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Leaders Can Teach You How To Be A Special People And A Treasured Possession - Now That Is Precious

Posted on June 14, 2008 - Filed Under Self Improvement

Almighty God took His chosen people who had been rescued delivered released and set free, and led them to this wonderful sanctuary, and at the foot of Mount Sinai, He leads them to camp for a season. We read of all this in Exodus Chapter 19.

God has this desire to impress His chosen people, and like the burning bush, everything is rather unusual and supernatural.

The first lesson which God wants to teach His people is that He is HOLY. This is not a lesson frequently taught in these present days.

In these verses there is the wonderful picture of how holy He is, and that He calls us through Jesus Christ to be holy.

Between us and God there is a barrier, and that is made so clear here. There are limits beyond which God will not allow us to go. Israel is to be kept back from the mountain. God is not to be played around with - we are never to become too pally with Him. He is our Holy God, and He is not to be tampered around with, but respected, worshipped and obeyed.

He is a consuming FIRE. A wise man always respects fire.

We put a guard around a fire, because we know that fire can harm us, and fire in the wrong place and out of control is dangerous.

Fire can warm you when you are cold - you can use it to cook - you can use fire and receive many benefits from fire - but it is NEVER to be played with.

Verse 18 - the mountain trembled and shook - not the plain. That is the setting.

Back in verse 3 we read of Moses going up the mountain, and the Lord calling to him.

Moses is given things to say and tell. There are times when we are not given the choice regarding what we are to preach teach and share - not if we are going to obey Him.

Go and tell the people - tell them what I have done for them - tell them how I rescued them. Remind them time and time again.

What follows is basically a marriage - a picture of the marriage of God and Israel.

I set you free - I did not set you free to let you do what you want - I set you free to control you as well as care for you. I redeemed you out of Egypt through the blood of the lamb, so that I could govern you lovingly.

We are not set free from sin in order to be free to sin. God is reminding us that we have been saved, and that He has carried us in order to bring us to Himself, and in Christ we are called to obey and through obedience to Jesus we become a special people - verse 5 - a treasured possession.

Think of what the means - of all that He possesses we are treasured because he purchased us with the blood of His Son, and we are called to be a Kingdom of priests - that means we are to bring others to the Living God.

We learn that we are to be a holy nation. We are called by Christ Jesus to be different from everyone else - set apart - for God.

What are we to do with the freedom we have in Jesus Christ? We can either use or abuse our freedom. We can either use or abuse our salvation.

Obey God’s Word. Everything hinges on that.

When you are faithful to the Covenant, then you will not need to think about being different or special or treasured - you will just be different and know it - and wherever you go you will be different and special - because Jesus has called you and chosen you - and His Light and Love will be beaming from you - without your even having to think about it.

Israel has never ever had to think about being different. They have thought about NOT wanting to be different - and have said that - we want to be like all the other nations - but they do not have that option - just as we are not given that choice.

Verse 7 - Moses comes back and summons the elders and shares with them what has been told him - and the people say, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”

Then as part of the preparations for the marriage they are to wash. They are called to be clean. Limits are put upon the people, and anyone who breaks the limits is to be dealt with immediately. Verse 12.

GOD wants this people totally for Himself. They are to appear before the Living God fresh and clean and attractive. We would not go to a wedding in any old clothes - so we must consider how we appear when we come to worship. It is a sign that we desire to offer only our very best to God.

Holy - different - special - attractive - so that others might have a hunger and thirst created in them to be like us - to be like Jesus.

That is one of the lessons of these next Chapters. The way we appear before God is an expression of our frame of mind - our inner feelings are being expressed.

In all this the people answer - “We will do everything the Lord has said” - and they are giving this reply even before they knew the details of what God was going to say - what a beautiful picture of Trust and Obey.

They trusted God to say what would be only beneficial and for their good. Trust Him to say what is going to be good and wholesome and healing.

Moses has to learn that every detail has to be just as God wants it, and we see now and again certain details of obedience have to be emphasised and underlined.

That can happen with us too - and sometimes we think that the detail to which He draws our attention is not all that significant - this is the way Moses acts here.

When Jesus brings something to our attention there is some purpose in that. When He brings something to our mind time and time again there is a reason for it.

The people have come so far - from Egypt to Sinai - the Lord has delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh - rescued them via the waters of the Red Sea - provided water and bread - led them in battle. It is all there in Exodus in great detail.

Now they have reached that point where He wants to begin to teach them how to stand on their own feet - and that means obedience to His Word - and His Holy Word comes through a man.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled “Word from Scotland” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

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