Obedience Follows Truly Knowing God’s Grace-Exodus 19

Exodus, Sermons

  1. Do you contribute to your salvation, or are you saved by being “carried [bore you] on eagle‘s wings” (Exo 19:4; Jn 16:15; Eph 2:8-9)? What 3 things did God for them (Exo 19:4)? [Is your salvation conditional or unconditional?]
  2. Do you deliberately and consciously obey God fully [“truly heed My Voce”] (Exo 19:5; Jn 14:15; Mt 28:20)? How do you “keep [God’s] covenant” (Exo 19:5)? What is a covenant? What 3 privileges / benefits follow your obedience (Exo 19:5-6)?
  3. What laws should you obey as Christians (Exo 19:4; 20:1; Dt 6:5; Lev 19:18)? How many laws are there? Identify 3 levels of biblical commandments (1st level: Dt 6:5; Lev 19:18b; 2nd level: Exo 20:3-11, 12-17). [Judaism counts 613 commandments.]
  4. Do you know that God saved you–Christian–to be a holy priest (Exo 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9)? What does it practically mean for you to be a priest? To be holy (Exo 22:31)? How does Exo 19:4-6 span the past, present and future?
  5. Will you live by the Ten Commandments (Exo 20:1-17) as non–negotiable moral absolutes?

Salvation is by grace but enjoyed fully only through obedience. To understand how God‘s law works the order of Exodus is important.

  1. 1st God delivered them from bondage (Exo 19:4; 20:2).
  2. Then he gave them his law (Exo 19:5-6; 20:3-17).

Imagine if God had said, “If you obey me fully, then I will deliver you from Egypt on eagles’ wings.” If so, they’d be still in bondage due to their inability to obey the law. But God is a God of grace, who saves his people first, then calls them to obey his law. What then is the function of the Law in Christian life?

  1. 1st God rescues us from our sin; then he teaches us to live for his glory.
  2. 1st God saves us in Christ before he calls us to live for Christ.

Under Moses’ leadership, the Israelites came out of bondage, across the sea, and through the wilderness. 3 months later they reached the mountain of God in fulfillment of God’s promise (Exo 3:12).

“The perfect poetic parallelism, both semantic and rhythmic, of Exo 19:3 signals the lofty, strongly cadenced language, akin to epic in its grandeur, of the entire episode.” Robert Altar.

  • The 1st 2 clauses make the same essential point: Moses went up Mt. Sinai to listen to God’s revelation.
  • The final 2 clauses make the same essential point: God told him what he was to say to the people of Israel.

Israel was “let go” [saved/delivered] from serving Pharaoh [let my people go/send off my people] so that they might serve [worship] God (Exo 5:1; 7:16; 8:1,20; 9:1,13; 10:3). In Exo 19–the theological and literary pivot of Exodus–they serve / worship at the place of Moses’ original calling and receive their own call to be God’s “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo 19:6) to the world (Exo 25-31; 35-40).

Do you know that God saved you to live for mission–“to be a kingdom and priests to serve [your] God and Father” (Rev 1:6)? [Godliness = Mission + Holiness.] [How Salvation Works.]

Deliverance / Freedom (Exodus 1-19). Grace (Exo 19:4; 20:1; 3:14; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Cor 15:10). Gratitude.

  • 19:4-6 summarizes the covenant [spelled out in Exo 20-Lev 27], and spans the past, present and future.
  • 19:4. This summary of salvation identifies the parties to the covenant [“I” and “you“], and mentions 3 separate stages in Israel’s pilgrimage:
    1. A bringing out: “what I did to Egypt” encapsulates the humiliation of Pharaoh and Egypt through the 10 terrible plagues.
    2. A lifting up: “carried you on eagle’s wings” richly symbolizes God’s protective nurture and tender care. It encapsulates the exodus itself, in particular the crossing the Sea of Reeds.
    3. A drawing close: “brought you to myself” expresses not only their arrival at Sinai but entering into a covenant relationship with the only true God.

