A Covenant Sealed with a Meal

 

“A Covenant Sealed with a Meal”
Text: Exodus 24:9–18

Introduction
In Exodus 24, we reach one of the most breathtaking moments in all of Scripture. God had just confirmed His covenant with His people at Sinai. The people had promised, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do” (Exod. 24:3). Now, beginning in verse 9, we are told that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders went up the mountain. And there, they saw the God of Israel. Beneath His feet was a pavement of sapphire, clear as the heavens themselves. And what happened next was just as amazing—they ate and drank in His presence.

The Covenant Meal
This was not just any meal. It was the sealing of the covenant between God and His people. In the ancient world, eating together was a sign of trust, friendship, and fellowship. To share a meal was to share life. Here, the leaders of Israel were given the extraordinary honor of eating in the very presence of the Holy God.

Think of what this meant: the God who had thundered from the mountain now welcomed them at His table. The covenant was not simply words spoken—it was fellowship experienced. It reminds us that our God is not distant or aloof. He calls His people into relationship, and one of the deepest ways He shows it is through a shared meal.

Meals in the Story of Redemption
Meals appear again and again in the story of salvation. In the Gospels, Jesus often sat at the table with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 5:29–32). To eat with them was considered scandalous, but Jesus showed that God’s grace welcomes the outcast and the unworthy.

And of course, the most significant meal of all was the Last Supper. On that night, Jesus took bread and broke it, saying, “This is My body, given for you.” He took the cup and said, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:26–28). Just as the elders of Israel ate and drank in God’s presence to confirm the covenant at Sinai, so the disciples ate and drank with Jesus to confirm the new covenant in His blood.

When we come to the Lord’s Table today, we are reminded that God has drawn near, that we have fellowship with Him, and that our covenant relationship with Him is sealed not by our promises, but by the sacrifice of Christ.

The Warning of Israel’s Leaders
Yet, Exodus 24 also gives us a sobering lesson. These very leaders, who saw the God of Israel and ate in His presence, would later falter. Aaron would fashion the golden calf (Exod. 32). Nadab and Abihu would offer unauthorized fire before the Lord and be consumed (Lev. 10:1–2). The people who vowed, “We will obey,” quickly turned aside.

How can it be that those who tasted such glory could fall away so quickly? The answer is that experiences alone cannot sustain faith. We may see God’s power, hear His Word, even sit at His table, but if our hearts drift toward the world, we too can fall.

Holding Fast to the Feast of the Lord
The question for us today is this: How can we taste what the Lord has to offer and not lose our faith to the world? The answer lies in abiding in Christ daily, not just in moments of spiritual excitement. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).

We remain faithful not by relying on a single mountain-top experience, but by continually feeding on Christ, through prayer, through His Word, and through fellowship with His people. Every time we come to the Lord’s Table, we are reminded that He alone can satisfy the hunger of our souls.

Let Us Taste
In Exodus 24, the leaders of Israel ate and drank in God’s presence. It was a glimpse of glory, but it was also a call to covenant faithfulness. Sadly, many of them turned away. But we have been invited to a greater table—the table of Christ, where His body and blood seal for us the everlasting covenant.

So let us not taste of the Lord’s goodness and then be lured away by the empty offerings of the world. Instead, let us remain at His table, feeding daily on His grace, until that day when we will sit with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

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