"Your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing." - 2 Thessalonians 1:3b

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Exodus 19-21

by Adam Johnson

"Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." Exodus 19:5-6 NASB

These verses are part of the introduction that the LORD was giving Moses leading up to the Ten Commandments, one of God's first Covenants. However, this portion is singled out by repetition in the New Testament (I Pet. 2:5,9; Rev. 5:10) as part of the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ. When the Lord speaks to us multiple times it should be something that really grabs our attention, and this principle is based on the nature of God Himself.

We are commanded to be set apart ourselves based on the fact that just like Israel we are "called-out ones." As our Savior and God is Holy, we ourselves are to be holy -- Priests in the reflection of the fact that our Lord is our great high priest, and we are to be His followers and representatives to a world that refuses to own Him as King.

How am I to do this? How are you to do this? What does it look like? What does God demand of me? These questions I asked myself and realized that the required response from us is great because what He gave to ransom us is great.

"But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY." 1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB

1 comment:

  1. Great connection of these two passages. I'm going to steal this.
    PI

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