“And you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die.’” – Deuteronomy 5:24-25
God blessed Israel by bringing them into His presence. He invited all His people to Mt. Sinai to hear Him speak the Ten Commandments. Afterward, they went to Moses to explain that while they appreciated the experience they never, ever wanted it to happen again! Thanks but no thanks, they said. They were terrified and overwhelmed by God’s presence and begged to keep their distance from Him at all times. What a tragedy!!!
Their request set the course for the rest of their history throughout the Old Testament. From then on, God increased His separation from them. Even when His presence dwelt in the middle of their camp, they were shielded from it by heavy curtains. Only their one designated representative would approach God or hear from Him. That’s how they wanted it because they feared to be too close to God’s presence. They asked for separation from Him and they got what they asked for. It’s hard to imagine how different their history would be or the enormous blessings they missed out on because they feared and avoided God’s presence!
Things are different now. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain inside the temple was torn from top to bottom. There no longer needs to be that separation because Christ lives within His people. We don’t have to be like the people of Israel. Nonetheless, we often still avoid God’s presence. We still avoid rather than seek the experience of His overwhelming, manifest presence. Our busyness, our distraction, and our addiction to entertainment and trivialities serve to keep us far from God’s presence.
Stop doing that! If Jesus is your Savior, then seek to draw ever nearer to God. Ask Him to reveal His presence to you. As you meditate on His Word and pray each day, take time to focus on His presence. Claim the promise of Jesus that He is always with you. Know that God’s Spirit lives within you. Listen for His voice. Claim the promise of the torn curtain – there is now no separation! Draw near to God and trust that He will draw near to you. #FollowJesus