We
made our way from the beginning of Genesis, which began by telling us that in
the beginning there was God and it was God who created all things and not only
declared that all creation was good but was the one who loving created humanity
and created us not only good, as all other creation was created but in shaping
and forming humanity created us in God’s own image filling us with the God’s
own breath, the breath of life breathed into us giving us life. From the
beginning humanity was God’s own precious creation. From the earliest days when
God walked with the first man and the first women at the close of the day God
was always reaching out to humans desiring to be in relation with us and when
we broke the bonds of that relationship, God continue to reach out to humanity,
working to mend what was broken.
As
we have made our way through these origin stories of our faith, we have learned
a lot about who God is and how God interacts not only with all of creation and
specifically with humans. As we move into Exodus the stories continue to tell
us about God and more and more tell us about all the ways God reaches out to
humanity, drawing us back into relationship with
God’s self, always bending toward us, always moving in favor of humanity, always lovingly doing what needs to be done to redeem all that has been broken.
God’s self, always bending toward us, always moving in favor of humanity, always lovingly doing what needs to be done to redeem all that has been broken.
Here
God has literally rescued the Hebrew people out of slavery. After working
through Joseph to provide food for the nation during a time of famine the descendants
of Abraham remained in Egypt until all those who lived there forgot why these
Hebrew people lived among them and took then as their slaves.
As
slaves they cried out in their pain, in their sorrow and in their misery and
God heard them and sent Moses to them to speak to Pharaoh on their behalf to
negotiate their release. But when negotiation did not work, God resorted to
force. God brought plague after plague after plague upon the Egyptian people
until finally enough was enough and Pharaoh agreed to allow all the Hebrew
people to go.
And
so God has brought them up out of the land of Egypt, across the sea on dry land
burying the pursuing Egyptian army in its water depths and has now brought them
safely to Mount Sinai. Leading them, guiding them and providing for them all
along the way.
And
now God wants to be in covenant relationship with these people. God desires to
renew the covenants made with their ancestors, with Abraham and with Isaac and
with Jacob. God desires for a relationship of mutual love and respect. God will
be their God and they will be God’s chosen people.
All
healthy relationships have boundaries and stipulations that form the
relationship. In most friendships these are mostly unspoken. But there are
things that hold friendships together and there are circumstances under which a
friendship will ultimately dissolve. Marriages, being covenants like the one
God is forming with the Hebrew people here have boundaries and stipulations
that are little more formalized and are
agreed upon by both parties It is here on the mountain where God lays out the
boundaries and stipulations for the relationship God desires to have with the
descendants of Abraham from this point forward.
Covenants
are like other relationships. They are two sided they have conditions; they are
built up on mutual respect and mutual care.
§ Friendship
·
There for each other
·
Listen
·
Support
·
Comfort
·
Do not betray
§ Marriage
·
No others - exclusivity
·
You respect each other
·
Live in community together
§ Covenant
Relationship with God has conditions
The
covenant made here on the mountain outside of Egypt is not just a covenant made
with some people long dead who stood at the foot of some mountain most of have
never been to nor will ever have the opportunity to even visit. This is a
covenant that is essentially made for all people at in all times. The covenant
made with the Hebrew people, the Israelites is the covenant that has been
renewed and extended to everyone who desires to be in relationship with
God. The heart of the covenant relationship
made with these people here on this mountain is the same relationship that God
desires to have with us today, as followers of Christ. It is just as much our
covenant as it is theirs. So let us lean in close and see what it is that God
asks of these people, listen closely and hear who it is God is calling us to
be.
When
we think of the beginnings of the covenant relationship between the Hebrew
people, the Israelites and God our minds go directly to the Ten Commandments
but in reality that is part of the explanation of the covenant, an expansion
upon the basic boundaries and stipulations of the covenant. At its heart the
covenant is simple. It is made up of four parts. The foundation, what the
people have seen an experienced of God. What they know about who God is and
what God’s character is like. It is based upon what they have seen and what
they have heard. What they already know and have experienced about God.
