Scripture Alone: God’s Redemptive Word, Part 2
Scripture Alone • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 43:36
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· 10 viewsThe people of God have been freed from slavery to sin to be God’s treasured possession as a kingdom of priests in the Son.
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1 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.
2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain,
3 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:
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
5 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;
6 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.”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
We’ve seen the reformation hit Germany with Luther.
We’ve seen the reformation hit Switzerland with Zwingli.
We’ve seen the pre-reformers and all the work hundreds of years before Reformation.
But today will touch much closer to home.
Where did you get YOUR English Bible?
William Tyndale
He grew up in an upper-middle class family.
He was a brilliant student.
He knew EIGHT languages fluently.
Mistaken as mother tongue…
While studying at Cambridge, there were a group of men who would meet and discuss the teaching of the day.
It was called “The White Horse Inn.”
Tyndale felt he needed to step away from the academic realm.
He needed to be among the people and train the people in what he was learning.
He came to see that…
“it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the Scripture were laid before their eyes in their mother tongue.” —William Tyndale
In a heated discussion later that year with a Catholic priest.
The priest said…
“We had better be without God’s laws than the pope’s.”
Do you see the mindset?
Tyndale responded with…
“If God spare my life ere many years, I will cause a boy that drives the plough, shall know more of the Scripture than you do.”
A fire was lit within Tyndale.
He needed to translate the Bible into English.
He faced much opposition.
In God’s providence, several wealthy men supported Tyndale.
But through many under-cover printing operations.
Through many lost manuscripts.
Through many years of hard labor…
Tyndale printed the whole NT and Genesis to 2 Chronicles.
Literally creating NEW WORDS for English.
Pillars of Grace (AD 100–1564) Tyndale’s Bible
Tyndale also coined new English words, such as Jehovah, Passover, atonement, and scapegoat.
Pillars of Grace (AD 100–1564) Tyndale’s Bible
Ninety percent of the New Testament in the King James Version is Tyndale’s work, and 75 percent of the entire Bible.
He was executed on October 6, 1536.
“Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.”
But his impact lives on.
I wonder how the outside world views what we do here?
I wonder what they think of us?
Not because we need them to like us…
Maybe…
They think that what we do here is a good thing.
They think that it’s helpful to society as a whole.
They think that our gathering is even useful at times.
What do you think about what we do here?
Not if you like it or not.
But what do you think of our gathering as a whole.
I am convinced that what a people think of their who they are will determine much of what they do.
What is the church of Jesus Christ to do?
Is her purpose merely to be useful?
Is her purpose merely to be a help in society?
And I’m convinced you can see this type of secular posture of heart creeping to our churches when we view one another, not as God views us, but it’s useful.
We see our gatherings not as gathering to hear from the living God from his word.
But they rather become social events where we can have good meals.
Or it doesn’t really matter if we sit under the word preached, but how we serve one another.
These are faulty understandings of what we do here.
Or what it looks like is each of us expecting different things of what this gathering should be and then making a law about it and I’m judging each other accordingly.
We don’t have the fellowship that I like here, so our church is failing.
We’re not serving the community like I want us to so we’re failing.
We don’t have the type of experiential worship that I want to see, so we’re failing all of these expectations and many more could be named.
But is that what matters?
Moses delivered God’s people from slavery in Egypt.
We saw that Moses pointed forward to the greater Moses, which is Jesus.
The self-sufficient, self-sustaining God fulfills His promises by empowering a deliverer to redeem His people from captivity.
The self-sufficient, self-sustaining God fulfills His promises by empowering a deliverer to redeem His people from captivity.
And how he has liberated us from the slavery of sin and death.
But today I want to jump forward in the story I want us to jump to God’s covenant that he cuts with Israel in the wilderness.
Now we need to do a little bit of recapping before we get there.
Recap from last week…
Freed from Slavery in Egypt to Display God’s Glory.
Freed from Slavery in Egypt to Display God’s Glory.
(Exodus 4-14)
God called Moses to be the deliverer.
And it is through Moses, that God would execute his plagues or blows upon Egypt.
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, as well as him hardening his own heart.
But God raised up pharaoh in Egypt to display his glory there.
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by the LORD.
Which is essentially like the LORD strengthened him in his resolve.
We use the phrase sometimes,
“Stubborn”
“Strong willed”
“Stiff-necked”
All these phrases essentially capture what is happening to Pharaoh here.
He was being “strong willed” and the LORD strengthened him in his own resolve.
