Did you finish up Exodus this week? This week we’re starting up Leviticus! Woohoo! (everybody say that together.)
BUT, tonight will be about Exodus, which we just finished up. Did you notice that Exodus is really divided up into two sections? The first half of the story is about Israel’s escape from slavery and oppression in Egypt. The second half is about what Israel was delivered to, or what they were saved for.
I often preach that salvation is both an event, and a process. (justification and sanctification) In other words, we teach that if you are a Christ follower, you have been saved, and you are being saved.
(For an in-depth look at these ideas, you can check out this previous post called “The True Nature of Our Salvation.“)
How does that actually work out in our lives, and how do you see that paralleled in this story?
What are we saved from, and what are we saved to?
When we arrived at Exodus 19, you probably noticed that the narrative of the story came to a screeching halt! Genesis 12 (the call of Abraham) through Exodus 19 (Mount Sinai) covers about 700 years. From here, the next 3.5 books (the rest of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) are entirely devoted to this brief 40-year period in the wilderness. This part of the story is about God’s preparation of His People to enter the Promised Land. It is the story of God’s process of salvation of His people. He has to train them to become the holy nation He established and saved them to become. This receiving and instructing in the Law is known as The Torah… The first five books of the Bible.
As I talked about on Sunday, Genesis 1-11 sets up a problem: The world is broken and needs fixing. How will this happen? The rest of the story through the Torah tells the story of God creating a family called Israel who will participate in this great restoration project. When God saves them from hundreds of years of slavery, (event) it is so that they will go through the process of his ongoing work of making them holy. That is what this set of laws and guidelines are all about… Creating a kingdom of priests and a holy nation that will be part of His ultimate restoration of the world.
There are a lot of intricate commands and instructions in the 2nd half of Exodus. What is the point of all this?
How would you summarize what is happening during this time in the wilderness?
What part(s) of this week’s reading did you find frustrating or strange?
Psalm 19:7-13
The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.
Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
Look at the words the psalmist uses to describe God’s Torah: Perfect, refreshing, trustworthy, right, joy-bringing, radiant, firm, righteous, precious, sweet, and of great value. Do you or have you thought of the Old Testament “Law” in this way?
Do you have any adverse, negative feelings toward the Law? Why do you think this is?
In light of the past few weeks, what would it look like for you to re-examine your faith in terms of God wanting to free you from slavery in order to become a part of a special, holy people that lives according to God’s good decrees? Do you long for good commands to live by like the Psalmist and early Israel did or do you actually want freedom from any rules or expectations along with freedom from sin and slavery?
In Romans, Paul describes the essence of Christianity as “having been set free from sin and having become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18). What would it look like for us to actually become slaves to righteousness?
Is that something I am willing to do? Why or why not?