5. The Covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-24)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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James J. Tissot, "Moses Forbids the People to
Follow Him" (1896-1900), watercolor, Jewish Museum, New York.
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Moses' task under God wasn't simple. First, he needed
to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. But then, he
needed to help the Israelites come to know their God and walk in his ways.
The first task took physical miracles and bold leadership. The second took
spiritual miracles and modeling before the people what it meant to serve the
Lord.
At long last, the people of Israel arrive at the very
spot where God had met Moses in the burning bush a year or so before.
"1
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." (Exodus
19:1-2)
Traditional area for the location of Mt. Sinai,
probably either Jebel Musa or Jebel Serbal.
Larger map. |
We'll spend quite a bit of time on two verses (verse 5
and 6) filled with themes that echo through the Old and New Testaments, and
down to our own day.
"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'wings1 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.'" (Exodus 19:3-6)
Let's
look at the key phrases one by one.
The covenant is mentioned extensively in Genesis where
God makes a covenant with Abraham,2 renewed with Isaac and Jacob. This patriarchal covenant is referred to in
Exodus 2:24 and 6:4-5 as the reason God is delivering the descendants of the
patriarchs. But now it is time for the people themselves to make a proper
covenant with God.
The word "covenant" is the Hebrew noun berit.
Between nations it is a "treaty, alliance of friendship." Between
individuals it is "a pledge or agreement, with obligation between a monarch
and subjects: a constitution." Between God and man it is "a covenant
accompanied by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath that sealed the
relationship with promises of blessing for keeping the covenant and curses
for breaking it."3 Here in Exodus, God makes a covenant with his people as a nation, on the
pattern of the suzerain-vassal treaties found in the Ancient Near East.
In the Ancient Near East suzerain-vassal treaties were
commonplace. A great king (suzerain) would conquer weaker kingdoms and
extract pledges of allegiance -- and annual tribute -- from their kings
(vassals). In return, the suzerain had an obligation to protect vassal
kingdoms in case they were attacked. The suzerain was known as the king of
kings -- the king of all the other kings. In the Near East pantheon of gods
there would be one that would be seen as superior to the others, the god of
gods.
The Old Testament teaches clearly that Yahweh is the
true King of Israel.4 It is no accident then that the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai has clear
parallels to a Suzerain-Vassal treaty, by which a powerful monarch sets up a
treaty with a less powerful nation, confirmed by written covenants as well
as sacrifices, blessings, cursings, etc.5
These treaties or covenants typically included elements
that seem to appear especially in the fuller account given of these events
in Deuteronomy:
- Preamble (1:1-5)
- Historical prologue (1:6-4:40)
- General stipulations (5:1-11:32)
- Specific stipulations (12:1-26:15)
- Blessings and curses (27:1-28:68)
- Witnesses (30:19; 31:19; 32:1-43)6
Our account in Exodus truncates this outline, but the
historical roots of the covenant are quite clear. As a great king, a
suzerain, Yahweh covenants with Israel to be their King and Protector.
Yahweh is the high King, the great King, the King of kings and the Lord of
lords. In Lesson 7 we'll see that the tabernacle in the wilderness is the
portable home of Yahweh in the midst of his people. The courtyard defines
the royal precincts, the tent is his abode, and the mercy seat of the Ark of
the Covenant is his throne.
Scholars trace a number of covenants in the Bible. When
the covenant in our passage is referred to, it is called the Mosaic Covenant
(given through Moses) or the Sinaitic Covenant (given at Mt. Sinai), or,
when contrasted with the New Covenant through Jesus, it is called the Old
Covenant.
In our passage, God tells the people:
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my
covenant, then…." (Exodus 19:5a)
Keeping covenant obligations is the requirement
placed upon the people, and they accept it in the Covenant in Exodus 24:7-8.
Here are the steps involved in making this covenant at
Sinai, as outlined in Exodus 19-24:
- Israel arrives at Sinai and encamps (19:1-2)
- God announces his intention to covenant with Israel and the people
agree (19:3-9)
- Preparations prior to the third day, washing clothes, consecration
(19:10-15)
- Assembly before Mt. Sinai on the third day (19:16-25)
- Proclamation of the Ten Commandments (20:1-17)
- Further laws and stipulations of the covenant (20:18-23:19)
- Promise of the Land (23:20-33)
- Reading the Book of the Covenant and sprinkling with blood (24:1-11)
This is clearly a conditional covenant. But the
benefits of the covenant are awe-inspiring!
