God's Special Treasures

Exodus 19:2-8

Today’s Old Testament reading from this week’s Sunday Lectionary from the Book of Common Prayer takes us to the foot of Mount Sinai (also sometimes referred to as Mt. Horeb in Scripture).  Just weeks before the Hebrews were led by God out of slavery in Egypt, had seen His power in parting the Red Sea for them, and drowning Pharaoh's army.  Now they were camped at the base of Mt. Sinai.  Mt. Sinai is traditionally thought to be a mountain in the south central region of the Sinai peninsula, which was just east of Egypt.  It was here that several months prior, Moses had heard God speaking to him from the burning bush, and called him to go and lead the Hebrews out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-6).  Now, just as God had promised in Exodus 3:12, they were back at the foot of this mountain where God would give them His laws.  Several months prior the people were slaves and Moses was just the caretaker of his father-in-law’s sheep.  God’s promise to Moses probably looked rather far-fetched.  Now the people were free, their enemies vanquished, and they were standing where God had said they would, His promises fulfilled!

In verse 4 God tells Moses how He carried His people out of Egypt, as if He were an eagle carrying them on His wings.  An eagle is one of the larger and stronger of birds, with mighty wings.  Other than man, they have very few natural enemies.  Basically, the only times eagles are in danger is if the eggs or newborn young are left unprotected, and that is rare with eagles.  If one could shrink down in size and hop of the back of a bird for a flight, an eagle would be a good choice as they fly high, are powerful and very majestic.  There would be no need to fear.  This is just the way God told Moses He was carrying His people.  He was carrying them high, above the dangers of their enemies.  He was strong and powerful, and they had no need to fear.  Are we trusting today that God is carrying us in just such a way?  His arms are strong, even more so than an eagles, and there is no enemy that can defeat God.

In verses 5 and 6 God speaks to Moses about the people.  Here He calls them a special treasure to Him, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.  This is pretty much the same thing God calls us believers in I Peter 2:9.  So, if we are God’s children through the Lord Jesus Christ, what are we to God?  Here He calls us a special treasure to Him.  Do you feel like you are God’s treasure?  In my house my children and I have some special objects, not of monetary but sentimental value, that we really like, and they are kept safe in a curio cabinet with glass doors so we can enjoy them and they are safe.  They are our “treasures”, and they are safe.  We are so much more special to God than that, so we can trust He will keep us even more safe.  My “treasures” were specially picked out, or given by someone who knew what I liked.  God has especially picked you out to be His treasure!

Just as Peter later said, God says here that we, as believers, are to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”.  Priests speak to the people for God.  One does not have to be specially ordained to do that.  We can all speak God’s Word to others.  Throughout the Bible God continually asks His people to tell others His Word.  We are all His priests.  Thirdly, God calls His children a holy nation.  The word “holy” means to be sacred and set apart for God’s use.  If we are God’s children, born-again believers, we are holy, and our lives are to be sanctified and set apart for Him.  When others look at us and observe our life, they should see that there is something different.  God has called us to be His priests, His representative, speaking for Him, and that we are His holy, sanctified, set-apart people.

Our passage closes up in verse 8 with the people promising God that they will keep His laws and obey Him.  Unfortunately, as we see throughout the Bible, the people of Israel did not obey God.  They repeatedly fell away and worshipped other gods.  I know that I have failed God many times in my life.  We all have.  The good news is that because of God’s Son, Jesus, we can confess our failings to Him, receive forgiveness, and promise to obey and serve Him.  Let’s pledge as the people did in verse 8, and say to God, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”