July 11, 2009

Texts:
Exodus 33 and 34
Romans 2

Exodus:
Exodus begins today with a connection to the Genesis story. “Go, leave this place, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ "
But the promised land of milk and honey is to be inherited by "stiff necked people". The disobedience of the people hasn't removed the grace of the covenant, but it has consequences for them.
God will not come near them.
But God and Moses remain close. Note in these chapters that Moses has a relationship with God that won't be repeated in Scripture.
Would you want to be that close to God?

Romans:
To appreciate Paul's argument in Romans, you need to appreciate the place of the Law in first century Judaism. Our readings from Exodus this past week help highlight this. Obeying the commandments and the law was THE way for Jews to keep their relationship with God.
And if you live under the Law, you are subject to the Law. But, for Paul, his revelation of Jesus Christ showed him that God also came to the earth in Grace. This doesn't invalidate the Law, but the love God showed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus gives us a new way to be in relationship with God.
Sometimes reading Romans can make your eyes cross. If that happens, try reading the passage without worrying about following his complicated argument. Read the passage and see which words or phrases jump out at you. Let those words be God's Word to you this day.