God’s Treasured Possession (Exodus 19)

Bible Passage: Exodus 19

God’s people have been rescued from their slavery in Egypt and brought through the desert, where they have seen God providing food and water for them in miraculous ways, despite their grumbling and complaining along the way. We now reach the point in the story where the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, and God makes his covenant with them (chapter 19) before instituting the law (chapter 20). In verses 4-6, we see the Lord emphasising three key truths to Moses about his people.

They Are God’s Saved People: In verse 4, God highlights what he has already done for them. He reminds them about the salvation they have already received as he brought them out of Egypt and to himself. It is significant that this is the first thing said, and we should note that God saved them before the law was given. They were not saved on the basis of their obedience, but on the basis of God’s love for them, and their obedience flows out of that as a response. In a similar way, Christians are God’s saved people. Through Christ’s sacrificial death for us on the cross, we have been redeemed from slavery to sin, death and the devil, and set free to be with God. Just like the Israelites, we are not saved on the basis of anything we have done, but because of God’s love and grace for us in Christ.

They Are God’s Covenant People: Having saved his people, God binds them to himself in a covenant promise. He calls them his treasured possession out of all the nations. This is a powerful affirmation spoken over the people and is the foundation of their identity. He has chosen to set his love and blessing on this people, and we see later in the chapter his very presence descending onto the mountain to be with them. The covenant hangs on their obedience, and this is something that time and again they failed in, until Christ perfectly obeyed on behalf of the people. The same kind of language that God used of his people here is picked up by Peter in the New Testament and applied to Christians, as he declares us to be “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet 2:9) The same identity that was spoken over the Israelites then now belongs to Christians today.

They Are God’s Sent People: In verse 6, God describes his people as ‘a kingdom of priests’. The role of a priest is to stand as a mediator between people and God, representing God before the people and representing the people before God. In describing Israel as a priestly kingdom, God is suggesting that they will have this role with regards to the other nations of the earth. The purpose of them being a holy nation and treasured possession is not merely for their own benefit, but to be a blessing and a light as they show something of the goodness of God to the nations around them. Again, this is replicated in the calling given to Christians to ‘shine like stars in the sky s we hold firmly to the word of life Philippians 2:15). Understanding who we are as God’s people: saved, covenanted and sent is a foundation stone in grasping our identity and in living out God’s purposes in our lives and in this world.

Potential Applications:

• The passage speaks of the salvation the Israelites had received. This would be a good opportunity to invite people to respond to the salvation that is on offer in Christ Jesus.
• Many believers struggle with issues of identity. You could offer prayer for God to give people a deep sense of who they are in him and that they are his treasured possession.
• The passage includes a call to be a kingdom of priests. Challenge people to consider how they can represent God to those around them, and who they can make him known to.