While We Were Still Sinners

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8

Israel, God’s covenant nation, had been slaves in Egypt for 430 years when God raised up a deliverer. Moses led God’s people out of slavery into the Sinai Wilderness where they would spend the next 40 years learning how to trust God and depend on Him for all their needs.  

During their time in the wilderness, God took Moses up on a high mountain and gave him the 10 Commandments as well as instructions on everything from fair treatment of slaves to how to build a tabernacle. 

Moses’ brother, Aaron, and his sons would serve God as priests. God gave Moses detailed instructions on everything concerning the priesthood, from how to dedicate the priests down to the finest details regarding the garments that Aaron would wear while serving God as the high priest. 

Moses had been gone a long time. Too long, according to the people of Israel. When they saw how long it was taking Moses, they gathered around his brother, Aaron, and convinced him to melt down their gold and make a golden calf, an idol they would worship in the place of the one true God. 

At the same time that Moses was up on the mountain and God was preparing a priesthood for Aaron, Aaron was preparing to lead the people in worshiping another god. Although Moses was furious with what his brother had done, Aaron’s sin did not take God by surprise. 

Nothing we do ever takes God by surprise. God knew that Aaron would go astray, but he prepared a priesthood for him even while he was chasing other gods. What great love God had for Aaron! God knew that every one of us would go astray, but Paul writes, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“ 

If God had waited for Aaron to get his act together, Aaron would have never become high priest. Likewise, If God waited for you and me to get our act together to send Jesus, Jesus would have never come. Yet Jesus did come. God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.