Obedience / Mission (Exodus 20-24). Law (Exo 19:5-6; 20:2-17; 8-11; 12; Ps 1:2; 119:97; Jn 14:15, 21, 23; 6:63; 1 Pet 2:9). Faithfulness.

  • 19:5 “although the whole earth is mine” is one of the clearest early statements of monotheism in the Bible.
  • 19:6 “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” involve intermediation and represent the responsibility inherent in Gen 12:2-3.
  • 20:1-17. 2 commandments [c] (Dt 6:5; Lev 19:18) + 10 + 601 remaining c [613 c in the rest of the Pentateuch per traditional Judaism].

Eagle‘s wings (Exo 19:4). God‘s grace is the context of why you must obey the law. “…what I did…, how I carried you… and brought you to myself” (Exo 19:4; Dt 32:10-11).

  • They did not seek God before God sought them.
  • They did not begin by keeping laws or making sacrifices.
  • They simply cried out for help (Exo 2:23)…apparently to no one in particular.
  • Their relationship with God began with God’s own unexpected mercy and provision.
  • God had patiently
  • guided them through their grumbling (Exo 15-17; Exo 15:24; 16:2-3; 17:2),
  • protected them from danger (Exo 17:8-16), and now
  • brought them to Sinai (Exo 19:1), so that they would see the Lord revealed personally to them at the mountain of God.

Thus, God spoke very personally in that it was He who called them and established them through the Passover [Lord’s supper] and He who:

  • brought them out of bondage, delivered [snatched] them from Pharaoh’s lordship {10 plagues and crossing the sea [baptism]},
  • carried them through their fears in the wilderness, provided for their needs in the wilderness (Exo 15-17; Exo 15:24; 16:2-3; 17:2).
  • “carried [bore] you on eagles wings” (Exo 19:4; Dt 32:11) is a poetic interpretation of their rescue from Egypt and their recent wanderings in the wilderness, which conveys perfectly the character and purpose of God’s providence.
  • The soaring eagle’s supremacy among the birds suggest the majestic divine power that miraculously swept up the Hebrews and delivered them from the house of bondage.
  • The Lord is like the high-soaring bird who lovingly carries its needy fledglings atop its wings, safe from predators and secure against failure, leading them upward to the loftiest heights, to its home in the mountaintop.
  • The metaphorical implication is that the Hebrews themselves are helpless fledglings, unable to fly on their own, and completely unable to save and deliver themselves by their own efforts.
  • But…”Excuse me, we actually walked for 2 months to get here!”
  • brought them from oppression to worship and serve God…and now at Sinai to give them the law and their mission (Exo 19-20). The laws preserved and equipped the people for their mission in the world. God’s laws are set in the midst of the narrative of God‘s gracious provision and deliverance.

A covenant (brith) is an agreement that binds together 2 parties. It is what God offers the Israelites, and  that, absent such an agreement, would have no enduring relationship with each other. As in all such agreements between a lord and his vassals, God offers the Israelites protection and care in exchange for their allegiance, obedience, and tribute. The proposal is a take-it-or-leave it offer from the strong to the weak. But because it is a covenant on offer–NOT an imposed decree–it is not being forced on the people. They must consent to the new relationship by obeying the law if it is to mean anything.

Formerly accepting the covenant will be the decisive people–forming event. Made publicly, the birth becomes a source of their identity: once they accept the offer, they will become God’s “firstborn son,” following in His ways. The covenant offers guidance for how everyone is to act and live communally. Most importantly, it gives the people a purpose for their existence. It gives them an enduring goal that will define and inspire them for generations to come–in principle, forever. Though the people violate it, God‘s commitment is permanent, even though the people will pay and atone for falling short. Because God offers grace beyond merit and forgiveness beyond offense, the people can continue to aim high, even though they know that they will regularly fail.

