We were reminded in last week’s post that God doesn’t forget the details related to the promises He makes. https://www.cosdavis.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=5646&action=edit&classic-editor&classic-editor__forget.
We have followed the promise God made about His plan to bring the Messiah into the world through hundreds of years, beginning in the Garden of Eden, progressing through Abraham’s family, the captivity in Egypt, and the eventual exodus through the leadership of Moses.
I am astounded as I review some of the details and circumstances through which God worked to bring about the story we will examine today. I wonder what Abraham would think about God and how He has continued to fulfill the promise He made to him in Genesis 12. Remember what God told him when He called him to leave his homeland for a new country?
“I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you will be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12: 2-3.
Do you think Abraham would be surprised to see what God has continued to do in advancing His promise, since He miraculously gave him and Sarah a son when he was 100 years old, and she was 90?
Where do we locate the promise of God today? Under Moses’ leadership, the Israelites left Egypt three months ago and arrived at Mt.Sinai. God’s next step in His plan is to formalize His relationship with Israel with a covenant. God told Abraham he would be the father of a “mighty nation,” and what began with one man, Abraham, has become a loosely formed group of over a million people.
We pick up the story in Exodus 19: 3-8. The promise God made to Abraham is to be inherited by a mass of people He will seek to form into a nation that will carry out His plan.
God’s Initiative and Promise
Israel’s covenant relationship, as does ours, begins at God’s initiative. God seeks us out and provides a way to live in relationship with Him.
“And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying,’ Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons os Israel: you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”‘ vv.3-6
Just as He used Moses to free the slaves from Egypt, God now uses him to present the covenant plan to the Israelites. Moses is instructed to inform them that the One who brought them out of Egyptian bondage wants a special relationship with them, one that will be unique among all the nations of the world. His offer is that they will be a “holy” people, chosen to represent Him as a “kingdom of priests.”
Each of us has experienced a covenant of some type, be it marriage, a financial agreement, or some other arrangement where two or more persons or parties consent to participate in an agreed-upon set of privileges and responsibilities.
What was God’s promise in the covenant He offered Israel? In the text above, the Lord says He will continue to be their faithful God and Provider, and to give them a special role in His plan. The Israelites are required to “obey my voice and keep my covenant.”
Israel’s Enthusiastic Response to God’s Offer
How did the Israelites respond when Moses brought God’s offer to them? Were they skeptical, distrusting, or complaining as they had been on several occasions so far on the trip to Sinai? Knowing in advance some of the things that are going to happen, I have grave concerns about the sincerity of their enthusiastic response. Here is what happened:
“So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together, ‘ All the Lord has spoken, we will do.’ And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.” Exodus 19:7-8
At this, the deal is made. The Israelites have agreed to be God’s holy people and enjoy the special privileges that come with the relationship. In turn, they agree to obey God and cooperate with His plan for them. Time will tell how enthusiastic the Israelites are about the arrangement when God instructs them how to live, and when they face tough times ahead.
Conclusion/Challenge
Today, we have explored the beginning of the covenant God made with the Israelites. This covenant is a vital part of the Bible, referred to as the Old Testament or Old Covenant. As believers in Christ, we have a New Covenant or Testament that fulfills and supersedes the Old Covenant.
Have you accepted God’s offer by entering into the New Covenant, a saving relationship with Him by putting your trust in Jesus to save you and use your life for His glory? Are you enthusiastic about your choice? Are you enjoying the privileges of being saved? Are you keeping your part of the agreement to live faithfully?
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