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Then the Lord called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.” So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the Lord had ordered him to tell them, the people all answered together, “Everything the Lord has said, we will do.” Then Moses brought back to the Lord the response of the people (Exodus 19: 3-8).
GOD THE PROMISE KEEPER:
A monumental moment of intimacy between God and His people has arrived. In the past God had set up covenants with individuals like Noah and Abraham and their descendants. Now God is making this bond much more expansive. The Lord is entering into a significant union with the whole Israelite nation. In our scripture passage several divine characteristics are revealed. God is the Promise Keeper: “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself (Exodus19: 3-4).” The people have had first hand experience in their immediate past of how their God is more powerful than all the gods of the earth, especially the gods of the Egyptians. Pharaoh and his mighty army is no match for the Lord of Hosts. The Israelites witnessed God’s power through the ten plagues. And they were probably still marveling in disbelief how they got out of the land of slavery.
Among these mighty deeds they would remember the crossing of the Red Sea when in great fright they besought the Lord to save them from the powerful chariots of Pharaoh’s army. Moses reassured them: “Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still (Exodus14:13-14).” Then a sense of urgency overwhelms them as Moses splits the sea in half and tells the Israelites to pass through it on dry land. The Egyptians follow in pursuit. Pharaoh’s horses and chariots go after them right into the midst of the sea. Meanwhile, God’s protection of His people continues: “In the night watch just before dawn the Lord cast through the column of the fiery cloud upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the Lord was fighting for them against the Egyptians (Exodus14: 24-25).” As the Egyptians were retreating, Moses stretched out his hand and the sea flowed back, destroying the entire army of Pharaoh. The Israelites beheld the great power that the Lord had shown against the Egyptians. They feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses. God is indeed their Protector and Keeper of His promises. The Lord voices this sentiment as well: “You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself (Exodus 19: 4).”
ISRAEL, GOD’S APPLE OF THE EYE:
God desires a covenant relationship with Israel because of His unabashed love for His people: “Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites (Exodus 19: 5-6).” Moses communicates God’s intentions to the people and their willing response is, “Everything the Lord has said, we will do (Exodus 19: 8).”
ENTERING INTO COVENANT WITH GOD:
The details of the Sinai Covenant are worked out from Chapters 20 through 40 of Exodus. God’s intent is to make Israel a holy nation. And so Moses is given the Ten Commandments and a constitution of holy living where every aspect of life and worship as it relates to God is spelled out.
The first three of the Ten Commandments are clearly directed toward having a right relationship with God. In these commandments, God is presenting Himself as a Covenant-God who has kept His promises toward “my special possession.” He is the God of their history, intimately involved in their lives and wholeheartedly committed to their destiny. In covenant the people as well are to become promise keepers. They are to accept Him as their God and no longer worship false gods. The context for the second commandment is the covenant relationship. Giving and receiving a name in a covenant relationship implied union and profound respect for one another. When God changed the name of an individual He was claiming that person as His own, as was the case with Abraham and Jacob. When we take God’s name in prayer we are expressing worship and praise for this gift of union. To take God’s name outside of the context of covenant is vain and blasphemous. The third commandment is a natural segue from the first two commandments. Keeping holy the Sabbath day is an invitation to enter into God’s heart and dwell there for an extended period of time. Keeping holy the Sabbath is God’s way of telling us, that being intimate with God and living in His heart is the most significant priority of our lives.
The remaining seven commandments concern our relationships with our parents, neighbors, and other human beings. Through these seven commandments God is making very clear that all human beings, especially our family members and neighbors are precious in God’s eyes. In a very real sense we neglect God when we neglect the creation of His image and likeness. The surest and shortest way to union with God is to love our families and neighbors and all human beings as God loves and respects them.
WORSHIP OF THE GOLDEN CALF:
In the Old Testament saga of covenant-building between God and His people, for every silver lining there is a dark and impenetrable cloud. To the consternation of God and Moses, about three thousand of the Israelites persuaded Aaron to make them a god who would be their leader. Aaron had them bring their golden earrings to him that he fashioned into a golden calf. The people then cried out, “This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 32: 4).” On seeing this Aaron built an altar before the calf and proclaimed, “Tomorrow is a feast of the Lord (Exodus 32:5).
