Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:1-8, “A Nation Within a Nation”

Right now, there is a subversive element at work in every country around the world. It is a group of people so devoted to their cause, their allegiance to their common leader is higher than their devotion to nation or homeland. They have their own agenda and do not fear carrying it out in any way they can whether or not they have to break the laws of their land. I’m not talking about the Masons, or the CIA or Illuminati, or Yankees fans or Trekkies. It is the church of Jesus Christ, the redeemed people of God, who pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. They preach a gospel, the good news that God is King, and new life in God is available to all who will repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord.

We will learn from God how to live according to the gospel of the kingdom of God in ways that change our world. What God did with Israel in ancient times is a template for His plans for our lives.

Plant the Seed

We live in a fallen world dominated by sin. How will we restore justice and bring shalom? Humans create countries with borders and laws. Humans form governments that legislate order from the outside in.

God plants seeds. God creates new life that can be planted in any place and generates peace and justice from the inside out. God’s kingdom starts like a seed. Very small, but it has the power of life within.

God’s plan to change the world was to plant a seed, beginning with one family. A family that would create a nation. This nation would live among all the nations of the world, but would live life differently. They could exist within every nation but not live by its values. They would live in communion with God. They would listen to His voice and desire to do His will. They would be willing to give up their privileges and rights granted by human governments for the blessings only God can give.

We see this in Abram. God calls him to leave his country (land - place of comfort, prosperity, and security),

Genesis 12:1 (ESV)

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

his kindred (people group - culture), and his father’s house (identity and inheritance). This means Abram will give up his citizenship given by his home country, his values given by his culture, and his identity given by his father. He will renounce the privileges that come with belonging to a particular group of people. What would he get in return?

God would make something of Abram that he could never become otherwise. God will make him into a whole new nation.

Genesis 12:2 (ESV)

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

A different kind of nation. They will use their blessings from God to bless other nations. They will be identified not by their wealth, status, or power. They will be identified by their relationship with God. He will be their treasure. Their status will come from their communion with Him. He will be their power. And He will use them to bless “all the families of the earth.”

Genesis 12:3 (ESV)

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

That word for “families” is mishpachah. Simply translated it is family, or household. The closest word in the Greek would be oikos. Every ecosystem of human relationships on earth would be blessed through this nation created by God. A human ecosystem grows around a seed that grows into a family tree.

The seed of God’s kingdom was planted in Abram and Sarah. I use the word seed because it shows up in Genesis 12, in verse 7.

Genesis 12:7 (ESV)

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring/seed I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

God is planting Abraham’s offspring as seeds of blessing among all the households, the human ecosystems, of the earth, so that they will worship God.

Do Abraham and Sarah fulfill their purpose? To some degree. But they also fall into the sins of the world. They think they can plant their own seed to make God’s plan succeed. (You can read about that in Genesis 16.) But seeds planted from human will can never become fruitful. They lead to destruction. Ultimately, Abraham’s family continue to plant seeds of sin and end up slaves in Egypt.

But even in slavery, God’s favor is with them. It took 400 years, but finally the seed God planted with Abraham and Sarah multiplied into a nation, the people of Israel. God still loves them and is going to cultivate the seed He planted. So, He redeems them, He delivers them from Egypt. In their redemption, He restores and clarifies their purpose. How would they get back to blessing to all families of the earth?

Cultivate Blessing in the Wilderness Places

Even in the wilderness places of this world, God can cultivate blessing.

Exodus 19:1 (ESV)

On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

Moses repeats twice more, in case you didn’t get it, they are in the wilderness:

Exodus 19:2 (ESV)

They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain,

God brought His redeemed people into the wilderness, outside national boundaries, outside the human made institutions, to confirm His calling on their lives. This is a pattern in the Bible. God brings people into the wilderness so that they can hear His voice more clearly. What does He say?

Exodus 19:3–6 (ESV)

while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

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.”

Let’s walk through some observations here.

1. (v 4) Out of all the nations of the earth, God chose Israel to be His treasured possession. He redeemed them. He delivered them. He cared for them. Even in the wilderness, He will provide for them. He is cultivating their fruitfulness.

