By Chalcedony Williams
The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 You yourselves 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, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, 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 that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Exodus 19:3b-6 (ESVUK)
Imagine what great lengths you would go to just to get hold of something you consider to be extremely valuable and precious. Once you have acquired it, where would you put it in your house? Somewhere safe and secure, in a special place of honour among all your possessions.
At first glance, it seems that God is saying to Moses in Exodus 19:3-6 that, if Israel promises to obey Him and keep His covenant, they will become His prized possession. But in verse 3, we see that Israel already were God’s special treasure. Israel was so precious to Him that, of all the nations on earth, God chose to rescue them out of slavery in Egypt. He demonstrated His great power and majesty by reducing Egypt’s gods and great rulers to nothing, and then He carried Israel “on eagles’ wings” to Himself, to be in His presence and to enjoy a relationship with the God of all creation.
God said, “for all the earth is mine,” demonstrating that even before Israel had knowledge of their Creator, they already belonged to Him. By rescuing them out of Egypt, God made Himself known to Israel. Why would the Creator of the universe go to all this trouble for a small nation of slaves? God had a specific plan in mind for Israel: to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, a nation under God’s royal authority and people who are set apart for Him, consecrated and anointed for nearness, service, and commitment to God.
Even as wonderful as this promise sounds, it only reveals part of God’s plan for Israel. In Revelation 5:6-10, we gain a glimpse of a worship scene in heaven, where the worshippers praise the slaughtered Lamb who “purchased people for God with (His) blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation” and who has “made them into a kingdom and priests” to God.
Out of Israel, the kingdom of priests, God brought forth the true Priest and King, who offered up Himself in service to God as a sacrificial Lamb. Thus, He purchased with his blood the lives of all nations, rescuing them from the slavery of sin and death. Humankind is the crowning glory of God’s creation. He went to great lengths, and gave everything, just to rescue us and to bring us into His presence. Through faith in Christ, we are God’s special treasure, part of His Israel (Galatians 6:16). What does our God desire in response? “Obey my voice and keep my covenant”. God has shown us such wondrous grace and bountiful favour that we do not deserve and could never earn. How could we give Him any less?
Ask – How did God demonstrate His love to Israel?
Seek – Are we responding to salvation by living a life of obedience to God? What areas of our lives are we withholding from Him?
Knock – Lord, thank You that through Your Son I am a part of Israel, your special treasure. Help me to live a life set apart for You so that I may enjoy Your presence.
(Upper Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by David Bartus from Pexels)
