God's Altar Call (Exodus 19:1-15) Series

Let's start today by reading Exodus 19:1-4:

(1) In the third month of the sons of Israel going out from the land of Egypt, on this day they came to the wilderness of Sinai,

(2) and they set out from Rephidim,

and they came to the wilderness of Sinai,

and they camped in the wilderness,

and Israel camped there before the mountain,

(3) while Moses went up to the God/Elohim,

and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying,

"Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and you shall declare to the sons of Israel:

(4) You have seen what I did to Egypt,

and I lifted/carried you upon the wings of eagles,

and I brought you to myself,

Yahweh starts his speech in verse 3, very formally. What's He's about to say is important. It's something you need to pay attention to. Specifically, there are three things, right off the bat, He wants Moses to say:

(A) You have seen what I did to Egypt.

And what did Yahweh do to Egypt?

Yahweh conquered the superpower. He defeated the most powerful human in the world. Yahweh did, whatever He wanted to do, in the heart of Egypt. Whatever else Yahweh is about to say, starts from wanting Israel to remember and acknowledge this.

(B) I lifted/carried you upon the wings of eagles.

If you were an Israelite, living through the past three months, you'd have maybe felt like things were a bit more difficult than Yahweh is making it sound here (h/t Goldingay). When you're trapped between the Egyptians and water, and pretty sure you're about to get killed, it's scary. When you've been without water for three days, it's scary. And when the Amalekites are trying to kill you, again, scary.

But probably, now that the people are at Mt. Sinai, they are able to look at all of this from a broader perspective. Probably, they will see that God has given them everything they needed, at every step of the way-- food, water, victory. And they will see that God did this for them, despite their murmuring, and lack of faith, and struggle to trust and obey Him.

Part of what gives me confidence in saying this, is because I think this is how life works for us, as well. When you look back on your lives, you're able to focus less on how hard things were, and more on how good God has been to you. God got you here, through every dark valley, through every trial. God has lifted you up, on eagles' wings.

(C) And I brought you to myself.

Everything Yahweh has done over the past three months, has been done toward this goal. There is some sense in which Yahweh dwells on his holy mountain. And throughout this whole process, He's been bringing the people here, to himself (John 6:44?). Maybe you could say, like a bride, to a groom.

Why has God done all of this? God has gone to an incredible amount of trouble to make this moment possible. He's demonstrated his grace, and loyalty, and love, to a people who don't deserve it. What is his hope?

Verses 5-6:

(5) and so then, if you actually heed my voice, and you keep my covenant, you shall be to me a prized treasure

out of all the peoples.

Although mine, all the earth [is], (6) you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy/consecrated nation.

These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel," ["mine" is focused in Hebrew]

When we read these verses, we should hear them as an invitation. The focus is entirely positive. God is inviting his people, to become his special people in a deeper way. It's like a divine altar call. An offer.

God's offer starts, with the conditions. There are two "if" statements, that you have to do decide if you're willing to do.

The first "if" is in verse 5. "If you actually heed my voice."

You could also translate it as "listen to" my voice. But the idea of obedience is built into it (in Hebrew and English). It's like when a mom complains that her kids aren't listening to her. She means, they aren't doing what she tells them to do. Listening, is obeying.

Over the past three months, Israel has proven itself to be not very good at listening to God. God told them to only grab enough manna for one day, and they grabbed enough for multiple days. God told them, don't go out on Saturdays to get manna, and they went out anyway. The only specific commands God gave them in the wilderness, they didn't obey-- at least, the first time.

Hopefully, they've learned from that. Hopefully, they've seen that God's commands are good, and that God can be trusted. But their track record isn't great.