Arrangements were now to be made for the full establishment of the chosen nation under Jehovah as their king. Moses had received the command, "Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near the Lord." While the people worshiped at its foot, these chosen men were called up into the mount. The seventy elders were to assist Moses in the government of Israel, and God put upon them His Spirit, and honored them with a view of His power and greatness. "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." They did not behold the Deity, but they saw the glory of His presence. Before this they could not have endured such a scene; but the exhibition of God's power had awed them to repentance; they had been contemplating His glory, purity, and mercy, until they could approach nearer to Him who was the subject of their meditations. 313

Nu skulle der træffes forberedelser til Israels endelige anerkendelse som Guds ejendomsfolk med Gud selv som konge. Moses havde fået befalingen: "Stig op til Herren, du og Aron, Nadab og Abihu og halvfjerdsindstyve af Israels ældste, og tilbed i frastand; Moses alene skal træde hen til Herren." Mens folket tilbad ved bjergets fod, blev disse udvalgte mænd kaldt op på bjerget. De halvfjerds ældste skulle hjælpe Moses med at regere over Israel, og Gud udgød sin Ånd over dem og ærede dem ved at lade dem se sin magt og storhed. Og de "skuede Israels Gud; under hans fødder var der ligesom safirfliser, som selve himmelen i stråleglans". De så ikke Gud, men de så hans herlighed. De kunne ikke have tålt et sådant syn før, men åbenbaringen af Guds magt havde fremkaldt ærefrygt og anger hos dem, og de havde haft anledning til at bevidne hans herlighed, renhed og barmhjertighed så længe, at de nu kunne nærme sig ham, som deres tanker dvælede ved.