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my
covenant,
then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." (Exodus
19:5)
"Treasured possession" (NIV, NRSV), "peculiar
treasure" (KJV), "personal possession" (New Jerusalem Bible) is a single
word: segullâ. The basic meaning of this noun is "personal property."7 Imagine being considered by God as his
own very personal and dear possession!
The word occurs several other key places in the Old Testament:
"For you are a people holy to the LORD
your God.
Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth,
the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession." (Deuteronomy
14:2)
"And the LORD has declared this day that
you are his people,
his treasured possession as he promised,
and that you are to keep all his commands." (Deuteronomy 26:18)
"For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his
own,
Israel to be his treasured possession." (Psalm 135:4)
"A scroll of remembrance was written in
his presence
concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
'They will be mine,' says the LORD Almighty,
'in the day when I make up my treasured possession.'"
(Malachi 3:16b-17, KJV "when I make up his jewels")
The immense privilege of being God’s chosen people became a source of
national pride for Israel, causing them to despise the Gentiles, rather than
becoming a source of humility and awe as intended.
In the New Testament, this
privilege of being God's special people is opened to all who trust in Jesus
the Messiah!
"… Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to
redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are
his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:13b-14)
"But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,8 that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into
his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
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Q1. (Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:9) From an
emotional standpoint, what does it feel like to take out and look
over one of your treasured possessions? How was the idea of
"treasured possession" fulfilled in Israel? What does it feel like
to be God's treasured possession -- as we Christians clearly are
according to 1 Peter 2:9?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1050
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The next phrase we'll examine is "a kingdom of
priests."
"5b Although the whole earth is
mine, 6 you will be for me a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5b-6)
This phrase "kingdom of priests" (NIV, KJV), "priestly kingdom" (NRSV) is
fascinating. What does God mean here? "Kingdom" is
mamlākâ, "kingdom," 9 from melek, "king." Of course, a kingdom assumes a king, since no
other form of government was known in the Ancient Near East.
10 Yahweh is the King, as we'll see in
Lesson 7.
Priests of foreign gods, of course, were known in both
Mesopotamia and Egypt. Prior to this in the Pentateuch both Melekizedek
(Genesis 14:18) and Jethro (Exodus 3:1; 18:1-2) have been mentioned as
priests who worshipped the true God. But there was no group within Israel
selected to be priests, as yet. So what does "priest" mean in this context?
Cole suggests,
"Presumably the basic thought is of a group
set apart peculiarly for God's possession and service, with free access to
His presence. The thought of acting as God's representative for, and to, the
other nations of the world cannot be ruled out. Whether realized at the time
or not, this was to be the mission of Israel (Genesis 12:3)."11
Israel, then, is either (1) a kingdom consisting of priests – people, set
apart to God (that is “holy”), who relate to God directly and serve him, or
(2) “royal priests,” a cadre of priests belonging to Yahweh the King. Either way, it is a position of great privilege and
access.
This idea is echoed in the New Testament, and became
the basis of Martin Luther's teaching of the "priesthood of believers."
"But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare
the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
(1 Peter 2:9)
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Q2. (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) What did
priests do in the Old Testament? In what sense are you a priest? How
do you function as a priest? In what sense are you a "royal" priest?
In what areas can your personal priestly function improve?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1051
|
Finally, we see the phrase "a holy nation" both in
Exodus 19:6b and 1 Peter 2:9. Nation is gôy, which is used especially
to refer to "specifically defined political, ethnic or territorial groups of
people without intending to ascribe a specific religious or moral
connotation."12 Only later the gôyim are "the nations, the Gentiles." The concept of
being "holy" (Hebrew qādôsh; Greek hagios) is used extensively
in both the Old and New Testaments.
