Exodus 24:1-18 – After God provided the commandments, He ratified a covenant with His people. A sacrifice was essential so that the people could experience close fellowship with God.
The answer to all religious fear is to know the God who draws us near.
Observations
- God is so holy that even His leaders couldn’t approach Him casually (24:1-2).
- The Israelites gave a verbal commitment to obedience that their lives would be unable to back up (24:3-4).
- Before they disobeyed, God deemed a sacrifice necessary to initiate such a covenant with His people (24:5-8).
- After being cleansed, the people could draw near to God with an unfathomable nearness (24:9-12).
- God’s presence was inviting to those near but seemed threatening to those afar (24:13-18).
Applications
- We are too unholy to approach the holy God on our own terms.
- The blood of Jesus is the only source powerful enough to welcome us back into the presence of God.
- God is not begrudging in His forgiveness or distancing with His presence.
- The God who removes your sin far away desires to know you up close.
- It is never the preference of God to be distant from you.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
You must be logged in to post a comment.