And Pharaoh continued to strengthen himself in his resolve.
We are told throughout these “plagues” or “blows” against Pharaoh and all of Egypt have ONE singular purpose…
Exodus 7:17 (ESV)
“By this you shall know that I am the Lord…
Over and over again throughout Exodus we see God’s desire to MAKE HIS NAME KNOWN.
That Yahweh’s NAME may be known among Egypt.
That all of Israel will KNOW that Yahweh is GOD.
15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.
16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
God would then pass over the people because of a lamb sacrificed for each household.
His mercy would fall upon all those who obeyed his word.
Judgment upon all those without the blood.
Deliverance through the Red Sea.
The conquering of pharaohs army by drowning them in the sea.
All of this displaying God’s GLORY.
But today we’re gonna hone in on the initial covenant that God cuts at Mount Sinai.
Now Israel has been taken from Egypt.
In order to serve Yahweh on this mountain.
They have been freed from slavery FOR YAHWEH.
Freed from Slavery in Egypt for Yahweh.
Freed from Slavery in Egypt for Yahweh.
(Exodus 19:1-6)
Exodus 19 is important because it provides the background for the “10 Commandments”.
The 10 Commandments will serve as much of the foundation for the law of Moses.
Exodus 19 is important because it gives the purpose for this covenant that God is making with this people.
1 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.
Keep in mind that we have seen this mountain where Yahweh brought them.
Abraham set up alters to the Lord here, Moses was called from the burning bush here.
But now Israel will be brought into covenant with Yahweh.
2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain,
3 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:
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
God’s grace toward Israel in Slavery.
God’s grace toward Israel in Slavery.
The people of Israel have been saved through judgment to Himself.
Judgment upon Egypt.
Israel saved through the mighty hand of God.
Israel adopted for Himself.
These people will be a special because He is committed Himself to them.
But it is here that they will then commit themselves to Him.
Their uniqueness comes in their connection to Him.
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
God describes His care of Israel like a mother bird picking up her young bird in flight.
If anyone knows of the Lord of the Rings…
When the Eagles come, there is salvation.
When the Eagles comes, there are being delivered from enemies.
All throughout the Bible this imagery is taken up.
It always describes God’s mighty, rescuing hand in the salvation of His people.
But notice what the end of verse 4 says,
Exodus 19:4 (ESV)
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
God’s purpose in bringing Israel to Mt. Sinai is making Himself a people by His Sovereign electing grace.
His Sovereign purposes is the ground and basis for the promises He is laying before them.
Sovereign grace is the motivation of even the Old Covenant.
Israel’s deliverance from slavery was NOT just for liberation.
It was FOR adoption.
Yahweh is adopting a people for Himself.
Yahweh is calling a people and establishing them for Himself.
Exodus 19:5 (ESV)
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant…
Israel’s Loyalty Demanded in Covenant Faithfulness.
Israel’s Loyalty Demanded in Covenant Faithfulness.
Notice again that it is GOD’S Word come near to His people that makes them unique.
It’s GOD’S Word come near that makes this people special.
It’s not that they are a special people and God is recognizing their specialness.
NO!
He is making them special by CALLING THEM out to HIMSELF through His Word.
The Centrality of the Word of God
“The only perpetual and infallible mark of the church was always the Word.”
The Word feasted on and believed upon.
The Word of God as the center-piece of the people of God.
This has always set the people of God apart as unique among the nations.
The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage 1. The Obedience of the Redeemed (3–8a)
It was not, therefore, that they were ordered to obey in order that they might enter the covenant, but that, already being within the covenant, they were called to obey so that they might enjoy the benefits and privileges of God’s people.
The people of Israel even agree with this covenant with Yahweh.
7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.
8 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.
The closest thing this reads to here is that of a marriage ceremony.
A marriage ceremony between Yahweh and Israel.
How did Israel do at keeping this covenant?
Terrible.
The people rebel.
The people break their promises.
Even while the “ink was wet” on the 10 Commandments.
Israel went after other gods.
When we hear Israel saying, “I do!” to Yahweh we should hear it with a groan of disappointment.
To go after other “gods” is to reject God’s Word.
To go after other “gods” is twist God’s Word to them.
To go after other “gods” is to assume that we
‘already know what God has said.’ (Exodus 34:7-8).
A groan of rebellion and sin.
God’s Word has never failed.
God’s Word will be accomplished.
The Need for a Covenant Keeper.
The Need for a Covenant Keeper.
