Eastertide
June 5, 2014

Scripture Reading: Exodus 19:1-9a

Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.’  

So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after.’ — Exodus 19:5-9a

The history of God’s relationship with humans is a series of give and take negotiations. Noah, you build an ark, save your family, and rebuild the human race and I will save you from the coming flood. Abraham, leave this land, travel to a new one, and I will be with you and give you more descendants than you can count. And in today’s scripture God tells Moses and the Israelites to obey God’s voice and keep God’s covenant and they would become a priestly people. In return God will be with Moses in every aspect of his life.

Our scriptures this week are walking us forward toward the initiation of another negotiation: Pentecost—the coming of the Holy Spirit. The negotiation was complete. Go therefore and make disciples…And remember I am with you to the end of the age.—Matthew 28:19a, 20b but the Disciples were still caught in the fog of grief. At the point when they finally realized they had made this commitment they start to get organized. They needed to replace Judas. At that very ripe point is when the Holy Spirit was fully realized. But I am getting ahead of myself that is coming in a few days.

Right now let us to bask in the history of God’s always being true to God’s relationship with us and trust that will always be the case.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that someone recorded the history of your relationships with your people. Make us more aware of your presence so that we too can respond in kind. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.