The Gateway Church

Throughout the Old Testament God manifested himself to his people, but He could only come so close. God’s glory is too powerful. But Moses, like all of us longed for more; to see God face to face. This longing was fulfilled centuries later in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the glory of God in a way we can see and touch and grasp.

In the beginning, human beings were made to (1) worship and serve God, and then (2) to rule over all created things in God’s name (Gen.1:26–28). Instead, we fell into sin. When Paul sums up the fall of humanity into sin, he does so by describing it in terms of idolatry. He says we refused to give God glory and instead chose certain parts of creation to glorify in his stead. In short, we reversed the originally intended order. The Ten Commandments’ first two and most fundamental laws are a call back to the order of creation - a call to worship creator God as the supreme authority in your life.

In the beginning, human beings were made to (1) worship and serve God, and then (2) to rule over all created things in God’s name (Gen.1:26–28). Instead, we fell into sin. When Paul sums up the fall of humanity into sin, he does so by describing it in terms of idolatry. He says we refused to give God glory and instead chose certain parts of creation to glorify in his stead. In short, we reversed the originally intended order. The Ten Commandments’ first two and most fundamental laws are a call back to the order of creation - a call to worship creator God as the supreme authority in your life.

The 19th chapter of Exodus serves as a preamble to the commandments given by God to Israel through Moses in the following chapter. It informs us as to the purpose of the commandments, as well as to the perspective we should have toward them. The average modern person either believes the law is what saves you, that the law is what you have to do in order to receive salvation, or else they believe the law is something we have to get beyond in order to be truly free. But the Bible’s understanding of the spiritual purpose of the law is much more nuanced and much more beautiful.

The 19th chapter of Exodus serves as a preamble to the commandments given by God to Israel through Moses in the following chapter. It informs us as to the purpose of the commandments, as well as to the perspective we should have toward them. The average modern person either believes the law is what saves you, that the law is what you have to do in order to receive salvation, or else they believe the law is something we have to get beyond in order to be truly free. But the Bible’s understanding of the spiritual purpose of the law is much more nuanced and much more beautiful.

The Song of Moses is commonly recognized as one of the oldest, most radical, and most important songs in the Old Testament. It contains the crucial themes of Israel’s faith. It tells the story of Israel’s liberation from slavery and entry to the Promised Land with Israel moving from the world of Pharaoh’s violent oppression to the safe land of promise. This same modeling of reality is retold in Christian song and liturgy - a life of dying with Christ and being raised to new life, in taking the form of a servant and being exalted, and in denying oneself and having life given abundantly.

The Song of Moses is commonly recognized as one of the oldest, most radical, and most important songs in the Old Testament. It contains the crucial themes of Israel’s faith. It tells the story of Israel’s liberation from slavery and entry to the Promised Land with Israel moving from the world of Pharaoh’s violent oppression to the safe land of promise. This same modeling of reality is retold in Christian song and liturgy - a life of dying with Christ and being raised to new life, in taking the form of a servant and being exalted, and in denying oneself and having life given abundantly.

Fear tends to make us skeptical, selfish, stubborn and shortsighted. In the story of the closing of the Red Sea we see three things the Israelites did to face their fears: let go, look up to God and launch out in faith.