Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Over the last several months we have been tracing some of the great events of the Bible that display God’s one eternal plan of redemption. And for the last few weeks we have been in the Book of Exodus, following the Covenant people as they were miraculously rescued from their bondage in Egypt, and then began to make their way east and south toward the destination the Lord had prepared for them, Mt. Sinai. In Exodus 19 we find them there, deep in the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of the “mountain of God,” the very site where Moses had previously encountered the Great “I AM” at the burning bush (Ex 3:1ff). It was there, “in front of the mountain,” that the people of Israel “camped” (Ex 19:2). All told, they would remain there in their tents for nearly a year. During that time, the rest of the Book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and the first ten chapters of Numbers would unfold. Obviously, the central feature of this section of Holy Scripture is the giving of God’s Law.
It’s been said that the subject of the Law of God is one of the most difficult and controversial themes in all of theology and the Bible. Perhaps there are many people who simply assume that the Law (and the whole Old Testament itself) is radically disconnected from the New Testament and the Gospel message. It’s so easy for us to draw the mistaken conclusion that the Old Testament has little, if anything, to do with the New, and that the Law is really of no use in the lives of sinners who have been saved by grace in Christ Jesus. Even for those who do recognize the blessed continuity between the testaments, there are yet legitimate questions about how the Law functions in light of our justification “apart from the Law” (Rom 3:1). Do we have to keep the Law as Christians? Can we keep it? Are the Ten Commandments still in force? Didn’t Jesus fulfill the Law of God?
Well . . . we’re going camping!
During these hot weeks of summer we are going to camp out with Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai. We will be making our way through Exodus 19:1 to 20:26. As we prayerfully navigate these verses we will encounter a Holy God, but One who is also a merciful Father who extends the wings of His sovereign grace to cover the sins of a persistently rebellious nation. We will also discover His will for those whom He has redeemed, set forth in ten words, or Ten Commandments. And while we’re here, roasting marshmallows by the campfire with Moses, we will carefully explore the relationship between Law and Gospel, and grace and works.
This coming Lord’s day we will consider Exodus 19:1-6, and here we will encounter a beautiful pattern that will be repeated throughout Scripture–one that we dare not miss: salvation by sovereign grace, obedience as a response, and blessing as a reward.
To better prepare yourself for these messages, let me suggest that you do a little studying in our Westminster Standards. Check out . . .
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XIX, ‘Of the Law of God.’
The Westminster Larger Catechism, Questions 91-153.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Questions 39-84.
You will also greatly benefit from the Heidelberg Catechism, Questions 92-115.
Links to these documents are available at our Church website.
So, get your gear and let’s go pitch our tents at Sinai!
I love you all and can’t wait to see you on the Lord’s Day,
Mike