It is an awesome thing

And He said: "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. - Exodus 34v10

Moses and Israel could have had no idea about all that God meant when He told them, ‘It is an awesome thing that I will do with you.’ He said He was making a covenant, that He was would do marvels that had never been seen, and that every one would see the work of the Lord.

I am sure, that they were thinking like we tend to do, about material things. They must have been excited that this nation of former slaves was going to be known among all the nations. God was going to do things that the world had never seen before through them.

But let’s look at their history. They had a few great years, but only in one small part of the earth. No race has been more abused, attacked, and persecuted. More than one tyrant has tried to wipe out the Jews. They have been vilified by a multitude of groups. Even today anti-Semitism is rampant.

Is this really an awesome thing? Has God done this awesome thing for Israel?

I think when we look at that we are looking in the wrong place. God has done the ‘awesomest’ work through them. He has done a work that no nation has ever seen or will ever see.

What was that work? Through sinful, fleshly, rebellious Israel God provided His Son, the Redeemer and Saviour.

Amazing that God would use a people like that to give the world their only hope of eternal salvation. Just as awesome is the truth that He chooses to use a fleshly, rebellious, weak, foolish, and sinful people like us to carry that message to the world today.

Our God is an awesome God and He does an awesome work!