14th June 2024

14th June 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 15:1-21 focus v13-18)


Message (Alan Burke)


In all that takes place in the book of Exodus the Lord God was making himself known, known to the Egyptians and known to his people the Israelites. In this he was redeeming a people for himself. Do we see what is going on here, the Lord has redeemed his people, he fought for them, for the Lord is warrior, the Lord is saviour and there is no one like the Lord and how he was leading them, the people he had redeemed from their slavery to something better. In the end their praise is prophetic for it is looking how the Lord would lead them to the promised land that he had sworn to their forefathers years before. And they sing with certainty of how it will happen, he is leading them to the promised land, to dwell with himself, leading them to himself. But more than that he was redeeming a people unto himself for all eternity. 


Today this is the wonderful truth of what the Lord has done for us, he saves us, he is warrior who has defeated our great foe, freeing us from the curse of sin, bringing salvation to us, for there is no one like him in heaven or on earth and he is leading us to himself to something better to a new heaven and a new earth, where we will dwell in the holy city, the new Jerusalem, that has come down out of heaven from God prepared as a bird adorned for her husband. He is leading us on a journey from this life that has been so marred by the fall to a place where we will dwell with our Lord, where we will be his people, where he will wipe every tear from our eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:1–4). 


This is what the Lord is doing today through the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God. Why would he do this for any of us when he is holy, unable to look on sin? Well it is because of his v13 unfailing love as the NIV puts it, but the ESV translates it as steadfast, the word that is used is Hesed, the hesed love of the Lord. 


God’s love towards His people, is his his absolute loyalty to his people, and his faithfulness to his promise, it is a love that is not like our love, it is not conditional, it is not changeable, it doesn’t change from one day to the next, it is a hesed love, a steadfast love, a love that continues steadfastly, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. He had brought his people out of Egypt not because they were deserving but all because of his love taking them to somewhere better, leading his people to himself. And we know and experience this love all through Jesus Christ, who when to the cross because of His hesed love towards us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8). Jesus Christ went to the cross to die in our stead so that we who are gentiles by birth might know the surpassing riches of God in Him, even though we are sinful rebels, God’s hesed love is shown to us so that we could be clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ as if were our very own, as if we had lived this perfect righteousness ourselves. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations.