Good Monday to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Today in our “Grand Narrative” journey with God we come to one of the most famous places in the Biblical world. Mount Sinai!! What image just came into your mind when I said “Sinai” and what famous events can you recall occurred there?
No, Jesus never visited Mount Sinai, nor the apostle Paul, nor any of the disciples of Jesus. But Moses and the fleeing Israelite slaves sure did, in fact they spent almost one year there! Did you know that? Why a year? Because God had so much to teach them! In fact, those months changed everything for them… and as we join them today in their experience, God may do some life changing things in us too! Are you ready?
Let’s join these 1 million Israelite slaves and those who fled Egypt with them, as they have been trekking through the desert now for several weeks. They are weary. Tired of nothing but sand in all directions. Moses tells us it was “the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt…they camped in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God…” (Ex. 19:1,2)
Yes, this is the very same place where Moses first encountered God at the burning bush, and his entire life had changed, remember? (Exodus 3) I assume, as Moses saw the mountain in the distance, he began to get excited about heading up the mountain again, and probably Moses had some questions he wanted to ask God, and I’m sure he hoped God had lots of answers and direction for the future!
But it appears God didn’t give Moses any time to ask his questions, rather God started giving Moses instructions and information for the people. Imagine what it must have looked like for Moses as he looked down from that hillside on this huge throng of people and their tents, their animals, and all they had carted out of Egypt, as they began to build their encampment at the base of Mount Sinai.
God spoke and Moses listened intently: “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob…’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 on earth 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. 19:3-6)
Oh my! Can you imagine what Moses was thinking as he hiked back down Sinai ready to call the people together to hear what God had told him? You see, up until this moment God had been treating ALL those who fled Egypt and were walking under His guiding cloud the very same, there was no distinction between the Israelites and the others who fled Egypt with them that Passover night. (Ex. 12: 37,38)
But now, God was not only making a distinction, He was clarifying a profound new identity for those who knew they were direct descendants of Jacob and his 12 sons. These people God was calling HIS people, His treasured possession! Unique from all other people in the world!! God was challenging them to no longer see themselves as slaves only worthwhile as long as they could work or produce baby slaves. No, their value in the world now would be as God’s owned people!
He had rescued them from meaningless slavery to live lives which would honor and bring joy to God AND who would also be a great blessing to our world! What a huge contrast to living as slaves! Remember God’s promise to Abraham: “…you will be a blessing…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Ex. 12:2,3) Now, about 500 years later, God was reconfirming that these descendants of Abraham were carrying God’s blessing and God’s commission to BE God’s blessing to the world!!
Of course you noticed, I’m sure, God had told Moses to make it very clear God’s expectation was that His people would: “…obey Me fully and keep My Covenant…” The incredible privilege of being God’s rescued people brought with it a lifelong responsibility… OBEY God and live in the Covenant God had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was now their covenant relationship with God, renewed at Sinai!
But how? How would they learn to live as God’s people? Well did you notice, God had told Moses one other very important thing… “You will be for ME a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6) Oh, they had understood and served the kingdom of Egypt with the Pharaoh as its all-powerful king. And they had seen Egyptian priests leading people in worship of idols and false gods, all of whom had been humiliated in the plagues God sent upon Egypt.
So, what did God mean when He called these Israelites to see themselves as a Kingdom of Priests of Almighty God and a nation of HOLY people? What a dramatic contrast to everything they knew in Egypt. It’s important we pause and ask ourselves some important questions.
* Do we understand the very same God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are calling us to view ourselves in the very same way IF we have trusted Jesus Christ to be our Savior?
* Do you consider yourself God’s treasured possession, purchased by the blood of Jesus? (1 Peter 1:18,19)
* Do you see your life’s greatest value as being a Priest of God, someone who worships God with their every aspect of life and draws other to know and worship God? (Eph. 1:3-9)
* Do you see yourself as being part of God’s kingdom with Jesus Christ as your King? (Col. 1:13-20)
* Because God is holy, do you see your life ambition to live a holy life for God’s glory? (1 Peter 1:13-21)
As Moses gathered the people and shared what he heard from God, the people amazingly responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said.’ So, Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.” (Ex. 19:8) This was a revolutionary, historic moment in time! Don’t rush past what is happening here, my friends, as God re-defines the slave descendants of Jacob to be HIS holy people, His treasured possession, forming His Kingdom on earth! Both their identity and their life purpose, for the rest of their lives, was being redefined, declared, proclaim here at Sinai in this response to God from these people!
So, Moses hiked back up the mountain, bringing their enthusiastic commitment response of these people back to God. God’s response is profound, for He challenged Moses to prepare the people. Prepare them for what? For God coming to meet with them. God was going to speak, audibly, for all 1 million people to hear his voice and He was going to proclaim the details of HOW these people could live God honoring lives, fulfilling their new God declared identity.
So, they prepared themselves and three days later God came down on Mount Sinai in a spectacular display of God’s mountain shaking, volcanic power…and then God spoke, audibly! (Ex. 19:16-19) I doubt any of us can imagine this experience, this encounter with God! It was something these people would retell to their descendants for many generations.
Exodus 20 is the remarkable record of what God spoke that day to 1 million Hebrew slaves at Mount Sinai! We know it as the 10 Commandments, God’s Covenant living for His people. I urge you to read through it slowly, carefully seeking to understand in a new, profound way, everything God was saying to His people.
No other people on earth had ever considered such a moral code of ethics, such a God honoring lifestyle. Is this your lifestyle and mine? Is God honored by these commands woven into the very fabric of our lives, our families, every relationship, every choice we make?
Then God spoke this promise to Moses for His people: “Wherever I cause My name to be honored, I will come to you, and I will bless you.” (Ex. 20:24) God has been faithful to that promise since the day He first proclaimed it here at Sinai!!
Has God come to you and blessed you WHEN you have honored Him with your life? Is it the story of your family? Or is today the day you begin a new journey with Jesus, a new identity as a person purchased by the blood of Jesus and therefore with a new purpose in life…living each day to honor God in all things!?
We need to pause and reflect on these two powerful chapters of God’s “Grand Narrative”! More notes and lessons learned are available on the Grand Narrative link below. Do we understand what God is explaining to us about the transformation of identity and purpose He desires for ALL who become His people? This wonderful worship song will help us understand and express our response to God, our praise and honor to Him…
Today’s Scripture: Exodus 19 & 20.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Exodus 20
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
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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