Greetings in Jesus’ name!

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” (v. 5). Exodus 19

Fifty days after Israel came out of Egypt, God brought them to Sinai to establish his covenant with them and to give them his Law. It is significant that the feast of Pentecost would be observed fifty days after Passover and that it was fifty days after the death of Christ that the Spirit was poured out upon the apostles at that feast. So, the Hebrews of old were saved by the blood of the lamb (as a foreshadow of Christ) and then given the Law by which they were to live. We are saved today by the blood of the Lamb and then given the Spirit, who empowers us to live rightly before God.

The covenant with Israel was given by God’s grace and purely out of his own goodwill. In all our dealings with God, our comfort comes from being known by him, not by knowing him first. We love him and worship him because he first loved us and covenanted with us. And so, the covenant he made with his people was kind and gracious. In it, he reminded them of what he had done for them; how he had delivered them from Egypt. By his own love, he delivered his people so they would be brought into covenant and communion with him and be his personal treasure.

Too often we paint this scene before Sinai in only harsh tones, but here we also see the love of God. He is holy, to be sure, hence the commands not to step near the mountain. However, his willingness to bring an unworthy people into covenant with him is based on love. And the one thing he expected from them was their obedience. Being saved by him, they should be ruled by him. This was not a harsh command, but a reasonable expectation considering what God had done for them. Israel, of course, agreed to those conditions. They agreed to live in obedience to his good and holy will, to be set apart for him, and to be his people. And so it is today – the Lord saves us and gives us new hearts and the Holy Spirit so that we will have the desire and power to obey a holy God who invites us to boldly approach him in Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:14-16)!

Keep your eyes on Jesus! Stay in the Word and in worship, either in person or online. And don’t spend too much time consuming media, social or otherwise; it’s not good for your soul.

Blessings,
Patrick