20 April 2010
Psalm 26, 28; Exod. 19:1-16; Col. 1:1-14; Matt. 3:7-12

The promise to Moses is fulfilled! When he agreed to go, the Lord promised that when the work was done in Egypt they would worship here on this mountain and here they are. The covenant relationship is beginning to be established with the contingency that if they obey the voice of the Lord and keep His commandments they will be His treasured possession. Remember that the complaint God made against Adam was that he had obeyed the voice of the woman (rather than the voice of God). Here at the mountain the Lord will do two things, get their attention and also affirm Moses as the leader of the people. The “hope” is that they will be holy, having been in the presence of the Lord, and that they will accept Moses’ leadership going forward. The hope isn’t fulfilled.

John gets on a rant. When he sees the Pharisees and Sadducees coming out he is rightfully suspicious of their motives. He cuts to the heart of the matter by saying that Abraham’s faith and the circumcision won’t save them. These are the leaders of the people, in the Pharisees case, the righteous ones, the ones who venerate the law. John speaks of bearing fruit as the measure God will use to evaluate the people. Righteousness actually is to be an attractive thing but too often those who are righteous are the most unattractive people to be around and hence bear little fruit. John’s ministry shows that righteousness, done right, can indeed bear great fruit for the kingdom. We must begin with rooting out self-righteousness, the desire to be self-justified before God.

Paul here speaks of the two themes of the day, hope and fruit bearing. Both these, he says must have a proper foundation. Our hope is in laid up for us in heaven and it comes in the Word of truth. Our hope must not be in men and women but rather in Jesus, the one who never disappoints, who perfectly lived His life on earth and now is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. We will fail one another, disappoint one another, and ultimately will die, we must have our hope in that which is eternal and that which is true. Paul says that the truth is the ground from which fruit is possible, the Good News has never failed to produce fruit wherever it is sown. The prayer in verses 9-14 is one we should pray over our loved ones every day.

Blessed be the LORD!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.