Prepare to Meet Your God!

Introduction

Events are not coincidences; they are the work of Providence. We do not discover God; God reveals Himself to us and prepares us for a relationship with Him. God, in His grace, delivered the Israelites and prepared them to enter into a covenant relationship with Him.

Thesis: God prepares us to enter a covenant relationship with Him.

How does God prepare us for a covenant relationship?

God Prepares Us by Prior Experiences

A. Exegesis, v. 4

1. “You have seen what I did to Egypt.”
   • In the plagues, the God of Israel confronted the Egyptian gods (the Nile, the Sun, and Pharaoh), and defeated them.
   • The Egyptians were glad to get rid of them and offered to give them anything they wanted, if they would just leave.
2. “You have seen how I carries you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”
   • they left swiftly;
   • they were carried through the Red Sea safely;
   • they were fed manna and quail in the desert; and
   • they were brought to a place to meet God.

B. Application–>God uses our prior experiences to prepare us to enter into a covenant relationship with Him.

God Prepares Us by Presenting Instructions with a Promise

A. Exegesis, vv. 5-6

1. “Obey Me fully.”
2. “Keep My covenant.”  Three kinds of covenants in antiquity:
   • Royal Grant, unconditional, to a loyal servant for faithful or exceptional service.
   • Parity covenant between equals, binding them to a mutual friendship and as “brothers.” God never enters into this kind of covenant.
   • Suzerain-vassal (conditional) covenant between a greater king and one of his subject kings. The greater king claimed absolute sovereignty and pledged protection of the vassal, conditional on the vassal’s faithful loyalty to the greater king and the payment of taxes. This is the covenant God made with Israel.
3. “You will be My treasured possession.”
   • “a kingdom of priests”
   • “a holy nation”

B. Application–God prepares us for a covenant relationship with Him by communicating His terms to us.

God Prepares Us by Providing Further Instructions

A. Exegesis, vv. 9-15

1. “Consecrate yourselves.” Three Hebrew words translated “consecrate”:
   • Hebrew haram = devote, Micah 4:13.
   • Hebrew nazar, nezer = separate, Numbers 6:7, 8, 12
   • Hebrew qadesh = to set apart, Exodus 19:10
2. “Wash your clothes.”
3. “Be ready”

B. Application–>When we surrender our wills to God’s covenant terms, God then instructs us how to live.

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