Wednesdays with Moses

Read Exodus 19:3-6 – 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: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 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. 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.” (NKJV)

Given all that God had done for the people of Israel, it seems clear that He had a right to expect their allegiance, even their worship. God proved Himself larger than any challenge they had faced, from the Red Sea, to the need for food and water and so much more. So now, as they arrive at Mt. Sinai, God calls Moses up the mountain to lay out His terms of the covenant He will make with His people. The idea of God having “purchased” them seems easy enough for us to accept. He had delivered them from slavery and launched them toward freedom. He showed His amazing power on their behalf again and again. He demonstrated amazing mercy in their lives, for there is no other reason for such a powerful God to take up the side of this or any other group of people. God had earned the right to be their God. He’s earned the right to be our God as well. He has done the same for us, purchasing us from sin, responding to our crisis moments with peace and help and proving His mercy by offering us a life we don’t deserve. He has earned the right to shape our lives too. However, it seems that many can see why the Israelites should have obeyed God without necessarily seeing the same requirement for themselves. Our self-will can keep us from seeing our need for God and acknowledging His right to rule our lives. He is the rightful Lord of our lives. Israel’s example will reveal how much better our lives can be when we acknowledge such truth and how difficult things will become when we ignore it.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.