"The adjective qādôsh denominates that
which is intrinsically sacred or which has been admitted to the sphere of
the sacred by divine rite or cultic act. It connotes that which is distinct
from the common or profane."13
Those who are holy have been set apart from the common
or ordinary to be sacred, devoted to, belonging exclusively to the holy
God. Because they are holy, they are not to contaminate themselves with
worship of other gods or practices that are forbidden by God.
"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." (Exodus
19:5-6)
These descriptors define the covenant people and become
for us a kind of identity statement as well as an ideal.
- God's special, personal possession
- Priests to God who form the basis of his kingdom
- Holy nation, set apart for his service exclusively
What a calling! Sadly, the Israelites did not
live up to this high calling. That remained for fulfillment under the New
Covenant that was to come with Jesus the Messiah.
Moses has apparently ascended Mt. Sinai and received
these words from God to speak to Israel. Now he returns.
"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.'" (Exodus 19:7-8a)
The response is unanimous: "We will do everything
the LORD has said," that is, we want to enter into covenant and will obey
whatever stipulations the Lord requires.
Moses is acting like the go-between here, a kind of mediator, carrying
messages back and forth between the Lord and the people.
"So Moses brought their answer back to the
LORD. 9 The LORD said to Moses, 'I am going to come to you in a
dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will
always put their trust in you.'" (Exodus 19:8b-9a)
There's a leadership lesson here. People will
trust leaders who they believe are talking to God and who hear from God!
This can be faked. This can be phony. But I believe that people can smell
out the fake and phony. Though a leader's prayer time needs to be private
and non-ostentatious, yet there will be an outflow from it that will touch
and impact the congregation.
As a ten-year-old boy I can remember my Presbyterian
pastor, who would give an invitation to receive Christ at the close of the
service each Sunday at our small, tourist-area church. One Sunday, when no
one responded to the invitation immediately, he said to us: "This morning
God told me that six will come forward. We'll just wait for you." He waited
-- and the six came. There I was, a young boy seeing a man of God who prays
and listens to God. I trusted the pastor because I knew he heard from God.
Leader, are you willing to pay the price Moses paid to
hear from God? If you do, God will anoint your leadership with his sign of
approval before the people.
"10 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Go
to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash
their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that
day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people'…
14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he
consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he
said to the people, 'Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from
sexual relations.'" (Exodus 19:10-11, 14-15)
The word "consecrate" (NIV, NRSV), "sanctify" (KJV) is
qādash, "to be holy." In the Piel stem, it has the causative sense,
"to make holy, to sanctify, to consecrate."
The idea of holiness is prominent especially in Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy. God is pure, holy, full of glory. To
approach God, man must prepare himself. To be a Levite (as we'll see in
Lesson 7), a man must live differently. To be a priest, the bar was higher
and required a higher level of holy living. To be high priest, the standard
was even higher.
In Protestant circles especially, we have blurred the
line between the clergy and the laity, and this isn't all bad. Indeed, we
are all priests. But with this blurred line we have come to believe
that spiritual leaders are no different than anyone else, that there are no
special qualifications, and that the standard of behavior for leaders is no
greater than for the members of the congregation. This is wrong and unscriptural!
"Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets
his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer
must be above reproach…." (1 Timothy 3:1-2a)
Here are some of the ways men and women are told to
prepare themselves for holy encounters, that is, to be sanctified or
consecrated:
- Take off one's shoes (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15)
- Wash one's clothes and sometimes one's body (Exodus 19:10, 14;
Leviticus 16:26, 28; Numbers 8:21; 19:7)
- Abstain from food, fast (Leviticus 16:29; 23:27)
- Abstain from sexual relations (Exodus 19:15)
- Offer sacrifices for atonement for sin (Exodus 12:7; Leviticus
1; etc.)
- Confess one's sins (Leviticus 16:21; 26:40)
- Act justly and keep the moral laws (Exodus 20; Micah 6:8)
- Keep the Sabbath
- Keep other rules of ritual purity
Is there anything wrong with food? No. Is there
anything wrong with wearing shoes? Of course not. Is it morally wrong to go
without a shower?
Do taking these actions actually make you holy? No, but
they are gestures of contrition and desire to make oneself right before God.
