Exodus 24:9-11

Exodus 24:9-11
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Sometimes things in life are incredibly complicated to explain.  Maybe you had an experience that defies words, or you were someplace so beautiful that you can't hope to capture it in words.  You might try and take a picture, but sometimes even that falls short.  I remember being out in the woods not too long ago and simply being overcome with the splendor of it all -- there were no words to describe how I felt, and no picture could capture the experience, but the joy and fulfillment in my heart were amazing.  I'd describe it... but words fail.
  So often in Scripture, when the authors are trying to describe an experience with God, you can tell that words simply don't do justice.  Here in Exodus, one of the most interesting passages in Scripture to me, the elders of Israel go up to the mountain and dine with God.  The ground beneath God's feet, we're told, is like a pavement of sapphire stone, like heaven.  You can tell that there simply isn't a word in the human language to convey what it was like.  The author tries to paint a picture, but ultimately, we simply don't have the ability to talk about it, because it's so different, so other than what we are used to, that we can only do our best to try and get close.  (The reason I find this passage so fascinating is that the elders of Israel ATE DINNER WITH GOD and then, just a few short weeks later, were busy creating idols when Moses didn't come down off the mountain.  Dinner with God wasn't enough to convince them that they should devote their lives to the worship of the one true God.  Sin is real, and sin is strong.)
  So when we talk about God's love, realize that we simply run out of words to describe how powerful and amazing God is.  We just can't describe God, because our words cannot capture God's greatness.  Just the same, our words fall short when we try and describe how much God loves you.  There aren't enough words to say how far God would go to save you from sin.  God loves you with such depth that the English language cannot capture it.  Give thanks!