Out Of Many, One

There is a rushing mighty wind, just like there had been lightning and thunder. Mt. Sinai glowed with fire as the Lord came down. Now, there were tongues of fire on the Apostle’s heads. The Jews were remembering the day that the Lord made the old covenant with them. Now, in a similar way, He is declaring His covenant, and making a new people for Himself.

At Sinai, He declared how he had chosen them out of all the people of the world. Israel would be His chosen and special people. A kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Now, the Lord was making something new. Instead of choosing only one people out of many to be His Israel; He is choosing many people from many places and many languages, to be His one people, His new Israel.

Peter, being filled with the Holy Spirit preached the good news of Christ to all who were there. And this same Peter would later write in His epistle these words which you know so well:

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.

God called Israel out of Egypt, out of slavery, into the promised land. He made them His chosen and special people. Now God has called many, He has called you, Church, to be His cherished and chosen people.

So we are living in Pentecost. At Passover the Jews remembered delivered from Egypt. At Easter we remember Christ victory over sin, death, and the grave. At Pentecost the Jews celebrated the first fruits of wheat. At Pentecost we see the first fruit of faith in Christ, how with the out pouring of the Spirit the Gospel is spreading to all people, even to us. And the Festival of Booths saw the ingathering of all the harvest. We are living in Pentecost. We are part of the ongoing harvest of wheat in Christ, living in His kingdom, and waiting for the ingathering of all the harvest at His return on the Last Day.

God called Israel out of Egypt and He has called us out of the dark and into the light. But life can still seem dark. And we become discouraged. Discouraged with work, discouraged with our country, discouraged with our spouse and family, discouraged by illness, by loneliness. Discouraged by life. It’s daylight outside. But when we pause from our busy and hectic living. When we stop thinking about everything around us, when we have a quiet moment, instead of joy and peace and happiness, it can feel dark and dreary in our hearts.

Don’t believe the dark. God made Israel to be special. They still had many challenges. They had to wander around the wilderness. They got to the promised land and saw enemies and giants. God has chosen you. You are important to Him.

You Church are living in the kingdom of God. He poured out His Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At Mt. Sinai, Moses had to go up to the Lord. Now, the Lord by His Spirit has come down to you. Only Moses could see and speak to the Lord and hear from Him. But you, Church, have the Holy Spirit. By the working of the Holy Spirit, you see the Lord in Christ. You hear from the Lord, directly from Him, by and in His Word. And you speak to Him in prayer.