2. His voice, His word sustains their life and identity (v 5).

3. These people would be a treasured possession for the Lord God (v 5). Even though the whole earth is the Lord’s, His redeemed people would be known as something special.

4. And because God also loves the world, (v 6) He set apart His redeemed people to be His ambassadors in this world. This is their purpose. They won’t stay in the wilderness forever. They are being sent among the other nations.

Holy means to be set apart. They were set apart to represent God’s kingdom among the nations. What kind of a kingdom is the kingdom of God? What did we say last week? How does God practice dominion? He cares for His creation. He cultivates fruitfulness (the Garden).

God gives His redeemed people a kingdom as well. What kind of a kingdom do the people of God have (v 6)? It is a priesthood. What do priests do? They cultivate fruitfulness for people’s spiritual lives. They help people to know God.

God establishes His kingdom on earth through His redeemed people who minster as priests to help others know Him. They cultivate relationship with God for those who don’t know Him.

So, the seed of God’s Kingdom planted with Abram and Sarah begins to grow through their family, redeemed by God, ministering as priests. How would God make them and their family a blessing to all the families of the earth? They would become priests. They would teach the world how to know God.

And how would they do that? God did one more thing. He gave them an opportunity to grow in faith by His word.

Grow Faith Through Obedience

Exodus 19:7–8 (ESV)

So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

“All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” If you continue to read the rest of Exodus, it’s all God speaking. He gives His words to His people. This is their opportunity to be fruitful in faith. To trust God’s words by doing everything He has spoken. This is going to be how they teach the world to know God. They will set an example. As they obey God’s words, their faith will grow, they will experience the blessings promised for those who obey God’s words, and this will teach all the families of the earth to know and trust God.

What would change in America if Christians were more purposeful about living by every word that comes from the mouth of God than they were about spouting off at the mouth about who’s to blame for our problems or who’s the best singer on American Idol?

Ultimately, do they succeed at this purpose? We all know the story. Outside of a few notable examples, on the whole, they totally fail. So, where is the hope for the world? So, what is the gospel of the kingdom of God if the redeemed people of God sin and disobey God?

There was one faithful Israelite. He is called the seed of Abraham. Paul talks about this in Galatians 3,

Galatians 3:16 (ESV)

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring/seed. It does not say, “And to offsprings/seeds,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring/seed,” who is Christ.

No one obeys God perfectly. Not Israel, not you, not me. But Jesus Christ has done what we could not do. He fulfilled all righteousness. Then, like a seed, He died and was laid in the earth. But just like a seed, after He died, He rose to new life and is bearing much fruit. We who believe in Jesus are the fruit of the gospel.

Communion

Close with some application:

If you are a believer in Jesus, your life will become more fruitful. You have become part of the kingdom of God. In God’s kingdom, we are priests for a world that needs to know God. But if we are in Christ, He can work out His plan. Let’s go back and apply what we saw God do to our own lives.

Plant the Seed

How can we plant seeds of blessing for the sake of God’s kingdom among the families of the earth?

Cultivate Blessing in the Wilderness Places

God made His redeemed people a kingdom of priests to the world.

How can we cultivate the knowledge of God in places right around us that have become spiritual wastelands?

Grow Faith Through Obedience

What has God spoken that we should do more of in our context?

How does our allegiance to God influence and impact our allegiance to our country?

Questions for Discussion

What are some highs and lows from your week?

What are some examples of nations within nations that exist in our world? The Jews, the Roma, the Abenaki and Passamaquoddy, etc. What impact does it make to have a nation living within a nation?

In what ways is the kingdom of God, made up of redeemed people, a nation within the nations of the world? What impact is it having right now in America?

What do we learn about God in Genesis 12:1-3 and Exodus 19:1-8?

What do we learn about ourselves in these passages?

What are some ways we can bless our nation that would plant seeds for God’s kingdom?

How do you carry out your priesthood in your oikos (ecosystem of relationships)? How should we carry out our priesthood as a church in our city?

How can we cultivate kingdom blessings in spiritual wastelands in our country, state, city, neighborhood, workplace, school?

What is God speaking to you right now that will grow your faith if you obey? How will you respond to our passages this week?

Who is someone you can share this passage with this week?