A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS A HOLY NATION
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
EXODUS 19 1_14
Key Verse
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is mine”.
Exodus 24: 3
INTRODUCTION
God created all things because that is a part of His nature of love. He created people and He wanted Adam to be in charge of everything and every life form on the earth, whether they were animals, birds, fish of plant life. Adam was appointed by God to be the head and to teach everyone about God and lead them into worshiping God. But when he failed in his duty God promised to send a Redeemer to save man from the fatal consequences of his sin.
In this process of salvation God called Abraham and gave him instructions to leave his home and go where God would send him. Abraham believed God and God regarded Abraham’s belief and obedience to His command as demonstrating that Abraham was righteous. God promised Abraham that someone would come from his children as the Redeemer and would correct the result of Adam’s failure. And as well Abraham would be given a land for himself and his descendants. God promised Abraham that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed. Abraham was therefore called the Father of all those who believe in God and be saved.
But Abraham’s descendants went into the land of Egypt for there was a bad famine in the land of Canaan where they lived. In Egypt Joseph took care of them. But later after Joseph died they were made slaves and they cried to God for relief. God sent Moses to lead them and God delivered them and took the now large population of Israelites to Mount Sinai so that He would begin a new covenant or agreement with them.
Under this covenant He would be their God and take care of them and take them into the Promised Land of Canaan. He regarded the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham as His special people to whom He would show special love and faithfulness. The responsibility of the people in the nation of Israel would be to obey the Commandments of God and accept His direction and worship Him.
The nation listened to Moses when he told them of God’s intention for them and they all agreed to do everything that God wanted.
God therefore began to implement His promise to make Israel a holy nation which meant they were separated to God. They would be a kingdom of priests which meant they would be given the ability to offer sacrifices to please God. Their task would be to take the teachings about God to all the nations of the earth.
So God told Moses to prepare them to meet Him. They would wash their clothes and their bodies, dress up, and focus on their experience to meet God, and then watch God come to speak to the nation at Mount Sinai. They did as Moses instructed and God came down in a thick smoke which covered the entire mountain. There were thunders and lightning and a display of God’s power and might. The people were somewhat frightened and they confirmed their intention to worship God as their only God.
We learn from this we are to listen to the words of God. His commands are serious. He is all-powerful but He is all-loving. He cares for us whom He created and He intends to restore us and bring us into a special relationship with Him. He has made us great and special promises when He saved us from sin and death that results from sin. But the commands of God are serious and must be obeyed. If we do as God wishes since we are in a special relationship with Him, and are his children, and are in His family, the blessings in His kingdom for us as kings and priests are immense.