God’s Special Treasure
Exodus 19-21
God calls us His “own special treasure,” selected “from all the peoples on earth,” but He expects us to “obey [Him] and keep [His] covenant” (also known as the Ten Commandments.) Exodus 19:5 NLT In doing so, He will “lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love [Him] and obey [His] commands.“ Exodus 20:6 NLT Why? Because relationship matters. The Ten Commandments are a gift to us, allowing us insight on how to stay close with God and each other. It is only when we lose access to God that hope fails and our success dwindles. That is why the devil tries so hard to fracture our relationships, because he knows hopelessness thrives in dark places.
To draw the focus toward the seriousness behind the Ten Commandments, God caused thunder to crash, the ram’s horn blared, lightning lit up the sky, and smoke billowed from the mountain. Quite the attention getter, if you ask me! This made the Israelites tremble, so Moses declared, “Don’t be afraid…for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning!“ Exodus 20:20 NLT God’s tactics might sometimes seem extreme, but He always has our best interest at heart.
