A holy nation

Mount Sinai

Reflections based on Exodus 19:1–25.

We looked previously at Moses’ song of praise to God for delivering the Israelites. After crossing the Red Sea, they travelled for weeks until they camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. It was on this mountain that God would speak to Moses about why He had rescued them. He had chosen Israel to become ‘a holy nation’, not because of anything they had done but because He had made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15). God wanted a nation that would represent Him on earth, which He could teach His ways to and, ultimately, be the nation that our Saviour would be born out of. 

In later blogs we will be looking at the various laws, commandments and sacrifices, which God instructed Moses that the people needed to adhere to. To us it can seem incredibly confusing and yet we need to understand the reason they were necessary.

In Exodus 29:46, God says, ‘They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them.’ Just ponder that phrase for a moment: ‘So that I might dwell among them.’ Isn’t it incredible, that the holy God of heaven and earth longed for relationship with His people?

We will look at the elaborate lengths that God went to in order to bring Israel close to Himself until the appointed time when His Son would be sent. As a perfect, holy being, God cannot entertain sin of any kind: laws and sacrifices were the way in which Israel was able to enjoy God’s presence. We can see in Exodus 19 that God instructed Moses to consecrate (make holy/dedicate) the people so that He could appear to them in cloud and fire.

Reflection and prayer: Reflect on the amazing lengths God went to in order to dwell with His people, then spend some time thanking Him that, through Jesus, He has made His home in you.