Becoming a Priestly Kingdom

Through the Morning Devotion on Exodus, God has been leading us to see our identity as royal priests. Recently, our preaching series has also been progressing through Exodus. Last week, Pastor Deborah preached during the Pentecost Sunday service, and coincidentally, the passage was Exodus 19. We thank God for unveiling to us the light of Pentecost!

Exodus 19 narrates how the Israelites, during the third month after entering the wilderness, experienced their first Pentecost. They were to consecrate themselves and prepare for the Lord’s presence on Mount Sinai as He gave them the Ten Commandments and established a covenant with them. By the time of Exodus 40, on the first day of the first month, they had prepared the tabernacle to welcome the glory of God. The holy God, determined to dwell among a weak people and accompany them on their heavenly journey, spent forty years with them. His purpose was to remove the yeast of Egypt, shape their hearts, and teach them to forsake their own ways and worldly notions, choosing instead to follow Him alone as royal priests.

In the past, we often focused on how the people entered the Promised Land of Canaan and followed God’s path of destiny in that land of blessing. However, this time God is calling our attention back to Exodus. The goal of the Exodus was not merely to lead the Israelites into Canaan but rather to bring them to Mount Sinai—where God descended and made a covenant—so that they could step into the ultimate purpose of becoming a priestly kingdom.

We often think only about how we can be blessed after entering the Promised Land, and how to enjoy an abundant life upon salvation until we return to our heavenly home. Yet God’s intent is for the people to be refined in the wilderness so they can become royal priests, a holy nation, and His own people. This extends even into the New Testament era of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit descends into people’s hearts, it enables them to listen—truly listen—and to follow Jesus. It leads them into holiness to bear witness for the Lord and to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Dear brothers and sisters, God is leading 611 Church to read Exodus again this time, so that we will become obedient, holy, God-fearing priests who can spread the breath of the Tree of Life and plant it among all nations. May we respond to God’s heart together!■【2025.06.08】