God‘s covenant proposal is conditional. It is an invitation for a reciprocal relationship. It begins with the conditional statement: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant” (Exo 19:5), referring to the covenant about to be given: the book of the covenant (21:1-23:19). Sinai is often thought of as the occasion when the covenant came into being, but God was already in a covenant relationship with Israel; the exodus happened because God was mindful of that covenant (Exo 2:24). When God made a covenant with Israel’s ancestors, it was 99% a commitment purely on God’s part, a promise about what God was going to do (Gen 12:2-3). There were no specific requirements laid on Abraham except that the males be circumcised (Gen 17:10). But the situation has now changed. God has rescued them from bondage to slavery in Egypt and they are on their way to the country God promised them. If they obey, 3 things follow:

  1. “…out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
  2. “you will be for me a kingdom of priests and
  3. “a holy nation” (Exo 19:5-6).

The priesthood of all believers. A godly person lives for mission and holiness. How do you live after you are saved? You love God and your neighbor (Dt 6:5; Lev 19:18; Mt 22:37-39). Yes, but how? What is your motivation and purpose in life?

The visible presence of God manifested on Mt. Sinai makes Exodus 19 the most dramatic event since the crossing of the sea. As mighty as God’s acts of deliverance had been, the experience at Sinai presents an even more powerful revelation of God’s presence. God had been their redeemer, provider, and protector. At Sinai God reveals their mission and their worship/service in the world. A pyrotechnic theophany (“visible presence of God”) accompanies God’s message.

Few people want to be bound by rules–especially out of fear (Exo 19:16, 18)–but that is precisely what the 10 Commandments do. Indeed, the revelation at Sinai–particularly the 10 Commandments–is regarded by many Jewish and non-Jewish thinkers as the root cause of Jew and Christian hatred. Hitler said, “We are fighting against the most ancient curse that humanity has brought upon itself. Against the so-called 10 Commandments, against them we are fighting.” His life’s mission was to destroy “the tyrannical God of the Jews [and His] life denying 10 Commandments.”

  1. Why should they “wash their clothes” before meeting God (Exo 19:10)?
  2. Why should they maintain proper distance and not try to see God (Exo 19:12, 21, 24; 33:20)? Have we lost a sense of awe and reverence for God? For people?
  3. Sex is not unholy in the Bible. So why should they refrain and abstain (Exo 19:15)?
  4. Was God trying to frighten the people (Exo 19:16, 18-19)? Why or why not (Dt 6:5; Prov 1:7; 9:10)?

* Have you met God? There is nothing remotely more important or more significant in all of your life than to meet God by having a “real” unforgettable personal encounter with Him, such that your [my] life can never ever be the same again.

“Jesus is the obedient one. The center of his life is this obedient relationship with the Father. From his first recorded words in the Temple, “Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?” (Lk 2:49), to his last words on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46), Jesus’ only concern was to do the will of his Father. He says, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing” (Jn 5:19). [But sadly] the word obedience has so many negative connotations in our society–authority figures who impose their wills against our desires, unhappy childhood events or hard tasks performed under threats of punishment. But Jesus’ obedience [is] a total, fearless listening to his loving Father. Between the Father and the Son there is only love.” Henri Nouwen.

Exodus 19-24 comprises a chiasm.

  • A Narrative: conversation with God, visibly present on Sinai (19:1-25).
  • B Laws: Ten Commandments (20:1-17).
  • C Narrative: Moses mediates between God and the people (20:18-21).
  • B’ Laws (20:22-23:33), including book of the covenant (21-1-23:19).
  • A’ Narrative: conversation with God, visibly present on Sinai (24:1-18).

