Exodus 24:9-11

Exodus 24:9-11

[9] Then went up  Moses,  and Aaron,  Nadab,  and Abihu,  and seventy  of the elders  of Israel:  [10] And they saw  the God  of Israel:  and there was under his feet  as it were a paved  work  of a sapphire stone,  and as it were the body  of heaven  in his clearness.  [11] And upon the nobles  of the children  of Israel  he laid  not his hand:  also they saw  God,  and did eat  and drink. 

What does Exodus 24:9-11 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The ratification ceremony concluded with a meal ( Exodus 24:9-11), not a picnic lunch but a sacrificial meal ( Exodus 24:5).
""They ate and drank" describes a covenant meal celebrating the sealing of the covenant described in Exodus 24:3-8." [1]
We must understand the statement that the leaders of Israel saw God ( Exodus 24:10) in the light of other passages ( Exodus 33:20-23; Isaiah 6:1; John 1:18). Perhaps they only saw His feet or, more exactly, a representation of part of God in human form (cf. Isaiah 6:1; Revelation 4:2; Revelation 4:6). The pavement of clear sapphire contributed to the vision of God as the supra-terrestrial sovereign (cf. Ezekiel 1:22; Revelation 4:6; Revelation 12:2).
". . . what Moses and his companions experience is a theophany of the Presence of God, not a vision of his person, and what they see, bowed before even that awesome reality, is what could be seen from a position of obeisant prostration, the surface on which his Presence offered itself.... The reference in Exodus 24:10 may therefore be a double one, calling up the deep dark blue of an endless sky and the building materials of legendary divine dwelling-places." [2]
God in mercy did not consume the sinners before Him. Rather He allowed them to eat in His presence thus symbolizing the fact that He was taking on responsibility for their safety and welfare (cf. Genesis 31:44-46). [3]
"We have argued that the awkward surface structure of the narrative [4], which results in the non-linear temporal ordering of events, can be explained when one takes into account the sequence structure of the narrative, particularly the use of the literary device called resumptive repetition. As a result of this literary device we have demonstrated that the narrative contains two different perspectives of the theophany. First, there is the perspective of Yahweh which emphasizes the preparation and execution of the covenant as well as highlighting the holiness of God, which is a key to understanding the relationship that exists between Yahweh and His people. Second, there is the perspective of the people, which is elaborated upon in the two resumptive narratives in20 , 18-21,24 , 1-8. The first resumptive narrative in20 , 18-21 , which elaborates in detail the fear of the people, serves as a preface and introduction to the Decalogue and Covenant Code. In addition, it also acts as a causal link between the fear of the people and their sinful acts below the mountain in Exodus 32. The second resumptive narrative in24 , 1-8 elaborates in detail the ratification of the covenant and also leads into the subsequent ascent of Moses to the mountain where he receives the rest of God"s regulations." [5]