#DailyDevotion In Jesus You Become One Of God’s Chosen People
Easter Week 2 Saturday
Read Ex 19:1–25
Exo 19:5-6 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.”…:11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
The Lord had chosen Israel from all the nations of the world to be his own treasured possession. Indeed he owned them all and through creation had revealed his eternal power that they might worship him. But to be God’s treasured possession is like the money I set aside just for myself out of every paycheck. I can do whatever I want with it without accountability. It is mine and I can spend it all on me. Maybe you have something similar. Israel was that treasured possession for the Lord and he for them. They were going to be his people because of the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But not he enters into a covenant with the people of Israel. This covenant would be required if they and their descendents were going to be his covenant people. They would have to obey his voice and keep his covenant. In this covenant they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Yet we know, Israel broke this covenant pretty soon from this point and often afterwards. They were to be a light to the nations and witness to the glory of God so the nations of the world would come to know the Lord as God.
Well through this people Israel would come from their flesh one who would be Israel to the Lord, to God the Father and would obey the covenant in Israel’s place. That would be the Lord, God the Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus would be Israel and do all that Israel should have done. Jesus becomes the covenant that God would make not only with Israel but with the whole world. Those who would believe on Jesus and be baptized into his name would be joined to Israel and become Israel, not according to the flesh but according to the promise, according to the Spirit, Abraham’s descendents.
As the Lord revealed himself on the third day on the mountain to Israel, he reveals himself as Israel’s Lord and God to the apostles on the third day when he rises from the dead. This is the covenant the Lord Jesus makes with us, if we repent of our sins, are baptized and believe on him, i.e. trust him, our sins will be forgiven us and he will remember them no more. He will be our God and we will be his people. As Peter says, 1Pe 2:9 “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.”
Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ, to be our covenant and for calling us to be your chosen people in Christ Jesus. Grant us faith to be faithful unto you always and proclaim the excellencies of Jesus to those around us so they too may repent, be baptized and become your holy people. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.