Living in the Spirit

June 14, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Exodus 19:2-8a
They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 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.

The big word in this scripture is “if.”  if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. The egalitarian in me does not like the suggestion that God has favorites.  So, I read this as saying that anyone who keeps God’s covenant would be God’s treasured possession. Even that does not recognize that all people are made in the image of God and have the potential to live in God’s covenant. Some people who do not pass our inspection may be doing better than those of us who judge others by our interpretation of what is right, which may be a narrower or broader interpretation of God’s righteousness.

For everyone, however, God’s righteousness is the quest for what is right and what is just. It is designed for the well-being of all, and it is the quest of all who believe that living in God’s love is the ultimate way of being whole for everyone.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts to follow you by your definition of love of others, not our definition filtered by our culture or the ways of the world. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.