One moment of grace in this very sacrilegious episode is Moses’ intervention on behalf of God’s people. This self-proclaimed stutterer now waxes eloquent and convinces God that the destruction of His people because of their sin of rebellion and ingratitude would only bring a smirk to Egyptian lips. “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and exterminate them from the face of the earth’ (Exodus 32: 12)? Then Moses reminds God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Israel and how He swore to them that He would make them as numerous as the stars in the sky and would give them the Promised Land as their perpetual heritage. And God relented in the punishment He had threatened to inflict on His people.
Another moment of grace occurs when Moses discovers to his horror the extent of the rebellion of his people under Aaron’s leadership. He decides to make atonement for his people and enters the following plea before God: “Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written (Exodus 32: 31-32).” God’s answer is appropriate. Only those who had sinned against God will be struck down. And Moses is told to go and lead the people to the Promised Land with the promise of the guidance of God’s angel.
HELPFUL ATTITUDES FOR PRAYER:
· In the past God had set up covenants with individuals like Noah and Abraham and their descendants. Now God is making this bond even more expansive. The Lord and is entering into a significant union with the whole Israelite nation.
· God is the Promise Keeper. “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself (Exodus19: 3-4).”
· God’s clear intent to enter into covenant with Israel is because of His unabashed love for His people. “Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites (Exodus 19: 5-6).”
· The first three of the Ten Commandments are clearly directed toward having a right relationship with God. In these commandments, God is presenting Himself as a Covenant-God who has kept His promises toward “my special possession.”
· Keeping holy the Sabbath is God’s way of telling us, that being intimate with God and living in His heart is the most significant priority of our lives.
· The surest and shortest way to union with God is to love our families and neighbors and all human beings as God loves and respects them.
· Throughout the Old Testament saga of covenant-building between God and His people, for every silver lining there is a dark and impenetrable cloud.
GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER:
· Be faithful to your time of prayer, and make it between 20 and 30 minutes daily.
· Begin every prayer session with an earnest prayer to the Holy Spirit like the one I have composed for you: Come, Holy Spirit, and overshadow me with your gentle wisdom and power as I endeavor to sit at the feet of Jesus during this period of prayer. Purify my mind and heart as I seek to make the teachings of Jesus my priority in life, thinking, speaking and doing as He desires. You are the keeper of my soul, leading me into God’s heart. May I be docile and submissive to your wisdom and guidance. May my life be a pleasing offering in your sight. Amen.
· Take one of the passages suggested for prayer. During the week you might want to ponder the question, “Do I take seriously my role as promise keeper in my covenant bond with God and His Church?”
· Lastly, during your prayer make sure you also address God directly and listen for the Holy Spirit’s responses.
· You can end your prayer with the following: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for your gracious companionship. I praise you for being my Creator, Savior and Lord. May I take your blessings to my day, and may your presence envelop and permeate all my thoughts and actions. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PASSAGES FOR PRAYER:
Exodus 14: Crossing of the Red Sea
Exodus 15: Moses Canticle of Praise
Exodus 19: Arrival at Sinai
Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments
Exodus 32: The Golden Calf
Deuteronomy 5: The Covenant at Horeb and Moses as Mediator
Hebrews 11: 24-31: Moses’ Steadfastness extolled
SPIRITUAL READING:
The Imitation of Christ:
After the Bible, this classic is the most widely read. There are four books and 114 chapters in all. You could savor this book three times over if you read a single chapter each day of the retreat. For this week the following chapters might be useful:
Book IV: The Book on the Sacrament:
Chapter 7: Of Examining one’s conscience, and of Planning to change for the better
Chapter 8: Of Christ’s offering on the cross and of our own self-surrender
Chapter 9: That we ought to offer ourselves and all that is our to God, and that we ought to pray for all others.
SCRIPTURAL READING:
It would be even more important for you to become familiar with the Bible, especially with the New Testament. Similarly, beginning with the New Testament you can choose to read a few chapters on a daily basis, and/or the ones recommended during this week.
Old Testament: Exodus, chapters 19 through 32
New Testament: Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount
JOURNALING:
- Journal for a few minutes daily about your experience with God in prayer and during the day.
- Your journal will help you with your sharing in spiritual direction
- Gradually patterns of insights, themes, consolations, and resistance to God’s promptings will emerge.
- Your journal will help you appreciate the Holy Spirit’s action in your being.
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