Friday, May 14
Read from the Spirit of Prophecy: “The Exodus,” pp. 281-290; “From the Red Sea to Sinai,” pp. 291-302; “The Law Given to Israel,” pp. 303-314, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
“The spirit of bondage is engendered by seeking to live in accordance with legal religion, through striving to fulfill the claims of the law in our own strength. There is hope for us only as we come under the Abrahamic covenant, which is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ Jesus. The gospel preached to Abraham, through which he had hope, was the same gospel that is preached to us today, through which we have hope. Abraham looked unto Jesus, who is also the Author and the Finisher of our faith.” Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1077
“During the bondage in Egypt many of the Israelites had, to a great extent, lost the knowledge of God’s law, and had mingled its precepts with heathen customs and traditions. God brought them to Sinai, and there with His own voice declared His law.” Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 334
Discussion Questions:
1. In what ways was the covenant relationship designed to maintain Israel’s physical and spiritual freedoms? (See Leviticus 26:3-13; compare Deuteronomy 28:1-15.)
2. Read again Exodus 19:5-6. Notice the Lord makes this statement, “All the earth is mine.” Why would He say that, particularly in this context, that of seeking to establish a covenant with these people? How does our understanding of the Sabbath, and what it means, fit in here?
3. We understand that we are forgiven our sins only through God’s grace. How do we understand the role of God’s grace in enabling us to live a life of faith and obedience?
Summary: The covenant God formed with Israel at Sinai was a covenant of grace. Having given abundant evidence of His gracious love and care by an extraordinary deliverance from Egyptian slavery, God invited the nation into a covenant with Him that would maintain and promote their freedoms. Although Israel responded in the affirmative, they lacked a true faith motivated by love. Their later history indicates that, for the most part, they failed to understand the true nature of the covenant and corrupted it into a salvation-by-works system. We need not follow Israel’s failure and ignore the marvelous grace which has been extended to sinners.
