The Israelites had been free of their slavery in Egypt only two months when God appeared to them at Mount Sinai. It was there that He proposed to them; He invited them into a covenant relationship. He said, “You know how I brought you to myself and carried you on eagle’s wings. Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure” (Exodus 19:4-5). The next several chapters describe God revealing Himself, His holiness, and His promises to the Israelites. At least three times all the people responded, “We will certainly do everything the Lord asks of us” (Exodus 19:8).
God was inviting them to be His special treasure. Beloved. Desired. Chosen. And they responded with obedience. But I think they missed the point. Because less than two months later, they asked Aaron to make them an idol.
God said, I rescued you because I heard you crying out for deliverance (Exodus 3:7). I chose you simply because I love you (Deuteronomy 7:8). You’ve seen how I will go to great lengths for you. You know I won’t let anything, not even the mightiest nation on earth, stand between you and me. I want to protect and defend you, to carry you away, to be with you always.
How could they forget so quickly? I don’t think their hearts were really in it. They agreed with their mouths, they thought it sounded like a good idea, but they didn’t grasp the first article of the agreement – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).
What is our response to the extravagant love of God? When we grasp the extraordinary message that Jesus loves us, what do we do next?
Obedience is perhaps the easiest response. Yes, it might mean a change in behaviors. It might mean giving up something because it doesn’t fit with your new allegiance. But it’s the kind of change that can easily be limited to the surface. The Pharisees were very careful to obey even the smallest rule. And Jesus condemned them, saying, “You are like whitewashed tombs – beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28).
Worship can also be an easy response. If we sing during church, maybe even closing our eyes or lifting our hands, we figure we’ve got this one covered. Jesus had something to say about that, too: “Don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them” (Matthew 6:5), “everything they do is for show” (Matthew 23:5). Lip service is never going to be enough.
When we love another person, we want them to love us, too. We hope they feel the same way. It brings us great joy when they do. God is no different. God knows that if we love Him, praise and obedience will naturally flow out of our already full hearts. They won’t need to be forced or demanded because they’ll be gladly given.
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you… I have seen you… and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself… You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you… I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely. Psalm 63:1-8
What is this passage from Psalms but a love song? It’s a heart captivated that is yearning. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1).
Somehow the church has become uncomfortable with desire and longing, intimacy and passion. But we are made for them. We hunger for them. And if we can’t imagine that there’s a place for these feelings in the Christian life, we seek their fulfillment in the wrong places. When we shy away from strong feelings, from deep places, we hold God at arm’s length. We never draw near to Him. We miss out on the deep love and closeness that He wants to have with us.
This is not how it is supposed to be. If we look back to Eden before the disastrous fall into temptation, we see a far different picture. God walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. An evening stroll. This is what Jesus fought to restore – intimacy and unity in love. His final prayer for all believers was, “I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me” (John 17:23).