The people having, besides their submission to the ceremony of the
sprinkling of blood, declared their well-pleasedness in their God and
his law, again and again, God here gives to their representatives some
special tokens of his favour to them (for God meets him that rejoices
and works righteousness), and admits them nearer to him than they could
have expected. Thus, in the New-Testament church, we find the four
living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, honoured with places
round the throne, being redeemed unto God by the blood of the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne, Rev. iv. 4, 6; v. 8, 9. Observe,
1. They saw the God of Israel (v. 10), that is, they had some glimpse
of his glory, in light and fire, though they saw no manner of
similitude, and his being no man hath seen nor can see, 1 Tim. vi. 16.
They saw the place where the God of Israel stood (so the LXX.),
something that came near a similitude, but was not; whatever they saw,
it was certainly something of which no image nor picture could be made,
and yet enough to satisfy them that God was with them of a truth.
Nothing is described but that which was under his feet; for our
conceptions of God are all below him, and fall infinitely short of
being adequate. They saw not so much as God's feet; but at the bottom
of the brightness, and as the footstool or pedestal of it, they saw a
most rich and splendid pavement, such as they never saw before nor
after, as it had been of sapphires, azure or sky-coloured. The heavens
themselves are the pavement of God's palace, and his throne is above
the firmament. See how much better wisdom is than the precious onyx or
the sapphires, for wisdom was from eternity God's delight (Prov. viii.
30), and lay in his bosom, but the sapphires are the pavement under his
feet; there let us put all the wealth of this world, and not in our
hearts. 2. Upon the nobles (or elders) of Israel, he laid not his hand,
v. 11. Though they were men, the dazzling splendour of his glory did
not overwhelm them; but it was so moderated (Job xxvi. 9), and they
were so strengthened (Dan. x. 19), that they were able to bear it. Nay,
though they were sinful men, and obnoxious to God's justice, yet he did
not lay his punishing avenging hand upon them, as they feared he would.
When we consider what a consuming fire God is, and what stubble we are
before him, we shall have reason to say, in all our approaches to him,
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. 3. They saw God,
and did eat and drink. They had not only their lives preserved, but
their vigour, courage, and comfort; it cast no damp upon their joy, but
rather increased and elevated it. They feasted upon the sacrifice,
before God, in token of their cheerful consent to the covenant now
made, their grateful acceptance of the benefits of it, and their
communion with God, in pursuance of that covenant. Thus believers eat
and drink with Christ at his table, Luke xxii. 30. Blessed are those
that shall eat bread in the kingdom of our Father, and drink of the
wine new there.