1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,
Now the Lord is expanding who can be on the mountain. These extra leaders get to be closer, although only Moses gets to enter God’s immediate presence. They stay at a distance, but are closer than the rest of the people. We often see this kind of distinction being made in the Old Testament. Only one person gets to encounter the Lord in a one-on-one fashion. This principle gets carried out in the Day of Atonement sacrifice. The blood of that sacrifice gets carried by the High Priest into the Holy of Holies one time each year. Just one person goes behind that curtain. The rest of the Priests are outside the curtained area. The people are completely outside the Tabernacle. They stay at their tents and look toward the Tabernacle. We get to experience something very different from these Old Testament saints. We, each and every one of us, are invited into God’s presence. The barrier that is set up in the Old Testament is torn from top to bottom when Jesus dies on the Cross. What was once a closed place is open for all to enter. We are encouraged to come boldly into God’s presence. Nothing can separate us from God’s presence. Let us not take for granted this great privilege. Let us not take it lightly. God invites us to join Him, to enjoy His presence and to carry that presence with us in our daily lives. He gives us the Holy Spirit who is with us always. Recognize and acknowledge His presence today.
The Arnold Journey 