READING FOR JULY 8, 2024: EXODUS 19, 1 THESSALONIANS 2, PSALM 65:9-13 EXODUS 19 Many of us had the great privilege this past Spring to witness a total eclipse of the sun right here in or near Yorktown. It was overwhelming in its power and majesty. From reading the description of the multisensory experience at Mount Sinai and Israel’s reaction to it, though, God’s display in Exodus 19 was several orders of magnitude greater than the eclipse. Probably this is the forbidding nature of God that we most often associate with the Old Testament. Let’s not skip over any other passages, however, in ascertaining the complete nature of God. In verse four, God says He “carried you [Israel] on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.” In fact, this Old Testament verse is the inspiration for the Michael Joncas song “On Eagle’s Wings” that rightly makes us feel warm and protected.
In verse five God says, “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession.” The covenant mentioned here will be increasingly fleshed out for Israel, but the relational closeness offered to obedient Hebrews has similarities to what Jesus later expresses toward those who put faith in Him: “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me.” (John 10:41). Then verse six states God’s desire for Israel to become a “kingdom or priests," meaning mediators of God’s grace to the world. Now, we as Christians are such priests and truth proclaimers: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priest- hood, 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” (1 Pet. 2:9).
As Moses outlines all this for the people, they vow to obey the Lord completely. Moses relays this back to God who immediately tests their obedience by setting definite boundaries for them, and even their garments and animals. The consequence for not obeying God in these details was death. This seems harsh, but in addition to being a caring, relational God, He is a totally holy God. Due to His holiness, we only approach God based upon His terms not ours.
Consider the differences between the old covenant (Mt. Sinai) and new covenant (Mt. Zion): “For they could not cope with the command, ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.’ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, ‘I am terrified and trembling.’ But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven” (Heb. 12:20-25).
READING FOR JULY 8, 2024 CONTINUED: 1 THESSALONIANS 2, PSALM 65:9-13 1 THSSALONIANS 2 You may recall that Paul’s visit to Thessalonica abruptly ended when he snuck out or town at night. Yet, his overall reflection upon the trip was positive due to the church that had taken root and flourished. There was a posse of detractors that followed Paul to the next town, Berea, in an attempt to ruin his ministry there. Perhaps Paul felt the need to vouch for the authenticity and accuracy of the gospel he preached to the Thessalonians to safeguard the truth from the attacks of the city’s resident detractors.
Sometimes one hears that the full Biblical message of the gospel will not be received today and thus should not be emphasized so that we can draw more people to church. Although it is hard to dispute the gospel’s staying power of over 2,000 years, even if that statement were true, Paul says that would not convince him to change his message. He said he is not a people pleaser but a God pleaser. As Paul correctly says, God is our witness. Consider the above warnings from Hebrews 12 about not approaching God through Jesus and the new covenant.
Paul also provides wisdom to those conveying the truth. He advocates gentleness, true affection, hard work without complaining, not being a burden, and setting a good example that can be followed by those who receive the truth. Who is ready to sign up for our outreach team based upon this, especially knowing it may result in our being chased away? Paul seems to think it is still a good deal: “For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thes. 2: 19-20).
PSALM 65:9-13 For some reason, these verses can leave us sad. We can be sad that we have passed by so much countryside or park land and not contemplated the richness of the vegetation growing in the earth, the serene herds and flocks grazing unconcernedly amidst the world’s turmoil, and the unspoiled nature with all its wildlife interacting freely and yet precisely according to God’s unseen hand. David says this did not happen by accident, but that God visits the earth to cause it to overflow with these riches. But do we notice when the hills rejoice? Do we hear grain-covered fields shout and, yes, sing for joy? Somehow King David paid homage to these divine visits in the midst of his kingly responsibilities. Why don’t we?
Paul made the following comments about David in one of his synagogue sermons: “He [God] raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will’” (Acts 13:22). Obviously, David was a man of gigantic failings but still God called him a man after His heart who does His will. Might David’s sensitivity to the majestic work of God that surrounds yet often escapes us contribute to his being such a man? Might lifting these realities up to his conscious thoughts and those of others be part of doing God’s will? Maybe it’s not too late for us to do likewise.
