“When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.” Exodus 30:20
This verse is in a section of Exodus where God is giving instructions to the priests concerning all their responsibilities in service of the Tabernacle. Before they could perform their duties, they were required to cleanse their hands and their feet in the great bronze laver or they would be unclean and be subject to the judgment of God, which was death. Before any act of worship, they needed to be cleansed or they would die. Worship for Old Covenant priests was serious business, not to be taken lightly, and was very truly a matter of life and death!
In the New Covenant we still need to be cleansed before we come into the presence of God. However, Hebrews chapter 10 makes clear that because of Jesus’ sacrifice of His own body He has “consecrated” a path for us into the presence of God. (Hebrews 10:20) As our High Priest, He has cleansed us once for all having our hearts sprinkled through the Holy Spirit and our bodies washed with pure water in baptism. (Hebrews 10:22) As New Covenant priests we can boldly draw near to God worshipping in His presence with full assurance of faith that we are clean, accepted, and holy. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
What a privilege! What an amazing honor! How much greater is the New Covenant than the Old! It’s a sad irony though, that this amazing truth accomplished by Jesus on our behalf, does not result in us taking worship more seriously in the church today. Christians today have an indifferent, ignorant, even flippant perspective concerning worship. Way too many churches also reflect this in the way they worship, encouraging a cavalier attitude to entering the presence of God. There is no fear of judgment at all.
But the judgment of God is still a very real part of profane, unclean worship. Just a few verses later in Hebrews 10:29-31 we are told, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Perhaps the ineffectiveness of the modern church and the growing ungodliness of our culture has something to do with the Church’s low value of worship? I absolutely believe we are guilty of treating what Jesus has sanctified for us, the privilege of drawing near to God in worship, as a common thing and the Lord is judging His people.
Exodus 30:20 is an admonition to treat worship seriously; to appreciate the impact of what Jesus accomplished for us as our High Priest, and that worship is still a matter of life and death.
Next week we’ll look at how worship is central to our lives, the spread of the Gospel, and to the transformation of the world.
His mercy endures forever!
Pastor Flynn