Exodus 19:1-9
Israel at Mount Sinai
1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.
3 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 children of Israel: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”
So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
We see the pattern and intent of the LORD to make His people into a kingdom of holy priests, serving and worshiping Him as a nation beyond a mere country on this earth. This is made clear to we who are now in Christ because the mystery hidden then is Him in us (Colossians 1:26-27) as our hope of glory in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:1-2, 26:9-10, 13) which is found in the righteousness of Christ. We are called his priests in 1 Peter 2:9-10, a chosen and holy special people who are a nation without borders of the countries of this world who have been granted mercy and grace to proclaim His Majesty of deliverance to the world. He pulled us out of the captivity to sin in the wilderness of this fallen sin-tainted world as surely as He delivered Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. Moses was told to remind the people of God then to reflect on their deliverance as if flown out on the wings of great eagles soaring through the parted waters of the sea that they might see their LORD who brought them to Himself. He had also delivered us from sin’s penalty of His great wrath (Romans 5:9-10) and brought us to Himself as this special people like jewels in His crown of majesty that we may hear and obey His words and keep the New Covenant in the redeeming lifeblood (1 Corinthians 11:25, Hebrews 12:22-24) of Jesus who sacrificed Himself as our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 7:24-25, 8:1-2) in the heavens! We now join those of old who under the old covenant of works found grace as a special treasure (1 Peter 2:4, 9) out of the people of the whole world, chosen to know and minister to Him. We are that kingdom of priests who serve the Lord and are a nation comprised of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:23-23, Philippians 3:12) in the righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) of God’s Son. Moses spoke these words to the physical nation of Israel who had been delivered from captivity in Egypt as a foretaste of our calling as the completed people and invisible nation of the universal church of God in Christ Jesus. Like the people then, our response to His grace as a chosen kingdom of holy priests should continue to echo down through the corridors of time as we say, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” Revelation 1:6 tells us we are such a kingdom of priests to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to serve our Lord God and bring Him glory in the beauty of holiness as He is holy (Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:16) and as we bear witness to the deliverance of His people out of the judgment of sin we are all born under. May we continue to reflect on that deliverance by His mighty hand of grace and follow as we serve as His saints made holy and priests which we all are in Christ. He treasures us all!
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