Many couples describe a romantic meal as including lavish settings, an abundance of food, soft light, and subdued classical music. I think the idea behind such a setting is that it is abnormal; something very different then the everday gathering around the table. In Exodus 24:11 there is the description of a romantic dinner hosted by God Almighty and 74 leaders of the people upon whom he was pouring out his love. The description given doesn't detail a huge physical presence for the LORD. I picture the love meal like this: There is a clearing before the mountain as the setting for the devine picnic. The 74 men carried up the meal from the camp of Israel. They set the meal on the ground before the presence of the LORD. God motions the stuned leaders of Israel to sit down near him and eat. Then God sat down with them. The light from his glory providing the light for the meal that continued past sunset. A romantic meal that those men never forgot.
It took me about 20 minutes to read this passage.
Stuart
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Exodus 21-24
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Stuart,
this has been another vivid description of how you see God and this passage – it is a great picture of how close you are walking with the Lord and how incredibly it is depicted! And again it made me think, re-read and ponder… I have never thought of the description of 74 people eating in the presence of God as the romantic dinner – but after considering it for awhile I would have to agree with you. It was romantic in a sense that God gave instructions and so to say “prepared” for the occasion. It was very well thought through with the number of people, and the offerings, and climbing up the mountain – it was well planned on God part (read – candles, flowers, facility, food – doesn’t matter what as long as it is thought through with the other people in mind), but it was also the time that changed those 74 people to the core! They ate in the presence of God INTIMATELY! He shared his glory and they saw HIM for who he is! They worshiped him in a very respectful way and he poured his love on them. They were never the same! (The same thing with the meal if it includes the time of appreciation of love and respect between the people at romantic meal, the time of sharing themselves intimately and vulnerably, if it is not making people feel different about themselves in the light of the Lord and each other – it is just a meal no matter the setting!) The glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain to Israelites. – if that is not romantic, I don’t know what is!
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