I Promise
Exodus 19
“I promise.” How many times have we said those words? I’d like to think I’ve kept my promises over the years. But to say that I’ve never broken a promise would be a lie. Even with the best intentions, sometimes we don’t follow through. We are imperfect people.
In Exodus 19, we have imperfect people making a promise to a perfect, promise-keeping God. The promise was in response to what God said in vs. 5-6. “‘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; 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.”
God is offering the deal of a lifetime! The people’s responsibility was to know and obey God. And in return, they would be His “treasured possession,” and they would serve as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Did you know the promise is for us today as well? 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
The God who governs the galaxies loves us more than any other creation. Should that not spur each of us on to know and obey God with our lives? Well, to say the least, the Israelites were inconsistent in doing so. And yet that was the promise they had made. In v. 8 they told Moses, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
Each of us can relate. We have failed to honor God at times in our lives. But as you read through the Old Testament, you see a God who doesn’t give up on His children. It was true then, and it’s true today. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful.”
That may be one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible! Why? Because I’ve been faithless, haven’t you? The Promise-keeper stills loves His promise-breakers. But it’s not without consequences, as we will see in the rest of Exodus.
This location must have had special significance for Moses. It was here that God had met with Moses and told him that he would lead the people out of bondage (Exodus 3). God had kept His promise to Moses. The people were free. It must have given him confidence to continue on when challenges would come along in the desert.
We all go through the desert at times. We should live with the same confidence as Moses. God has and will continue to keep His promises to us. Know and serve Him. He is worthy of our devotion.
Exodus 19
“I promise.” How many times have we said those words? I’d like to think I’ve kept my promises over the years. But to say that I’ve never broken a promise would be a lie. Even with the best intentions, sometimes we don’t follow through. We are imperfect people.
In Exodus 19, we have imperfect people making a promise to a perfect, promise-keeping God. The promise was in response to what God said in vs. 5-6. “‘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; 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.”
God is offering the deal of a lifetime! The people’s responsibility was to know and obey God. And in return, they would be His “treasured possession,” and they would serve as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Did you know the promise is for us today as well? 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
The God who governs the galaxies loves us more than any other creation. Should that not spur each of us on to know and obey God with our lives? Well, to say the least, the Israelites were inconsistent in doing so. And yet that was the promise they had made. In v. 8 they told Moses, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
Each of us can relate. We have failed to honor God at times in our lives. But as you read through the Old Testament, you see a God who doesn’t give up on His children. It was true then, and it’s true today. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful.”
That may be one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible! Why? Because I’ve been faithless, haven’t you? The Promise-keeper stills loves His promise-breakers. But it’s not without consequences, as we will see in the rest of Exodus.
This location must have had special significance for Moses. It was here that God had met with Moses and told him that he would lead the people out of bondage (Exodus 3). God had kept His promise to Moses. The people were free. It must have given him confidence to continue on when challenges would come along in the desert.
We all go through the desert at times. We should live with the same confidence as Moses. God has and will continue to keep His promises to us. Know and serve Him. He is worthy of our devotion.
Posted in Journey of Hope