Wednesday, 29 April 2020 Exodus 19:1-25
“Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, …” -Exodus 19: 22
The supernatural display of power and authority by Almighty God have conveyed to us that we have and serve a Living and Powerful God. He is the supreme authority over all kingdoms, nations, tribes and peoples. Yet He has made man in His image and likeness and loves him and desires to have fellowship with him. Adam and Eve (the first man and woman) always enjoyed constant fellowship with God until SIN entered and separated them from the Holy God. From then on, man could not enter freely into His presence. When God chose the nation of Israel to be His own people, He gave them instructions/guidelines on how to come before His presence lest they be destroyed. Only the priest(s) could come before Him atoning for his own sin and the sin of his people. Though God loves us so much, we cannot enter His presence by ourselves- with all our sin and fleshly desires and pride. The kings and presidents of nations may require certain protocols to abide by before visitors can be ushered into their presence. But we do not need any human security to enter God’s presence- yet we need to understand how it is made possible. When in the time of Moses, God commanded His people to keep away even from the mountain where He met with Moses, today we can freely come into His presence anytime: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16). How is this possible? It is because of Jesus Christ, our High Priest who has atoned for our sin once and for all with His own blood (Heb.9:13) and made a new and living way for us: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,..” (Heb.10:19,20)
Such great privilege is not to be taken casually, dear brethren. A well-searched heart, emptied of every bitterness, grudge, jealousy, immoral thoughts, hypocrisy and pride – only can be a clean and empty vessel ready to enter His presence, and expectant to receive a fresh anointing that comes from His presence— ready for freshness of His divine presence! The presence of the Lord is not a place to PLAY but a place to PRAY. It could be in the office, in the bedroom, in the car, in an aircraft, in the assembly of believers etc.- as long as the heart and mind are in tune with His holy presence, He is bound by His word to be with you. Before entering into the Lord’s Presence, we must always have a desire in mind for something that ties with His will, not mixed up by our human ways of reasoning and thinking or else we will not receive that which the Lord wants us to have.
Whenever we enter in His presence in tune with Him, we will feel refreshed and He will give us His counsel/direction and confirm His Word. As the Psalmist exhorts us, let us enter into His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and His courts with praise- not with grumbling or hypocrisy and as we give glory to His name let His presence become so real to us!
Prayer:
Lord God, help me to come into Your presence with a consecrated heart and ready mind that requires Your attention for Your glory. Amen.
Listen: ‘Come into the holy of holies’