Exodus 6

I've been reading Exodus lately and was struck this week by how the enslavement and discouragement of the Hebrews led them to revolt against Moses's earliest interventions on their behalf. In Chapter 6 especially, Moses hears directly from Yahweh about His plan and His power and His love, and yet, again, because of their circumstances, the people won't hear a word of it.

In some ways, it reminds me of where we can get sometimes. In fact, let me take Yahweh's words from Exodus 6, update them to suit our New Covenant reality from Jesus's lips, and show you what I mean:

"I am the Lord. I appeared to men and women just like you as Jesus of Nazareth, so that by the Name of the Lord I might make myself known to them. I also established my New Covenant with them - and with you - to give you the Kingdom of Heaven, where you are to live as naturalized citizens. Moreover, I always hear your prayers - and the groanings of the Holy Spirit on your behalf - and I always remember my personal covenant with you.

"Therefore, I say to my followers: 'I am the Lord Jesus, and I have brought you out from under the yoke of Satan, sin, death and the world. I have freed you from being slaves to them, and I have redeemed you with an outstretched pair of arms and with mighty acts of love. I have taken you as my own people, and I will be your God. Now you may know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the yoke of Satan, sin, death and the world. And I myself am the Way that will bring you to the Kingdom I swore with uplifted, nail-riven hands to give to my sons and daughters. I am giving it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.'"

Jesus said all this to His disciples, His followers, those called "Christians," but they did not listen to Him because of their discouragement and their bondage to the ways of the world, sin, death and the evil one...

Friends, is this the story we want our lives to be? Don't we want to fully appropriate what's already ours? Today is the day for doing so!