Exodus 24:3–11 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

“We will do everything the Lord has said. We will obey.” That was a noble promise on the part of those who had just been led out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and away from Pharaoh. And I am sure they were sincere in saying those words in response to all that God had just done for them. But it is a good thing being rescued from Egypt did not depend on them keeping their promise. They never would have made it out! If you have read the book of Exodus, you know that even after their rescue they spent a lot of time whining and complaining and following false gods. They were not worthy of being rescued, not worthy of salvation. Yet God saved them! They had good intentions when they made that promise, but that was not good enough.

Just as the Israelites were not worthy of their rescue, neither are you and I worthy of being saved by Christ. He did not come because He knew you and I would be these wonderful people that He just couldn’t pass up. He did not die for you because He figured you would contribute something that made you worthy of saving. He did not save you in view of the faith of your parents or your children. He saved you out of love. He wanted you to be for Him a treasured possession. So He gave Himself in your place.

There was only one ever worthy of salvation, the one we sing about, the one whom the angels and saints in heaven adore with this refrain:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12) 

Jesus Christ lived the life that was worthy of all things good. He was not deserving of death and punishment, but worthy of eternity with God. Yet when men were called upon to judge him, what was their verdict? The answered He is worthy of death! (Matt 26:66),

That in itself was a display of God’s goodness. By the blood of Jesus, by His death, by His rising He has made us worthy to receive the glory of forgiveness and life everlasting. He has paid the price for out sins, taking unworthy people and giving us His perfection and righteousness, so that we can now stand before God without fear.