Today’s Reading, Exodus 19-21
Focal Scripture: Exodus 19:5 “Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine,”
Everyone likes to be chosen. It doesn’t matter if you are first or if you are last. You just want to get picked. We have all seen it take place either when we were kids or as adults. Unfortunately, there are times when people are completely left out, even as adults. This purposeful exclusion is painful and can leave a lasting impact. It can also set the stage for bitterness and mess with the psyche. You are probably asking “What is the point of this story?”
The point, is that today’s reading, can bring about many feelings and emotions. It is also misunderstood by most people. Here God is specifically choosing the nation. He is making a conscious decision. He tells them that he is choosing them to be his people even though the entire world belongs to him. However, there is a condition to this choice. They must listen to him and keep his covenant. God chooses the people but they are responsible for what happens next.
Why does this matter? Because, if God is sovereign he gets to do what he wants. He is in control. Since we know that he is in control he can choose whatever he would like, that even includes people. I know right now you may be saying, “here we go with this predestination nonsense.” Our minds work in an either/or mentality. However, God works in a both/and reality.
What do I mean by this? People think God choosing people to be saved takes away the free will of the person. Thankfully, that is not true. As this verse shows God chose the nation but it was conditional on their response. They had to listen and obey. The same goes for us as people. God has chosen us to be redeemed. Some will respond to his standard and some will not. God already knows who those people are from eternity past and that should bring us comfort.
So what is the application of this truth? First, to make much of the glory and majesty of God. That he is independent of all things. He knows who will follow him and what that will look like for all people. Second, we are still responsible whether we get saved or not. We have nobody to blame other than ourselves if we reject the truth of God’s love and forgiveness.
I hope today you are encouraged by the fact you are chosen. This is a deep topic to cover in a short amount of space. However, it is an important topic to cover. To understand that God can choose whom he wants but we are still responsible for the outcome of our decisions. God’s sovereignty and our free will are not in opposition to one another they work in perfect harmony.
Trust his process and his wisdom.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Exodus 22-24
