Made For Mission: A Missional People

Last week we looked at how God called a man named Abram, promised to make him into a nation, and committed to bless all people through him. This week, we will cover how God began to realize the first part of his promise as He formed a people for Himself. 

After hearing God’s plans for him, Abram (later, Abraham) went on to have a son with his wife Sarah, whom he named Isaac. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had Esau and Jacob. God chose to bless Jacob. Through Jacob and his two wives Leah and Rachel, 12 sons were born. Jacob’s favorite, Joseph, was despised by his jealous brothers. They sold Joseph to a passing group of marauders who took him to Egypt. There, Joseph rose up through the ranks, from slavery to the highest level, answering only to Pharaoh. Because of a famine, Joseph’s family came to him in Egypt for food. But, they didn’t recognize Joseph. When Joseph revealed who he really was, soon his father and everyone in the household joined him in Egypt. God thus protected the growing family and blessed them. That is, until the family grew so great in number that they came to be perceived as a threat to the Egyptians. The Egyptian leaders also forgot about Joseph. So, the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews. This is when Moses came on the scene.

God remembered His enslaved people and had compassion on them. God called Moses to lead them out of their bondage. Upon their exit, God miraculously made a way for over a million people to cross through the Red Sea on dry land. Their intended destination was to be a rich and bounteous land, given to them by God. On their way there, the people met with God in the desert at Mount Sinai. This was an important place and time as God established them as distinct from other groups and built their identity as His people. This would be important as they approached a land where they would encounter the Canaanites who did not know God and who worshiped many idols.

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

Read Exodus 19:4-6.

Who is speaking in these verses (see Exodus 19:3)? What are the three things that God says that He has done for Israel in verse 4? 

1. “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt…” 

What powerful acts had God performed that made an impact on the people in Egypt (see the 10 plagues and the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 7-14)? Why do you think God wanted His people to remember His acts in Egypt? 

2. “...and how I carried you on eagles’ wings…” 

Read parallel passages on this same subject in Deuteronomy 32:10-11 and Isaiah 41:31. What more do you learn there about what it means for God’s people to be carried on eagles’ wings?

3. “...and brought you to Myself.” 

God chose Mount Sinai as a place where He would meet with His people. It took the Israelites three months to reach the Desert of Sinai after their departure from Egypt (see Exodus 19:1-2) and they camped there in front of the mountain. 

God then presents a conditional or an “if-then” statement. God tells the people that if they do something, then He will do something. In Exodus 19:5, what conditions does God place on the promises He will make? There are two things God asks them to do. What are they? If they do these two things, what does God promise He will do (see Exodus 19:5b-6). Let’s look at the conditions and then the promises.

1. The first condition: “if you obey me fully…”

What do you think the Lord was expecting here? We know that in Exodus 20-23, God would give Moses the 10 Commandments and other laws, meant to be the guidance and their code of conduct with God and others. Do you think the people had the capacity to obey God fully? 

2. The second condition: “...and keep My covenant…”

What does it mean to “keep My covenant?” Covenant is not a word we hear much in our society today. Synonyms of the word “covenant” include: contract, treaty, pact, deal, bargain, agreement, arrangement, and understanding. A covenant could be made between people and countries, as well as between a monarch and their subjects. People can also make an alliance as friends or in marriage. 

In the Bible, we are introduced to covenants between God and humans. Sometimes these divine ordinances came with signs or pledges, even divine promises. For example, when God made a covenant with Noah that there would never be another world-wide flood, He gave a rainbow, which was a physical sign that affirmed His promise. The covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai is sometimes known as the Mosaic covenant because Moses was the human mediator between God and the people in their commitment to follow and keep the 10 commandments and the other laws set forth by God.

In Exodus 19:5-6, what two things does God promise to do if Israel observes the above conditions? God’s response is the “then” in the “if/then” proposition.

1. “Then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” 

This promise means that Israel would be a special people in God’s eyes above all other nations. God could have chosen any nation, because the whole earth is His. Yet, He chose this particular people and made a covenant with them. 

2. “...you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

In this promise, God shows His goal for His people. They are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These roles are ways they will be connected to God. For Him, for His purposes, they are called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Priests act as mediators between a deity and humans. In this case, Israel is to be a kingdom priests who help other people know who God is and what He has done. They do this on God’s behalf. 

When God says Israel is to be a holy nation, this means that they are to view themselves as being set apart for God’s purposes. As a nation, they are to be distinct from the other nations they will soon encounter. In the ancient world where they were many gods to worship, this means that one of the most distinctive qualities for Israel is that they are meant to worship only one God and Him alone. This will not only make them stand out as different, this will also make them attractive to others.

How can we apply these truths today? Are these promises pertinent for us? One thing we can observe is that God protected the nation of Israel and from this people, who descended from Abraham, Jesus Christ was born, the Savior of the world. For this, all who follow Jesus must be grateful for the Jewish people. 

But, we also know that Israel did not keep her part of this covenant, almost from the beginning. In Exodus 24:3, look at the commitment the Israelites made to all that God commanded. After they agreed to keep their side of the covenant, the people sacrificed to God and worshiped Him. However, this devotion would only endure for a short time. While Moses was up the mountain with God for forty days and forty nights (Exodus 24:18), Israel demanded that Aaron, Moses’ brother and the appointed leader in his absence, create a god that they could worship. This became the golden calf as recorded in Exodus 32. Over and over, Israel broke their covenant with God as they worshiped other gods. Eventually, God allowed them to be taken into exile.

But, God did not forget His people. In our New Testament, God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, who was God made human. Some in Israel rejected Him as Messiah. But, key people like the apostle Paul, Peter, John, and others whose writings we have in our Bibles believed and have helped us believe. These eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life teach us that Jesus lived the life that no person could ever live - completely sinless. They show us how we can trust in Him. 

Jesus kept covenant with God in a way that no one could ever have done. When we believe in Him and accept what He did for us by dying on a cross for our sins, we can be included in the if/then conditions He fulfilled with His victory over death in His resurrection and the sending of His Holy Spirit after His ascension into heaven. This means that we can view ourselves as a treasured possession of God, because we are in Christ. We can know we are a priest in God’s kingdom and holy in God’s sight. This means that we can be people who build bridges between God and others who do not know Him yet. We are mediators who let people know that there is a Savior who has made it possible for them to come and be accepted by a holy God. But, there is more. Because of the Holy Spirit who now lives in us, we can also find the courage and discipline to live lives that are different than the ones around us. Lives that are marked by the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). When others see love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control in our lives, they understand that we are different. They are attracted to the reason why this might be so. 

God chose Abram and made his descendants a people for Himself. They weren’t perfect, but they were His. Through this people, the whole world has been blessed. Those of us who have received the blessing of becoming God’s children must turn outward to the world and join God’s mission to redeem a people who will be devoted to God and willingly go to others with the message of salvation and acceptance by God. In this way, we glorify God and love the world as He does.

Prayer: God, today, we worship You as a Promise-keeper. You are a covenant-keeper who is faithful to complete Your part. Your covenant is with a people who are to be faithful to complete their part and join in Your mission. Give us courage and strength as we rely upon You. Amen.

Small Group Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean when we say that God’s missional people are magnetized people? 

2. Another way to put this is to say that Christians are meant to attract others to God. Do you think the church is attractive to the world? How could we become more attractive? 

3. What kinds of qualities would you prioritize in the interest of drawing others to Jesus? 

4. Do you see any qualities within the local church that might detract from
God’s mission?

5. Do you think Jesus would want to come to our church? What suggestions do you think He would make?

6.  Do you think Christians are a blessing to the world today? How so? Where do you think we could do better?