We will see that the Mosaic Covenant is fulfilled in Messiah.
The Mosaic Covenant is fulfilled by the Messiah bearing the punishment of the Book of the Law in the place of rebels and sinners.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
God’s covenant commitment to His people will NOT fail.
God’s covenant commitment to redeem a people for Himself has never been thwarted.
Application – God’s Faithfulness in Spite of Human Failure
Peter picks up on this with respect to the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant was written on tablets of stone.
Whereas the New Covenant will be written upon the hearts of the people of God.
The Old Covenant came from outside to hard hearted sinners.
Whereas the New Covenant will come from within them from reborn and revived hearts through the Word of God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
The ground for walking in obedience is the fact that the Christian has been born again through the Word of God.
Freed from Slavery to Sin by the Spirit through the Word.
Freed from Slavery to Sin by the Spirit through the Word.
The same Word of God that liberated the Israelites from Egypt has now liberated a people from their slavery to sin and rebellion.
14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.
16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
He will go on to say…
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the center of covenant keeping faithfulness.
Jesus Christ is the center of all the blessings of God to Israel.
Jesus Christ is the object of covenant faithfulness in the place of sinners.
6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Jesus will be the center of God’s plan of salvation.
The center of all the fulfillments of the covenants to Abraham and to Moses.
The center of all God’s plan to redeem the word to Himself.
The Results for Covenant Faithfulness.
The Results for Covenant Faithfulness.
5 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;
Ordering is significant here.
Salvation comes before the giving of the law (Exodus 20).
These people are His because of the promises made to Abraham which are unconditional.
This covenant that God establishes with Moses and Israel in the wilderness is conditional for a purpose which is the bring the Messiah born under the law (Galatians 4:4-7).
And then to bear the curse of that covenant on Himself for the covenant people of God (Galatians 3:13-14).
The Covenant with Moses on Mt. Sinai was conditional.
It brought blessings and curses.
But the terminus of this covenant is seen in Jesus Christ.
In Jesus Christ, the blessing of God rests upon believers in the Son of God.
Peter describes the believer who has been born again by the Spirit through the Word of God.
9 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.
Notice the sharp difference that Peter describes believers from unbelievers.
The same terms that Moses spoke to the people of Israel.
The same terms that were once applied to OT Israel have come to the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church of Jesus Christ has been saved out of slavery in Egypt and brought to the Mount of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, to be called a people for Himself.
Notice what is promised here…
Yahweh’s Treasured Possession
Yahweh’s Treasured Possession
Exodus 19:5 (ESV)
…you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
Crown Jewels
The only thing close we have here to understanding what Yahweh is saying here are the crown jewels in London (Gentry & Wellum).
Jewels which are invaluable.
The whole earth is Yahweh’s crown.
But this people will BE the the brightest jewel on that crown.
God is not saying that they are invaluable and He loves them because they’re valuable.
He DOES NOT love them because they are valuable.
But by obeying Him in the covenant promises laid out, they will BE valuable.
Their value is directly tied to their relationship to Him.
Why is the church significant?
The church is significant because God has set His love on her.
The church is significant NOT because of the King who HOLDs her.
We need to be very careful the way we speak about the church of Jesus Christ.
What kind of personal treasure will these people be?
Exodus 19:5–6 (ESV)
5 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;
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests…
A Kingdom of Priests to Yahweh.
A Kingdom of Priests to Yahweh.
Exodus 19:6 (ESV)
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests…
But it’s not just membership in the kingdom but the status within that kingdom is that of priests.
Priests were meant to represent the people before the face of God.
As Stephen Dempster observes…
Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants 2. Kingdom of Priests
‘a kingdom run not by politicians depending upon strength and connivance but by priests depending upon faith in Yahweh, a servant nation instead of a ruling nation’
God’s Chosen people are citizens first of God’s kingdom.
We are citizens of the divine King.
Citizens of the King but called to be priests.
Priests that enter the Kings presence to manifest the rule of God to the nations.
Because the kingdom that God is establishing will be filled with those who come before Him.
They will inevitably be holy.
A Holy Nation among the Nations.
A Holy Nation among the Nations.
Exodus 19:6 (ESV)
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
A holy nation is a nation that has been set apart to be devoted unto the Lord.
They are a nation who’s God is Yahweh.
The people of God have been freed from slavery to sin to be God’s treasured possession as a kingdom of priests in the Son.
The people of God have been freed from slavery to sin to be God’s treasured possession as a kingdom of priests in the Son.