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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Exodus 19 thoughts
A year or so ago I did a post on the chapter summaries that our family does for our weekly Bible study. This is mine for tonight, which I actually did last week. In typing it up just now, I felt led to share it. It's no Amazing New Revelation and it's not mind-blowing exegesis, but the "meaning" section was more, uh, meaningful than it sometimes is for me. :)
Theme: Extensive Preparations
Key Verse(s): 10-11
Teaching:
v. 1-8: God prepares His people to receive His ordinances
v. 9-15: The people must prepare for the nearness of God
v. 16-25: Moses and Aaron are prepared to receive the Law
Meaning:
It is interesting to note all the extensive life-or-death preparations and precautions that were required when God was to be near His people in the Old Testament. It struck me as I read that many modern people, believers and unbelievers both, seem to apply this chapter and others like it to their attempts (or lack thereof) to draw near to God, in two areas in particular:
Exclusivity. In this chapter, only Aaron and Moses could actually approach God or speak to Him. Everyone else had to stand off at a distance and watch. Sound like modern pew-warming-at-best Christianity to anyone? Many people still rely on "ministers", "pastors", and priests to go before God on their behalf, to study on their behalf, to provide them with a sense of God's acceptance.
Preparation: The people had to be "clean" (no consorting with us lowly unclean women, for example), even to stand back and watch while Moses and Aaron went up the mountain. You had to have all your ducks in a row before you could even think about approaching God, as an Old Testament Jew. This too is a common mindset today, often used as an excuse for putting off a relationship with God: "I'll start going to church when I get my life together." "I'm not good enough for God to take me the way I am now; I'm hoping I can get rid of this sin problem I have and then I'll go to Him."
However, those who build their outlook around these ideas are missing the person who fulfilled the Law, who rendered this sort of separation between God and His followers obsolete, who makes our relationship with God so different from what we see depicted in this chapter. That person, of course, is Jesus. Because of His complete atonement for our sin (which was the barrier between the Hebrews and their creator in this chapter and throughout the OT, as it is for unsaved individuals today), we can approach God directly. No priest is needed to go on our behalf; no ritual cleansing or purification is necessary. He is our priest, our cleansing, our purification. Praise the Lord for His perfect atonement, through which we sinners can come to God freely as to a loving Father.
Comments
Hi Honey! The kids looks so much older! And of course, beautiful and full of joy! I swear they get more lovely every time I see pictures.
Thanks for the notes. You know that I truly value your opinion, and I appreciate it. I have been giving it some deep though and prayer. After talking to her teachers and the director, I feel a lot better, and she has really seemed to like it there lately. But still, I am not sure. I will see where I am led and watch things carefully until then. Oh! I am making the apple pork for dinner tomorrow night! I can't wait to see how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by: Carrie at March 30, 2006 07:01 AM
Two interesting points: 1) Modern Jews also differ from OT ones in not requiring an intermediary in our relationship with God. I'm sure the change stems from the destruction of the Temple but don't know the whole history (basically the Rabbis in Babylonia and ever since who codified the Talmud and our "modern" religion made a lot of changes). A rabbi is not meant to be a priest or especially holy person, just a scholar and teacher. 2) "I'll start going to church when I have my life together". Oddly enough, a lot of people say exactly the same thing about rowing: I'd love to learn to row, but I want to get in better shape first." And you just know that they'll never get around to it and that they've got it backwards, that the rowing would get them into shape and the church might even help with that sin problem. I'm not sure what this all says about people, but I'm pretty sure it says soemthing.
Posted by: dichroic at March 31, 2006 12:53 PM
