Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends around the world,
I wonder if you have a very special, life changing place? Sometimes, in those quiet nights when you can’t sleep, do you go to that place in your mind and replay the life changing events that occurred there for you, many years ago? I have several such places. Moses had several, but one in particular… let’s go there with him today!
We’ve been traveling with Moses and about 1 million Hebrew slaves who left Egypt, in the middle of the night, about 90 days ago. We’ve seen some amazing things haven’t we? For the past several days this huge throng of people has been camped at a miracle place called Rephidim. I say it’s a ‘miracle place’ because God caused water to suddenly spew out of a split rock, enough for 1 million people, and that’s precious in the hot desert! Also, they are camped at Rephidim because the cloud they’ve been following by day and pillar of fire by night, led them here and it hasn’t moved. But early this morning the cloud started to move so everyone packed up and they’ve been traveling again, following the cloud. There’s a large mountain up ahead and it seems the cloud is moving us all toward that mountain. Why?
And out in front of this huge moving city is Moses. Look at him. His eyes are fixed on that mountain, his pace is quickening, there’s a smile starting to grow on his face. Can you guess why? For Moses, this mountain is that very special place of God encounter! This mountain is where this entire adventure began, several months ago! This is Horeb, the mountain where a burning bush caught Moses’ attention since it was not being consumed as it burned. As Moses walked, now in front of 1 million escaped Hebrew slaves, he was remembering… He had approached that burning bush, and a voice had spoken his name! He had been instructed to take off his sandals because he was on ‘holy ground’. He was having an encounter with Almighty God! That encounter changed his life and life purpose!
The voice had told Moses that one day he’d return to this mountain, but not alone!! He was promised that if he followed God’s instructions, God would do miracles no human being had ever seen, and Moses would return to this mountain leading an entire nation of freed Hebrew slaves! (Ex. 3:12) What had then seemed impossible was now reality! The people started to set up camp at the foot of mount Horeb, the mountain of God!! The record says: “After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the desert of Sinai and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.” (Ex. 19:1)
Look at him… Moses. He simply can’t wait any longer. With staff in hand Moses is heading up the mountain, alone. The record says: “Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain…” I imagine Moses had said to Aaron, Hur and maybe Joshua: “Guys, I’m leaving you in charge. I have to go back up there. This is the place where He met me and my life was changed. I can hardly wait to hear what God has to say to me this time. I’m not sure how long I’ll be up there, but don’t come looking for me.” Higher and higher Moses climbed, pausing occasionally to look down on this huge throng of people and animals below. What an amazing view it must have been, can you imagine it?
Moses recorded for us in Exodus 19 what happened next: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you to tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant then out of all the nations YOU will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:4-6) I suspect Moses sat down on a big rock on that hillside, looking down over the huge throng of people below. Some months ago he had been almost in this exact same spot, conversing with the voice of God emanating from a burning bush not being consumed. On that occasion, as he had walked down from the mountain, he wondered if anyone would ever believe his story about this mountain encounter with God. He had wondered what it would take for God to actually convince Pharaoh to free this huge group of slaves. He had wondered if it was even remotely possible that one day he would in fact come back to this mountain with all those slaves… and now he was looking at them from this same mountain place of God encounter! I wonder if he wept in awe of what God had accomplished. I wonder if he fell to his knees in adoration of Almighty, holy God? And now Moses had a new, God given message for these people. What would it take for them to believe the words God had just spoken to him?
About 1500 years after this the apostle Peter wrote a letter to the courageous followers of Jesus scattered throughout the Roman empire. Most of them were experiencing great persecution because they were known as people who both believed in and followed Jesus Christ. Some had lost their jobs, some had been run out of their homes and towns, some had been beaten. Peter, as led by the Holy Spirit, wrote the letter we know as 1 Peter. You’ll find it in the New Testament of our Bible. In that letter, which was distributed all across the Roman empire, Peter wrote these powerful words of encouragement: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God…” (1 Peter 2:9,10) Now for those Jewish followers of Jesus can you imagine their excitement in reading this from Peter whom they knew was a close friend of Jesus? Do you see how Peter was echoing the words Moses received from God for those 1 million Hebrew slaves who were the ancestors of those first century Jewish Christians?
The Exodus 19 record says: “So Moses went down the mountain and summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the LORD has said.” (Ex. 19:7) Now don’t rush by this my friends. Ponder what is happening here. These are slaves, the sons and daughters of multiple generations of slaves! They have been told over and over their only value is their ability to work in the mud pits of Pharaoh or other slave work. They never had any aspirations, any hope in life other than slave labor.
Many of them have likely heard the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph from their grandparents who heard those stories from their grandparents… for generations. Over there is the Egyptian coffin in which are the bones of Joseph, so they have been told by the oldest among them. They have experienced never before seen amazing, powerful, miracles of God. They have followed a cloud to get here and have been provided water from a rock and manna every morning from heaven. They are beginning to understand, and even experience, the power and protection of this remarkable God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And now, here at this mountain, the mountain Moses claims is where he first encountered Almighty God, Moses brings them these almost unbelievable words from God. That God chooses them to be HIS chosen people, from all other people on earth!? That God wants them to be a ‘holy nation’ of people? Look at them friends… look at their faces. They are stunned, shocked. This wasn’t only about deliverance from slavery, these several weeks have been about learning to live in a relationship with God, their creator, everyday for the rest of their lives, as HIS people!!!
When the people could finally find words to voice what they felt, the words were powerful: ‘We will do everything the LORD has said.” And so Moses did the only thing he could do… he turned to head back up the mountain toward God! Moses records that moment this way: “So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.” (Ex. 19:8) Let’s hike up that mountain with him this time. Look at him pausing every few steps, turning and looking down over the tent city and 1 million people. Look at the tears in his eyes as he imagines what this could mean for them and their children and generations not yet born. No group of people in the world had ever been given this opportunity by God! What will God say next, after Moses reports to God the willingness and even commitment of the people to do everything the LORD has said?!
I urge you to find a quiet place to sit and watch as Moses speaks those words to God. Imagine what could happen in our lives if YOU and I spoke those words to God… “Oh God, everything you say, I will do.” In fact, I invite my friends, all of us, to consider owning the words God spoke to the people, as God’s words for YOU and me…
“…Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant then out of all the nations YOU will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Remember these words Jesus spoke in the upper room to His friends, hours before He went to the cross, can we own these words also? “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…” (John 15:16) It’s time, time for each of us to have an important conversation with God!! God has chosen you and me… how do we respond to that powerful truth?
Now, here’s a song to help you consider the significance of these words…
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 19:1-8.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Email
WhatsApp