Holy Holy Holy, Is Our LORD God!
Reading: Exodus 19
My Verse: "So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified them [set them apart for God], and they washed their clothes" (19:14).
This chapter impresses upon me the incredible holiness of You, LORD God!
You want to show Yourself at least in part to the people, to impress on them that You are indeed speaking to them through Moses. You want the people to realize that Moses is Your chosen leader. Yet, You realize the inablity of the Israelites to stand up to You - to Your Holiness. You know the vast distance between the spiritual condition of the people and Your Holy Self! So You have Moses prepare the people by setting up boundaries for them. "And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, Take heed that you go not up into the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death" (19:12).
Dear LORD God You are so specific here and clear as to what the boundaries of the Israelites are. They know exactly what they can or cannot do in Your holy presence. You even give them plenty of time to prepare themselves for coming into Your holy presence - three days. Moses sanctifies them. They washed their clothes.
Then You appear! "The third morning there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, for the LORD descended upon it in fire, its smoke ascended like that of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. As the trumpet blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice"(19:16-19). How incredible it must have been to be there!
We so often forget just WHO You are LORD God. It is easy for me to become a bit careless in my thinking of You. Forgive me. I am brought back to Tozer's description in The Knowledge of the Holy of our inability to fully understand Your holiness. "Quite literally a new channel must be cut through the desert of our minds to allow the sweet waters of truth that will heal our great sickness to flow in. God's holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God's power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine." So important that I remember You are The Almighty and Holy God!
I like too the reference to washing their clothes as a part of preparing themselves for coming into Your presence. I have always felt that as Your disciple and follower going to church is a form of coming into Your presence. I like to dress nicely because I am going to worship You. This reference speaks to that for me. I know that in today's age many think it not cool to do so. But I like "preparing" myself to come into Your presence.
Thank You, Holy LORD God for loving me and enabling me to want to come into Your Holy presence!
"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name" (Psalm 103:1).
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: Exodus 19
My Verse: "So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified them [set them apart for God], and they washed their clothes" (19:14).
This chapter impresses upon me the incredible holiness of You, LORD God!
You want to show Yourself at least in part to the people, to impress on them that You are indeed speaking to them through Moses. You want the people to realize that Moses is Your chosen leader. Yet, You realize the inablity of the Israelites to stand up to You - to Your Holiness. You know the vast distance between the spiritual condition of the people and Your Holy Self! So You have Moses prepare the people by setting up boundaries for them. "And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, Take heed that you go not up into the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death" (19:12).
Dear LORD God You are so specific here and clear as to what the boundaries of the Israelites are. They know exactly what they can or cannot do in Your holy presence. You even give them plenty of time to prepare themselves for coming into Your holy presence - three days. Moses sanctifies them. They washed their clothes.
Then You appear! "The third morning there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, for the LORD descended upon it in fire, its smoke ascended like that of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. As the trumpet blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice"(19:16-19). How incredible it must have been to be there!
We so often forget just WHO You are LORD God. It is easy for me to become a bit careless in my thinking of You. Forgive me. I am brought back to Tozer's description in The Knowledge of the Holy of our inability to fully understand Your holiness. "Quite literally a new channel must be cut through the desert of our minds to allow the sweet waters of truth that will heal our great sickness to flow in. God's holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God's power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine." So important that I remember You are The Almighty and Holy God!
I like too the reference to washing their clothes as a part of preparing themselves for coming into Your presence. I have always felt that as Your disciple and follower going to church is a form of coming into Your presence. I like to dress nicely because I am going to worship You. This reference speaks to that for me. I know that in today's age many think it not cool to do so. But I like "preparing" myself to come into Your presence.
Thank You, Holy LORD God for loving me and enabling me to want to come into Your Holy presence!
"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name" (Psalm 103:1).
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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