Day 16: “Treasured Possessions”

Meghann Easley

“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 descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.  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,  you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

 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.  The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord”.  (Exodus 19:3-8)
There once was a world; it was big and there were lots of people – people that might have looked a whole lot like ants doing the job of just living.  They scurried around, trying to bring forth life from a land that was unpredictable and fearsome.  They had invented all sorts of gods to try to give meaning to the unpredictable nature of this scary world, trying to create control in a meaningless existence.   
 
But then GOD decided to step in.  He knew that they never would change unless something in them changed.  So, he picked out a small group. (Actually he created that small group after he picked out a man, but that’s jumping out of this story.)  So, God picks out a group that he had begun to help craft long ago. He takes them away from the other noises in their lives to a place of complete dependence on him and speaks vision into their inner heart.  
 
He speaks as a father, tenderly and fearsome at the same time.  A daddy speaking vision and truth into their being.  He reminded them of who they were and whose they were, what they were to be about, and how to keep this identity.  
 
But then something interesting happens.  In their very response, they seize back what he was trying to show them. He was trying to teach them that they couldn’t do this without Him.  They oh-so-quickly respond, “We will do all you have said!”  At that moment I wonder what happened in God’s heart.  Oh, he knew they could make this choice.  But they answered in a way that God knew they never could keep their end of the covenant.  They couldn’t be consistent with the vow they were making, and yet in their eagerness and arrogance they stepped into the covenant and with what they thought were pure hearts consecrated themselves to the Lord.  
 
What would have happened if they’d fallen to their knees in awareness that they couldn’t do anything without help?  That with their whole hearts they wanted to remain faithful but knew they had a bent toward self-preservation and self-destruction?  Their history had already proven this inner battle.  
 
Often I think we forget that we too are called into this exact promise! 
 
We are his JOY! You are a chosen one, dear to his heart.  He identifies us as children, thus giving us a royal identity!  A royal heritage!  He wants us to be set apart for our good.  Holiness is this very thing.  It helps keep our hearts focused on Him over the world.  Our mission is to honor him with our very live,s as he in turn provides for us.  And yet we must know that without His very presence we can’t keep this covenant either.  We are dependent on Him purifying our hearts, cleaning and directing us – a needy people! We need more of Him so we can give what we don’t know we have! 
 
There are five times in the bible that these very words – “treasured possession”– are spoken. The last one is right at the end of the Old Testament.  It’s setting the stage for the next part of the story: Jesus, God’s very own solution to our problem.  We couldn’t save ourselves then, and we can’t now.
 
But in this is HOPE!  Hope that we have something these people didn’t – the invitation of partnership with Holy Spirit.  We don’t have to be left in the rat race, cycling through the repetitions of life and brokenness.  We have been given a full inheritance with a secret weapon to engage this heart with! We can stand and cry out LIFE to the areas of heavy and darkness in our lives!  We can declare freedom to the captives!  We can say with a whole heart “we will do all you have said” and know that in the power of the Spirit we can do all this and more! 
 
If you’ve felt yourself this cycle in brokenness, let me encourage you, you are not alone.  But let me also challenge you.  Can you seek the voice of the Holy Spirit today?  Asking him to awaken in your heart your full identity as a royal child? He is waiting to meet you today to provide what we can’t provide for ourselves!   

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