22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. 26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’
No shoes on holy ground, no cutting tools on altar stones—do you see a picture emerging of the God we worship? His complete holiness allows no room for anything we might add in His presence. Yes, God is glorified by our good works and worshipped by our sacrificial efforts, but His holy places are lines we can’t cross. Our sin keeps us out.
Certainly this shows us how completely “other” He is and why fearing Him is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). Those who think of God as like them or a flawless version of themselves are deceived by their own pride.
Yet, this awareness of God’s complete “otherness” also underscores the miracle of our salvation. Because of His sacrifice for us—the righteousness Christ gave us through His death on the Cross—we do gain access. The door to His presence is opened in spite of our inability to enter on our own. That’s remarkable mercy and amazing grace!
– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
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