Exodus 19
May 8, 2010
Bible Passage: Exodus 19
Yesterday biblereadingcompanion started off by writing about how the passage that we are assigned to write on often has encouragements and reminders that we need at that time.
Today’s chapter was no different for me.
Last night right before church service i received a phone call which left me distracted and worried throughout the entire service. I was struggling to focus on the sermon but within seconds i lost concentration.
It did not help that I have been having late nights for the past few days and I was trying my best to stay awake.
Halfway through the service I began to worry as I had to complete this blog as soon as i got home, and also finish up something else for the job fair, which deadline has passed.
So what has all these got to do with today’s bible passage?
It has been 3 months since the Israelites were rescued out of Eygpt. God was going to appear to them in a spectacular fashion but before this could happen, the people had to prepare themselves. (Ex 19:10)
God wanted them pure and clean(verse 14) for two whole days before they could come before Him.
Today we as spiritual Israelites must also sanctify ourselves-our hearts, before we could come before the Lord to worship Him. Exodus 19 paints a powerful picture of the awesome fear that each Israelite must have felt at Mount Sanai.
How about us then? Do we also come to church with the proper respect and reverence?
Unfortunately, last night I failed to treat coming before the Lord, as something to be revered. I did not prepare my heart before worshipping Him on Sabbath. I allowed my anxieties to occupy my thoughts.
Indeed, many speakers always talk about how our physical bodies are present, but our hearts are far away..burdened by worldly affairs.
Perhaps sometimes, we might take coming to church for granted, forgetting that elsewhere in the world our church members are persecuted for attending church services.
Maybe there were times when our schedules are so packed that we find it hard to give God 2 hours of our time per week; and when we do come to church, we do so grudgingly.
God does not need us to start preparing for Sabbath services on Wednesday. He desires for us to be holy and do what we have to do before we come to Him, to cast all our worries aside and crave His teachings.
We must be set apart and be cleansed.
Even before we step into church we have to prepare ourselves to be ready to receive God’s word, and offer up a pure and sanctified heart as a living sacrifice for Him.
Only then can our offering produce an aroma pleasing to Him.
So before we step into church this morning to worship Him, let us sanctify our hearts and worship our God wholeheartedly.
Blessed Sabbath!
One Comment
PS
There is an interesting point in the dialogue between God and Moses in Ex 19:22-24:
Ex 19:22 “Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them.”
Ex19:23 But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, “Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”
Ex 19:24 Then the LORD said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break out against them.”
Did the LORD ask Moses to bring the priests with him up ti Mount Sinai? And the most honest Moses replied a “no” indirectly by reminding the LORD that the people (priests included, also human) could not go up Mount Sinai (Ex 19:12). Then the LORD relented and sent him down (“Away!”) and asked him to bring Aaron up only.
If i let my imagination runs a bit, the word “But” in Ex 19:23 seems to suggest that Moses was refusing the instruction of God bec it didn’t match with His previous instruction. The LORD was very gracious with Moses and did not strike him down immediately for “talking back”.
The relationship between the LORD and Moses was more than Lord-and-servant. They had drawn closer.
i wonder how the Israelites reacted to the words from God in Ex 19:6 that “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Peter understood and encouraged in 1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen nation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
m i closer to Lord Jesus today than the day before?