Reference:

  1. Leon R. Kass. Founding God’s Nation. Reading Exodus. 2021.  Overview of Exodus by Leon Kass.
  2. James K. Bruckner. Exodus. New International Bible Commentary. 2008.
  3. John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. 2010.
  4. Robert Alter. The Hebrew Bible. A translation with commentary. The Five Books of Moses. 2019.
  5. Dennis Prager. Exodus. God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. 2018.
  • 613 commandments.
  • God’s name “I Will Be What I Will Be” is not necessarily a name of who God is [Hi, I’m Ben], but God is saying, “Watch what I say. Watch what I do.”
  • Apotheosis [noun].  From the Gk apotheoun, to make a god or to deify. Apotheosis implies a polytheistic conception of gods while some individuals straddle the boundary between gods and men. It is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.  The highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax.
  • Dionysian:relating to the Greek god Dionysus, known for the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature [Canaan].
  • Apollonian: relating to the god Apollo, relating to the rational, ordered, and self-disciplined aspects of human nature [Egypt].
  • Technocracy: The government or control of society or industry by an elite of technical experts.
  • Exodus shows, “No God, no Law. No Law, no Children of God/Israel. Conversely, no Children of Israel as led by Moses, no knowledge of God.” Culture and theology are upstream from politics.
  • Halachic: the body of Jewish law supplementing the scriptural law and forming especially the legal part of the Talmud.
  • Solicitude: care or concern for someone or something. “I was touched by his solicitude”
  • Mensch [noun]: a person of integrity and honor.  “Mensch”, in Yiddish, is “someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. Sentence exampleHe was a real mensch : a decent and responsible person, a particularly good man of integrity and honor.
  • To read philosophically–the pursuit and love of wisdom, to living well, and for human flourishing. Let the book inhabit you, sympathize with the characters, let the experience work on you. Gen 1-11 is human life unrestricted, in the absence of instruction, we take pride in human reason and freedom. Genesis teaches the need for a new way and through the patriarchs, God has gotten a toe hold into the world.
  • Tabernacle, Hebrew Mishkan, (“dwelling”), in Jewish history, the portable sanctuary constructed by Moses as a place of worship for the Hebrew tribes during the period of wandering that preceded their arrival in the Promised Land.
  • Egypt: Techno-despotism, preoccupation with long life, absence of decay, immortality. The essence of Egypt is a recurrent human possibility. What is Egypt? A fertile place, the gift of the river not dependent on rain, a paradise that worships the sun and where all kinds of natural powers are revered, while the human animal does not have special or dignified standing (Gen 1:26-27). While they worship natural deities, inside the palace Pharaoh has his sorcerers / magicians do things to nature to make it even more hospitable. While they revere the river and the sun,  they are obsessed with mortality and decay [everything from their hieroglyph to shaving their bodies to embalming their dead, they want to make time stand still]. You have the rule of 1 man as a god who rules in his own interest, and with Joseph you have a technological and administrative state bent on conquering mortality and making nature more hospitable to human needs, while human dignity is not well respected and moral practices are out the window.
  • Canaanites: earth worshippers given over to the pleasures of the flesh. Eat, drink, tomorrow we die. Exuberant. Dionysiac culture. We see Egypt, Canaan and Babel in our broader culture.
  • So can you rely on technological progress [Silicon valley] and administration and prosperity on the one hand, or can you rely on I’m OK, you’re OK, and let’s let it all hang out and get over our repressions and enjoy life? Can we build the universal city of man [Mesopotamians/ the U.N.]? Can these produce a people that is well governed and long lasting.
  • bedraggled adjective dirty and disheveled. “we got there, tired and bedraggled” disheveled, disordered, untidy, unkempt, tousled, disarranged.
  • Moses’ shining face: “I will be with you” is now stamped on his face.
  • A haggadah is a collection of Jewish prayers and readings written to accompany the Passover ‘seder’, a ritual meal eaten on the eve of the Passover festival.
  • It’s not that the Jews kept the Sabbath but that the Sabbath kept the Jews.
  • Not only did the Jews keep the Passover, but the Passover has kept the Jews alive.

God delivers His people from slavery into His presence. “And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.” (Exo 29:46). A KV of Exodus.

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