Scripture Passage for Today
Scripture Focus
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.” (Exodus 19:4-6 NLT)
Observation
What’s so easy to forget when we read the Old Testament laws (he writes, jumping straight to the point) is that God delivered Israel from Egypt as an unequaled king, and then offered them a covenant agreement allowing them to be His people.
This form of covenant would have been very familiar to the people of Moses’ day. It’s called a suzerainty treaty, which is a covenant agreement made between political unequals, the suzerain (or paramount ruler) and the vassal (or subservient power). The purpose of suzerainty treaties was to guarantee that a smaller state remained the faithful ally of the empire and did not pursue an independent foreign policy. Today’s reading contains the basic offer of such a treaty—what shows up in tomorrow’s reading are the basic terms of the covenant agreement—covenant terms we call the Ten Commandments.
I’m convinced we’ll appreciate the Old Testament laws better when we read them in that context—as an agreement between a powerful king and the people whom He has rescued from oppression, a king who offers continued covering in return for continued loyalty.
The beautiful thing about today’s reading is the remarkable value placed on, and promised to, this vassal state by the delivering King.
“I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” (19:4)
“…you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth…. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.” (19:5-6)
(One note in particular—Israel would be God’s “kingdom of priests”—the whole nation acting as mediators of grace to all the nations of the earth!)
Many of the laws that Israel ultimately received would be incredibly challenging to obey, but they were part of the sovereign king’s wise management of a vassal people. In other words, God asked what He asked of Israel not just for His good, but for Israel’s good.
In like manner—when God asks of me something difficult or demanding or even simply not of my choosing—I need to recall that, as a loving King, He commands not just what’s best for Him, but also best for me.
3 comments:
What you have laid out in today’s reading is my biggest challenge in life: “...when God asks of me something difficult or demanding or even simply not of my choosing”...I can do the easy tasks, but the areas that grate against my human nature are tough! I need to remember that it is a covenant relationship that I entered in with Jesus Christ back in 1977...I gave him my life to do with what he wants, not what I desire. Jesus said ‘His yoke was easy and His burden was light” (Matthew 11:28-30). The difficult things He asks me to do are not impossible – they are very doable…it is just up to me to put one foot in front of another, experiencing the previent grace of God to go out and conquer for His glory.
I like this explanation of the covenant agreement.
I also love that scripture.(Exodus 19:4, "...how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself." It sounds so intimate. Reminds me of Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.."
Sometimes we get too lax in our walk with God and forget that we are part of this agreement once we ask Jesus into our hearts. Many times I just assumed His grace was all that needed to be done; I chose not to see or forget what my part was in it. Good word for today! Thank the Lord for His grace is sufficient for all of us!!
I have to put God before anything else in life and do what he asks of me. thats why we are here. we are to be his hands, eyes, feet, ears, while we are on this earth. I need to be more receptive of that. I work in a position where i can do alot of good for God. i need to remember that!
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