God is faithful. We can depend on Him to do what He says. Today’s blog provides yet another example of this reality.
I began this series on God’s Promises on October 17, 2024. And, as I have immersed myself in the weekly process of research and writing, I have become more keenly aware of a couple of things about God and the Bible. First, God has a relentless love for us and will do everything possible to bring us to Himself. Second, God’s promise to provide a Savior is the central theme of the Bible. The bottom line is that the Bible is about God’s plan to save us and live in a right relationship with Him. This is the “big picture” from Genesis to Revelation!
From the first blog in October of 2024, we have come today to Mt. Sinai, where God is making a covenant with Israel, and will give the Israelites the “Commandments” and instructions of how to live under His rule. This transaction covers several chapters, Exodus 19 through 33.
As you know, the road to Sinai has covered many miles and hundreds of years since God called Abraham in Genesis 12. Remember what God promised Abraham?
“Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall 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 shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3.
The question I have for us today is: How do we connect the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12 to the events in Exodus, chapters 19-33?
At Sinai, we have come to a major juncture in God’s promise to save us from the power and penalty of sin. The importance of what happened at Sinai cannot be overstated!
God’s promise and plan did not die with the deaths of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After their deaths, ten sons of Jacob and two of Joseph became the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. These tribal identities remained throughout the long and bitter years of enslavement. So, the “seed” of Abraham and the promise of God lived on in the succeeding generations when Moses was sent to free them.
When God spoke to Moses from the blazing bush on the mountain, He told Moses that he would return there with the Israelites. This would be a sign to Moses that God had indeed kept His promise to deliver His people. But He did not tell Moses what He was going to do with him and the Israelites when they got there.
God’s next step in the plan to bring salvation to the entire world is to make a covenant with these freed slaves, Abraham’s heirs, where He will be their King, and they will be His kingdom. When Moses told the people about God’s plan, the people responded, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” Exodus 19:8.
So, what will be the role of the Israelites in carrying out God’s promise to Abraham that “all the nations would be blessed” through Him?
What began with God’s choice of one man, Abraham, is to continue through God’s choice of one nation, Israel. Israel is His chosen vessel through which His salvation will be brought to the world. They are selected to carry out God’s plan through their unique relationship with God and the exceptional task they are given.
What was God’s plan for Israel?
Israel would enjoy the blessings and privileges of being in a special relationship with God. “If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession (special treasure) among all the peoples…” Exodus 19:5. What benefits came with being the “special treasure” among all the peoples of the earth? As we see later, they will receive the commandments, the protection of God, the privilege of participating in the promise, and the Promised Land itself. Unrealized to them is that they would be the nation through which Jesus, the Savior, would come.
Israel was given two assignments as God’s chosen people. Exodus 12:6 tells us God’s intentions for Israel. “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
A kingdom of priests. While Aaron, his sons, and members of the tribe of Levi will assume the duties of sacrifices and other things specifically assigned to the priesthood, there is a real sense that the entire nation will serve as a priest to other nations that do not know Yahweh. The primary role of a priest is to mediate between man and God, and in that sense, the nation of Israel was to bring other nations to their God, Yahweh. That was an awesome task for Israel, and it is a task and privilege for those of us who are disciples of Jesus. How well are you doing with that?
A holy nation. The word holy means “set apart.” It can refer to something such as the Bible, a place, or a person. When describing a nation or people as “holy,” it implies we recognize a special relationship to God and have a responsibility to live according to His will for us. God’s intention for Israel was that they live by His prescribed laws, not as the nations around them, and, by doing so, attract other people to receive the blessings that come from serving a holy God. Isn’t this what Jesus calls us to do? “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
As believers, we witness to a lost world every day by what we say and how we live. Our words are holy and powerful when they come from a heart that is dedicated to God. Otherwise, they can serve Satan’s purpose.
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