Ultimately, we are helpless to atone for our own sins, but these are signs
and symbols of our allegiance to the Lord. Take the Sabbath, for example:
"... This is a sign between me and you throughout
your generations, given in order that you may know that I, the LORD,
sanctify you." (Exodus 31:13)
Regardless of our position, we cannot remain passive about our sins.
We must recognize who we are before the Lord's holiness and be humble. The
New Testament also shows believers taking special steps to sanctify
themselves before the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:5; Acts 18:18; 21:23; Matthew
6:16). Nevertheless, we acknowledge the truth that we are accepted before
the Lord by his grace, not our works (Ephesians 2:8-10). We hold two truths
side by side:
- The Lord sanctifies us: "You shall be for me … a holy
nation." (Exodus 19:6)
- We sanctify ourselves: "Prepare yourselves…." (Exodus 19:15)
The role of the leader is to call people to prepare
their hearts and lives before the Lord and to live holy lives -- and for the
leader to model this lifestyle before the people. The people are to hold
high standards of holiness as a community as they live their lives before
the Lord and one another.
"On the
morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud
over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp
trembled." (Exodus 19:16)
The purpose of this was to put the fear of God in
the people, so that they might not treat God casually -- or Moses, his
servant.
"18 When the people saw the thunder
and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they
trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to
Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God
speak to us or we will die.'
20 Moses said to the people, 'Do
not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be
with you to keep you from sinning.'21 The people remained at
a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was." (Exodus 20:18-21)
It is sad to observe that, in their fear, the
people reject their own role as priests before the Lord (Exodus 19:5-6).
Rather they say to Moses:
"Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But
do not have God speak to us or we will die." (Exodus 20:19)
What a tragedy! We must fear God in the sense
that we are afraid to displease him by sinful actions. But we are not to let
terror rule the relationship. The Apostle John says:
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love
drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears
is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)
I believe that a healthy fear of God is a necessary
step in a disciple's life. I have a rule when driving: don't mess with large
trucks and buses -- they are so large they can flatten my car in a split
second! Healthy fear is good, but it is not the ultimate step. That step is
love. We find that love for God is a much more powerful motivator for
keeping from sin than fear ever was.
Moses and Aaron are on the mountain when the Lord gives
what are known as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13;
10:4-5). We won't take time to look at each of these here.
But note that these commandments are the core of the
covenant being made between God and the people of Israel. They are "the
words of the covenant" (Exodus 34:28) and are referred to as "the
covenant" itself (Deuteronomy 4:13). When they are eventually written on tablets of
stone, they are placed in the ark (Deuteronomy 10:5), which is subsequently
known as "the ark of the covenant" (Numbers 10:33; 14:44; Deuteronomy 10:8;
31:9, 25-26).
The Ten Commandments are primarily moral principles
that form the basis of our actions. In Exodus 21-23 God gives Moses civil
and religious laws to govern the nation of Israel.
"3 When Moses went and told the
people all the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice,
'Everything the LORD has said we will do.'
4 Moses then wrote down everything
the LORD had said." (Exodus 24:3-4)
The people formally and unanimously accept these terms
of the covenant. Based on that initial acceptance, Moses prepares the
covenant documents in writing for a public reading later.
It is strange that some scholars deny that Moses was
the author of the five "Books of Moses," the Pentateuch, the Torah. Moses
was an educated man, capable of reading and writing, and is clearly
described as "writing" God's words down. These commandments were not orally
transmitted, only to be recorded generations later (as some historical
sections of the Bible probably were), but written down soon after they were
given on Mt. Sinai. While the hands of other editors are visible in the
Pentateuch, much of it is no doubt Moses' own work, or that of the scribes
to whom he personally dictated the material God had given him.
The next day, sacrifices are prepared by the "young Israelite men," 14 both burnt offerings and fellowship offerings:
"4 He got up early the next morning
and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone
pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 Then he sent young Israelite men,
and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship
offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses
took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled
on the altar." (Exodus 24:4-6)
Though the significance of the blood is spelled
out more clearly in Leviticus 17:11, even here the blood is set apart for a
special purpose to consecrate the people. Blood was also shed in ratifying
the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 15:9-18), as was common in Ancient Near
Eastern covenants.
