Grace at Sinai

Grace at Sinai
Words of Faith 12-6-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 19
In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt--on the very day--they came to the Desert of Sinai. [2] After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
[3] Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: [4] 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. [5] Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, [6] you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
[7] So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. [8] The people all responded together, "We will do everything the Lord has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

At a place called Sinai, the Lord set out the basic concept of the covenant He would make with the Israelites. It was very much a covenant of grace. There was no requirement to earn the Lord's favor. "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."
The Lord God acted toward the Israelites entirely out of His grace and mercy. He did not ask for obedience in advance of His act of redemption. He did not call for adherence to the Law in order to earn freedom. God acted wholly on His prerogative to bring the Israelites out of bondage on "eagle's wings." God says that He "brought you to myself."
Now that these people had been saved out of bondage, it was time for them to operate in a right relationship with the Lord. "Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
This was the plan to set apart the people of Israel for a purpose. That purpose would eventually come to fruition in the person of Jesus, and the redemption He would pay for the sin of humanity.
The Lord spoke to Moses in a dense cloud so the people would hear. The place of Moses as the first Prophet of Israel was solidified here at Sinai. From then on, Moses would stand in a different category than all other prophets. The Law of God given through Moses would lay the foundation for right living and the need for grace. The Law would become the foundation of community but also define every person's need for a personal Savior.
We all must meet God at a place called Sinai. Sinai is, first and foremost, a place of grace. Here, we discover that the Lord God acted on our behalf to save us from the bondage of sin and death.
God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We did not earn or deserve this gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). He calls us to be a covenant people in obedience to His ways. We will learn that we cannot do this in our own strength. It is only in the power of the Spirit that we can walk after His ways. The Law will help us to discover this truth and will also be used by the Spirit to shape us into the image of Christ.
Have you met the Lord at Sinai? It is a place to celebrate the wonderful truth of the Gospel. He has brought us out of bondage. Let us learn to walk after His ways.

Father, I give thanks for Your grace in bringing me out of bondage. I rejoice in knowing that while I was still a sinner, You paid the price for my freedom. Teach me Your paths. Show me Your ways. By Your Spirit, reveal in me the life of Jesus. In His Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.