m staying close to Him. How is my prayer time with Him? Am I hungry to study His Word? Am I witnessing and do I care about the lost? Do I want to be among His People? Do I want more of Him?

Further Reading:
Exodus 24:8-11, Ezekiel 1:26-28, Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, Ephesians 1:15,17, Revelation 1:9-18, Galatians 4:6, Hebrews 10:25, Psalm 27:4, Ephesians 1:23, Psalm 133, John 17:3, Psalm 17:15, Job 19:26-27, Isaiah 33:17, 2Corinthians 4:6, 1Peter 1:8, 2Corinthians 5:16, Judges 6:22, Isaiah 6:5, Genesis 32:30, Deuteronomy 4:12, Exodus 33:20, John 1:18, 1 Timothy 6:16, Exodus 33:23, Job 42:5, Matthew 5:8, John 5:37, John 6:46, Judges 13:22, Revelation 1:17, Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 4:16, John 19:30,