Day 19 – Exodus: Israel’s Journey to Mount Sinai
Reading: Exodus 12:31 to Exodus 20:21
“The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.” Exodus 12:40-42 NLT
The exactness of God never ceases to amaze me, as the verse of today states, “on the last day of the 430th year”. It was exact planning and timing to send “all the Lord’s forces” out of slavery to a (long) walk of freedom. The Exodus, crossing of the Red Sea, complaining and sins in the wilderness, sketches our sinful nature’s impatience and selfishness. God wanted a nation set apart for Him and from the world, and on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the 10 Commandments while the nation was busy creating an idol to ease their fear of the unknown and please their sinful, fleshy nature. Aren’t we like that today, making our own plans instead of waiting on God?
Like the exact planning and timing of their exodus and the institution of the first Passover, the 10 Commandments are precise in their design. At first glance, they seem like a list of dos and don’ts, but delving deeper, we learn that they are a moral compass – not just for the Israelites but for us today, too. Making the 10 Commandments centre of your moral day-to-day thoughts and actions aligns your heart with God’s desire for holiness and living in righteousness through Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us the 10 Commandments as a moral compass and directive to align our lives with Your heart and to strive for a righteous living. We know that Jesus came not to force the law on us, but to fulfil it through love and grace. Help us to understand the commandments and learn from the Israelites through their journey. Amen.
