The People of God

Introduction

Recap:

What is God doing with Israel?

Making them a Nation

Fulfilling His promises to Abraham

What did he do in chapter 18?

Jethro came to help Moses establish Israel’s first type of Government

What is left for Israel to become a nation?

Land-They are headed there now

Law- Introduce the 10 Commandments

Purpose-AKA Blessing

Where we are going

In Chapter’s 19-20 we are going to see two Major points

God desires relationship with His people

God desires obedience of His people

No Matter what, God has authority over His people

- God’s relationship with Israel

They are at Mt. Sinai- God promised Moses that he would bring them back here to worship God-

Moses goes up the mountain to speak to God

God establishes the Mosaic Covenant

Exodus 19:4–6 ESV

‘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.”

Exodus 19:4-

Vs. 4-Theology of Deliverance

God is proclaiming what he has done for them. God is the one that delivered them from Egypt. God has proven Himself to be the One True God.

Vs. 5-6— Establishing the Mosaic Covenant

God’s Promise to now the whole people of Israel directly

If Israel will obey and keep this Covenant with God He will make them His

Treasured Possession among all nations

Kingdom of Priests- meaning they will be the mediators of God to the entire world

Remember-Abrahamic Covenant- God will bless the world through Abraham

Holy Nation- People set apart from the world

Exodus 19:9 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord,

Exodus

God establishes His authority and Holiness

two days -to wash garments and consecrate themselves

Third Day God will be there and descend on the mountain that they may believe

remember Israel has a belief problem!

They cant go onto the Mountain or else they will die

Symbolizes God’s holiness and Israel’s sinfulness

The Only people who can go up is Moses and Aaron

What’s interesting is that Moses is the only one who can go up

the reason is that Israel themselves need a mediator to go between them and God

- God’s Law

The Ten Commandments

Can be broken up differently but the first 5 is how people will live in relationship with God

the last 5 is how People will live in relationship with other people

Exodus 20:2 ESV

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Exodus 20:

No other gods before me

do not make for yourselves a carved image

not take the Lord your God’s name in vian

Remember the Sabbath

Honor your Father and your Mother

Do not murder

Do not commit adultery

You shall not steal

shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

shall not covet your neighbors house

All of these Law’s sound familiar to us right?

These laws are almost self- explanatory

Now I don't believe we are under all of these laws anymore in terms of God’s most sacred laws, but I do believe these laws apply to us.

What were two of Jesus greatest commandments?

Love God

Love Neighbor

Jesus believed that the 10 commandments were the foundation of these two laws

These laws would be the foundation for how they would Glorify God and bless the peoples around them

Then, the people were afraid because they saw God’s thunder and lightening

Exodus 20:19–21 ESV

and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:

God gave them these laws because they would act as a guide to not sin against him.

But here is the thing, the people stood far off and Moses drew near, meaning the relationship Israel had with God wasn't perfect because they couldn't draw near to God like Moses could

Then the chapter ends with laws about altars which sets up for how the atonement for sin because the people will still sin be set up

The People of God Now

There is a lot of theology in these two chapters but I want to go back to what Jesus says about our main points

God desires relationship with us and us to have right relationship with others

This main point doesn't change.

We called this relationship the Mosaic covenant but now because of Jesus we are in the New Covenant

The way we have a relationship with God is through Jesus Christ and the way he desires us to have a right relationship with ours is primarily based upon love and truth

The greatest commandment are love God and love neighbor as ourselves, meaning we should do pretty much all of the 10 commandments because we are called to love God and love those around us

Here is what is amazing about our covenant

Believers arent separated from God like Israel was- we can bodly go to God and have a relationship with him through faith

we arent under a strict law like Israel because God’s law is written on our hearts because we desire good things not sinful things

Jesus acts as our Moses in that, the reason we can have a relationship with God is because Jesus is our mediator but the perfect mediator

All of this is ours because we believe that what Jesus did on the cross is true