This
foundation, upon which the relationship between God and the people, will be
built upon their witness to, and experience of the Exodus. God begins by
reminding them of all that God has done for them, “You have seen what I did to
the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself”
(Exodus 19:4).
o
God heard the people’s cries when they were
in slavery
· Prepared
Moses
· Sent
Moses
· Gave
Moses the words to say and the ability to show Egypt who sent them and the
power of God
o
God hears your cries of distress.
· God
sees our hurt
· God
sees our pain
· God
knows exactly where we are and what is going on
in our lives
· Even
when we feel alone; even when it seems we are abandoned by God , God is still
there working on our behalf
o
Even before you knew God was at work God
was at work
o
God led the people to the mountain – was a
pillar fire at night and a cloud during the day – leading and guiding – going
before and coming behind to assure their safety and their protection.
§ Like
the first and last person in a caving group God is the lead at the front taking
us where we need to go
§ God
takes up the rear making sure that everyone is doing fine, there are no
stragglers and no one gets lost.
o
God sustained them, providing them with
manna and with quail, with fresh water when they needed it as well as guidance
and protection
o
God has brought you to this place – where
ever you are; whatever is going on, God has brought you hear.
o
Brought you through all the hardships and
walked with you through all your struggles
o
You are here because God has guided you,
protected you and sustained you
o
All that has sustained and saved you to
allow you to come thus far is God carrying you on “eagles’ wings” God guiding
and directing, shielding and protecting you
o
God’s grace going before (prevenient grace)
– even before you knew who God was or that God was at work on your behalf.
The
exodus is the foundation, but this is not a one sided relationship where God
works on behalf and of the people and they experience the benefits of God’s
love and devotion, but God asks for them to respond in kind. They are asked to
love and obey God to respond to God’s generosity with faithfulness, and love, “...obey
my voice and keep my covenant…” (Exodus 19:5)
o
Now that you know the One who has created
you, sustained you, guided you, protected you
o
Live in ways that give honor to God (the 10
commandments – Love God. . .)
o
Listen to the Voice of God, allow God to
speak into your life, to call you to new places, lead you to the land of milk
and honey (not guaranteed to be an easy journey but God will be with you going
before you and coming behind you)
o
God calls for us to live lives that reflect
the character of God
o
Loving God and Loving each other – the
heart of the ten commandments
o
Living lives that reflect the holy
character of God – be holy as I am holy
o
Living out holy love toward others
This
is the two sided relationship. God require the people to live and act in
certain ways but God also promises to also to do certain things in this
relationship. Although the covenant is built upon a foundation of the things
God has done thus far on behalf of the people, that is not the end of God’s
actions on behalf of the people. God agrees to continue to work on behalf of
the people. As a part of this covenant relationship God is forming with these
people God makes a promise for future actions saying, “you shall be my
treasured possession out of all the peoples …”(Exodus 19:5)
o
You will be my people and I will be your
God
o
God promises to continue to love, protect,
guide and sustain the people
o
Not only throughout the journey but even
once they get to the promise land
o
God love you, treasures you.
o
God will work on our behalf, drawing
o
If you obey, if you listen, if you live,
the relationship between God and you will be a relationship of mutual love
This
brings us to the final movement of the covenant the calling. As a part of the
relationship God has with the people of God tacks on a calling something God
desires for the people to live into. It is ultimately the reason for the
covenant. God’s purpose in forming this covenant is because God loves all of
humanity, not just the Hebrew people and God ultimately desires for all whom
God’s loves to be included in this covenant. God calls for the people to be
ambassadors drawing all the peoples of the world into relationship with God and
so God says, “You shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exodus
19:6).
o
And God then calls them to go.
o
To lead others into this relationship.
o
To bring all the earth back to God
o
Invite others to join the journey.
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