Nearly 3 months had passed from when the people saw the Egyptians who had tried to follow them through the parted waters - dead upon the sea shore. The drama of the plagues had been fresh in their minds then. Since then they had been miraculously provided with water, then with bread, ‘the manna from heaven’ and quail to eat. How much should all these experiences have impressed them!? Now “Israel encamped before the mountain” [Exodus 19 v.2], not just any mountain! There is no certainty today in identifying this mountain.

“Moses went up to God” [v.3]. What did God say to him? They are words which we see being meaningfully echoed in the New Testament from the mouth of Jesus. God told Moses to tell the people, “you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle’s 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 you shall be to me a kingdom of priests … “ [v.4-6]

Those final words find a remarkable echo in the last message of Jesus in the last book of the Bible (Rev.20 v.6). From the beginning of the world God has been looking for those who are willing to dedicate their lives to him and become his “treasured possession.” This is an overwhelming prospect – beyond our human comprehension. However, we must realize how the New Testament reveals what we might call, ‘the human face of God.’ Remember how Jesus said, “whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14 v.9]

But of course he wasn’t the Father! But as we read in Hebrews 1, God “in these last days has spoken to us by his Son” [v.2]. So in Exodus we see God speaks to and through Moses and we particularly note that “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear (awe) of him may be before you, that you may not sin’” [20 v.20]

What about today? Remarkably God now ‘speaks’ through the pages of the Bible which is now available in every known language. To those who truly seek God to “indeed obey” he is a “still small voice” [1 Kings 19 v.12] but for those who “refuse him who is speaking” [Heb. 12 v.25] then see what is written in the rest of Hebrews 12.

Today we read one of the best known Psalms – No. 72. The introduction states, ‘OF SOLOMON’ but the last verse tells us, “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended.” We therefore conclude David began it as a Psalm for Solomon for the success, through the providence of God, of his coming reign. However, as he progressed in writing the Psalm David becomes inspired to see beyond the mortal reign of Solomon and his grandeur – to that of his greater son.

The Psalm starts, “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice … May he defend the cause of the poor … and give deliverance to the children of the needy …” [v.1,2,4] David’s vision then opens out to encompass the work of his greater son of which he was aware through God’s message to him through the prophet Nathan, that God will “establish the throne of his kingdom for ever … your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.” [2 Sam. 7 v.13,16]

Of this Son he writes, “May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” [v.8]. In v. 10 we noted, “may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.” The Queen of Sheba did bring gifts to Solomon (1 Kings 10 v.1-13) but Jesus said, “something greater than Solomon is here” [Luke 11 v.31]

The Psalm reaches its climax with a far reaching vision, “May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever, may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” [v.17-19]

Oh the wonder of that time! At the moment “the whole earth” is experiencing more and more uncertainties and troubles as man tries to do all for the glory of man! We notice that tomorrow’s Psalm commences, “Truly God is good … to those who are pure in heart.” Those who follow Jesus with all their heart will be there.

“How good is your eyesight? What do we look at each day? Why do we choose one thing in preference to another?

There is a sense in which we can talk about the ‘eyesight’ of the mind! (see Eph. 1 v.18) Why do we think about certain things more than others? Our meditation upon our thinking processes was prompted by the way, when the crowds had left, Jesus responded to “those around him with the twelve” [Mark 4 v.10].

They ask him about the parables he is using in teaching the people. He tells them, “to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God’ [v.11] Is it a secret? There are many references in the Old Testament to the kingdom! True, but the common expectation was that the Messiah would be a conquering king, when that happened it would be totally clear to all. But, the point is - you have to commit yourself before that happens as to whether you are on his side!

God’s way is to attract those who are prepared to think, ‘to use their brains’ as some would put it today. Jesus says he is speaking in parables “so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven” [v.12]. They had seen how different he was to any other teacher; we read in Mark Ch. 1, “they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes” [v.22]. But being “astonished” is only a start!

Today we do not hear his teaching or see his miracles, but we know more than ever of the miracle of creation, but the minds of so many are locked into “believing” it all happened by pure chance! And, most important of all, we have this remarkable book that God caused to be written and preserved! How many read but do not understand? How many hear the Lord’s Prayer, but do not understand? Some start to understand, but, as in the parable we read today says, “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires of other things enter in and choke the word” [v.19] demonstrating the truth of his saying “they may indeed see but not perceive”

God is not calling the half hearted – may you not be half hearted but have good eyesight.