Anticipating Christ,
The Greater Moses
Exodus 19:3-8
The following Advent devotion provides Scriptural texts we can meditate on as a church congregation, in concert with the sermon series each week, to gain a deeper understanding of our sin, a closer look at the beauty of Christ, and the power of the Gospel that saves and redeems.
Scripture
3Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
Exodus 19:3-8
We meet Israel at Mount Sinai, freshly rescued from slavery in Egypt and brought through the wilderness by God’s faithful hand. Before giving any commands, God reminds them of what He has already done: “I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” A people who had known only oppression, namelessness, and powerlessness now hear a staggering promise. They will be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. They are not only saved from slavery, but saved for intimacy, purpose, and belonging: to be known, loved, and used by God in His world.
Yet Israel’s eager declaration—“We will do everything the Lord has said”—doesn’t last. The covenant at Sinai exposes both the beauty of God’s holiness and the frailty of the human heart. This is where Jesus enters as the greater Moses. Moses went up the mountain to receive the law written on stone; Jesus went up Calvary’s hill to fulfill that law perfectly and write it on our hearts by His Spirit. Moses stood between a holy God and a sinful people; Jesus bore our sin and the curse of the covenant to reconcile us to the Father forever. In Him, we become what Israel was always meant to be—a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Advent reminds us that we no longer strive anxiously for worth or security in this world. Carried on “eagles’ wings” by Christ’s finished work, we live as God’s beloved possession, rich in His love and empowered to overcome darkness as His redeemed people.
Meditate
Take a few moments to quietly reflect on this truth.
God’s covenant at Sinai reminds us, “I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” Jesus, the greater Moses, ascended the hill of Calvary and fulfilled the covenant perfectly on our behalf, because our love and obedience could never sustain that relationship. How does knowing that he carried and fulfilled what we could not shape the way you pursue holiness today?
Pray
Speak this prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and mind.
Father, thank you for carrying us when we could not come to you on our own. Thank you for Jesus, the greater Moses, who fulfilled the covenant we could never keep and brought us near by His grace. Teach us to walk in holiness not to earn your love, but because we have already received it. Lead us to daily gratitude, joy, and repentance as those who have been carried by you. Amen.
Apply
Consider specific ways you can live out this truth today.
Take a quiet moment today to remember how God has carried you through seasons of failure, fear, and striving. Reflect on Jesus, the greater Moses, who ascended Calvary to make you his treasured possession. Let that truth fill you with satisfaction, hope, and joy—even in the midst of a broken world.
Memorize
Carry this truth with you throughout your day.
9“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
