Scripture Reading: Exodus 19-24, especially 19:1-6; Psalm 114
Review: The Book of Genesis ends with God having narrowed the line through which He would deliver the blessings associated with restoring the earth as a place where His rule is fully honored and obeyed. The blessings, including the promised Virgin-born, Deliverer-King, will come through Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, a descendant of Shem, and so on. Jacob's blessing in Genesis 48 appears to narrow the line even further to the tribe of Judah: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah..." (48:10a). So by the time we get to the Book of Exodus, we already know that the descendants of Jacob will somehow play a special role in the unfolding of God's plan.
The Book of Exodus reveals what that special role is. God delivers His people, the descendants of Jacob, from their servitude in Egypt and forms them into a nation directly under His rule. Exodus chapters 19-24 function as a kind of birth certificate for the nation.
In the commentary Psalm 114 makes on this event, the psalmist writes: "When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion." The word dominion underscores the nature of the special relationship God intended for Israel to have with Him as King. The dominion of a king is the realm over which he rules. So on the day of their birth as a nation, Israel became the realm over which God would rule directly. The reason I add the word directly is because God already rules over Israel and everywhere else by the Providence associated with His Universal Kingdom. But now, in addition to ruling Providentially, God will rule even more directly, making His will for the nation known and governing their social life, their political life, their religious life, and their economic activity, all in relation to the values associated with His Universal Kingdom.
As God forms Israel into a nation, He reminds them of their having experienced His presence: "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself" (19:4). Upon reminding them, God then immediately invites Israel into a covenant relationship with under His rule as their King. I will write more on this tomorrow. The main takeaway for today comes in the form of a principle we see demonstrated over and over again in the Scriptures: God uses our encounters with His presence to invite us to live under His rule. This principle applies today to our encounters with the presence of the Lord Jesus. His presence with us invites us to break free from the servitude of any other lord so called and to voluntarily submit to His rule.
Reflection Questions: If someone were to examine the way you are living today, what would they conclude about whose rule you're living under? How aware are you each day of the Lord's presence in your life? What might you do differently to become more aware of His presence and thus more aware of His invitations to come under His rule?
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