Now Moses reads from the "Book of the Covenant," the
Ten Commandments and ordinances that Moses had told the people about
previously (Exodus 24:3-4). That was preliminary; this is the formal
acceptance of a written covenant.
"Then he
took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, 'We
will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.'" (Exodus 24:7)
"Moses then
took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, 'This is the blood
of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all
these words.'" (Exodus 24:8)
This significance of the blood in the making of
the covenant is mentioned in the New Testament by the writer of Hebrews in
chapter 9:
"18 The first covenant was not put
into effect without blood.
19 When Moses had proclaimed every
commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,
together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the
scroll and all the people. 20 He said, 'This is the blood of
the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.'
21 In the same way, he sprinkled
with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its
ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything
be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood
there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:18-22)
Now that we have seen the holiness of the blood of the
covenant, how much more special are Jesus' words at the Last Supper when he
held up a cup and said to his disciples:
"27b Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:27b-28)
The Old Covenant which God brought through Moses
anchored the people of Israel to God for more than 1,200 years. But even
while it was in effect, God speaks through his prophet Jeremiah about its
replacement in this famous passage:
31 "'The time is coming,' declares the LORD,
'when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,' declares the LORD.
33 'This is the covenant I
will make
with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the LORD.
'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother,
saying,
"Know the LORD," because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the LORD.
'For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.'" (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
The final covenant, the New Covenant brought in through Jesus,
was the fulfillment -- not made by "the blood of bulls and goats" (Hebrews
10:4) which is not really adequate to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4), but
made by his own blood, "the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish
or defect" (1 Peter 1:19).
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Q4. (Exodus 24:8; Matthew 26:27-28) What is
the function of the "blood of the covenant" in Exodus? What is the
"blood of the covenant" in the New Testament? How is the Old
Covenant similar to the New Covenant? How are they different?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1053
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Now the future priests (Aaron and his older sons) and
the seventy elders of Israel go up on the mountain where they are given a vision of God.
"9
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel
went up 10 and saw the God of
Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear15 as the sky itself. 11 But God
did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw
God, and they ate and drank." (Exodus 24:9-11)
This is a theophany, an appearance of God. Did they see
God himself? No, according to Jesus (John 1:18; 6:46). But like others they
see a manifestation of God that makes them believers, so they can better
lead the people.
There is real significance in eating and drinking
together on the mountain. This is a kind of covenant meal with God (the
Suzerain) and representatives of the vassal nation: Moses (leader), Aaron
and his sons (priests), and the 70 elders.16
Now Moses goes up the mountain with only Joshua as his
companion and assistant.
"12 The LORD said to Moses, 'Come
up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of
stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.'
13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the
mountain of God.
…. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud
as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and
forty nights." (Exodus 24:12-13, 18)
During this time, God reveals to him the "pattern" for
the tabernacle and its furniture and the priests' garments (Exodus 25-30)
that we'll look at in
Lesson 7. Finally, this long session with God
concludes:
"When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on
Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of
stone inscribed by the finger of God." (Exodus 31:18)
This expression, "the finger of God," is very
evocative, if not anthropomorphic. We see it in Exodus 8:19 and Luke 11:20
to describe the very work of God himself in a situation.
The Covenant is the basis of Israel's relationship to
God, just as the New Covenant is the basis of our relationship to God
through Jesus Christ.
Dear friend, have you accepted the Covenant that God
wants to make with you? Are you willing to be his personal possession? Are
you willing to be his priest? Are you willing to be his holy subject? Are
you willing to participate in his cross by eating and drinking of the New
Covenant in his body and blood? If this is a new experience for you, Jesus
is calling you to follow him on a new pathway that leads to glory.
It is an awesome and solemn privilege to enter into and
continue in a relationship with the Living God!
We conclude with a benediction from the Book of
Hebrews:
"May the God of peace, who through the
blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing
his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Prayer
Father, thank you for this immense privilege of being
called to know you and walk with you as your special and holy emissaries and
priests. We are not qualified in ourselves, but you have made us holy and
worthy through the blood of the everlasting covenant. In the name of Jesus
Christ our Savior and Lord, we thank you. Amen.
References
Abbreviations
Moses Bible Study - Leadership and Discipleship Lessons
Copyright © 1985-2012, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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