200219: Ascension

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Psalm 24:3-5 (NASB)

Hymn: "My Jesus, I Love Thee" William R. Featherstone, Adoniram J. Gordon

​The descriptions of the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament are terrifying. God demands a massive amount of accuracy in every detail, down to a single strand of blue to hang from the front of the high priest's turban. The cost of entering the wrong room without the right role and at the right time after taking the right preparations was death. Who, indeed, can stand before God?

In the New Testament, we are told that we may now boldly approach the throne of God as sons, and I have reminded people elsewhere that it is important to still remember that it is a throne. Boldness does not negate honor and respect for the One we approach. We must have a sense of how impossible it is for us to approach God on our own strength, on our own morality. We must see the lofty heights and know we cannot fly to them. Only then do we fully appreciate the fact that the path was made for us.

As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God,
The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?
He makes my feet like hinds' [feet,]
And sets me upon my high places.
Psalm 18:30-33 (NASB)

The Lord is blameless; we must be made blameless by Him. He is our shield and rock; we must receive our strength from Him. And if we seek to ascend to the throne of God, it is God Himself who brings us to the high places. How glorious is our God, that He not only desires to know and be known, but that He would do for us what we can never do for ourselves!