Questions
What does it mean for you to “meet God?”
What has to happen before we can meet God?
Are you afraid of meeting God?
Have people told you there is more than one way to meet God?
Answers
This powerful word from Exodus answers all the questions above. Moses and the people of God flee Egypt and are in the wilderness. They are about to hear from God and know His Heart. Pay special attention to the interaction between God and man. First, a preparation must take place before His people can meet Him. They must be consecrated/sanctified; they will wash their clothes. I want to make sure you see this…They need to be clean when they meet God.
While we can meet with God, it is worth noting the people are not able to just do what they want or what feels right. Truth is not dependent on what we want or how we feel. Truth is what God says it is. The newly freed Hebrews have boundaries and limits on how they approach God. These guidelines are for their own good. If they approach God differently than He commands, they will die. The guidelines of sin are for our protection. They keep us alive; they are for our good.
Verse 15 tells us Moses goes down the mountain to consecrate the people. He makes sure they are clean when they approach God. They will meet with God on the 3rd day (I let you make that connection on your own!) Verse 17 states, “Moses brings the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.” Moses is the one who represents the people and brings them into the presence of God. When Moses consecrates the people, they will get dirty again. The consecration from their own hands does not last. Why? We cannot make ourselves clean.
What does all of this mean for us? Moses represents the people before God. Just as Christ represents us before God. Moses goes down the mountain to consecrate the people; Christ comes down to earth to completely/eternally consecrate His people. The Hebrews can only come close to God when they are made clean; Christ is the only One who consecrates us so we can come close to God.
We meet God only by believing and trusting in Christ – what He has done for us! We do not have to fear coming close to God because Christ is the One who brings us to Him. Because of Christ, we have NO FEAR. We have the ability to meet with God anytime, anywhere, any place because Christ has eternally accomplished His work!
Therefore, lets come to God in confidence. A confidence not based on our own works and righteousness but a confidence in Christ’s finished work and righteousness!
Hebrews 4:16
