God’s covenant with His people Israel... Ex Ch 19

Last Sunday Jeremy showed us how deeply relational God’s covenant with His people Israel was intended to be.   Ex Ch 19:

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

YHWH here has turned Israel’s head back towards Egypt and reminded them from where and from what they had been redeemed. He lets them know the purpose also, pointing to a future in which they have a missional part to play in the now – as priests mediating between man and God. Their present now to be defined by keeping their part of the covenant.

As I was reading these verses this week, I was struck with how our stories too can be couched between these two truths. Our present is firmly rooted in both the past and the future. From whence we have come, life before our redemption through the blood of Jesus and also our future hope, to live and reign in a world where His justice is realised for all creation under the Kingship of YHWH.

How do those things define our ‘how now shall we live’, our personal missional call as the redeemed of God? What does keeping the covenant we are now called into look like in our own lives? How are we being priests mediating between man and God, working with the Spirit within us to become more like Christ our Great High Priest?

Colleen