God’s plans for a people.

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Exodus 19:4-6a

Exodus is about God’s saving a nation to Himself, but not at the exclusion of the world. He called Israel as His people so that He could reach the world. They were to be a kingdom of priests… God’s mediators to the globe!

It is clear that God sees Himself as sovereign over the nations of the earth. The earth is the Lord’s. Not just the mountains and the oceans. The people of the planet are His. Israel is a particular treasure among all these possessions. And God wanted them to shine in such a way that the world would be drawn to Him.

There is tender relationship with Israel. They were rescued from the cruel bondage that was Egyptian slavery. They were carried to safety and drawn to God. They were asked to enter into a unique covenant with the God Who saved them. They were experiencing new blessing that no other nation before or since has known.

God’s plan for them included the world. And the same is true today. The church is a unique people of God (and let me be absolutely clear: the church is not Israel. We are the Bride of Christ. Israel is Yahweh’s Bride. We have a new relationship under the new covenant. Israel is still uniquely God’s nation and He will resume unique dealings with them as many scriptures testify). The church as a unique people of God has the responsibility of reaching out as a shining light to the world as well. God loves the world. God loves the church. The church is the means by which God sheds His love abroad in the world. And as a Christian I am part of that call to reach the world that I am in. God always loves the world. God always uses His people to reach the world.