Into God’s Presence

Feature 1 – January 2019 — Grace & Truth Magazine

Into God’s Presence

Among the words of Solomon there stands this counsel from Proverbs 25:6: “Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king.” The statement is a warning to self-confident people who are certain that their status, charm or personality would be welcome in the king’s court. The passage continues by describing the shame of being forced to leave the room after an awkward encounter with the royal family.

We understand this reasoning. It would be improper and rude to demand that honorable, dignified officials should accept the sudden entrance of any person who comes in from the street. By definition, the majesty and nobility of a king’s presence means that nothing dishonorable should be permitted.

But if this is true of a king, how much more true is it of God? And if God’s presence is so divinely exalted, what chance would any of us have to see His face? The case seems hopeless. Yet one psalm writer said, “It is good for me to draw near to God” (Ps. 73:28 NKJV).

Those who love God have always been attracted to His glory, not repelled by it. How can these opposing thoughts be reconciled?

A Survey Of History
From God’s perspective history is not divided by dynasties and empires, but by the different ways He has interacted with people. The writer to the Hebrews referred to the various times and ways by which God spoke to people by His prophets (Heb. 1:1). Throughout history, whether through prophets or other means, God has set forth various invitations that call human beings to fellowship with Him. Of course no one would say God is unjust if He defines the terms of His own invitation, just as no one would say a king is unjust when he determines how the honor of his court will be upheld. In fact the question is not whether God’s invitation is proper, but whether we who receive it are sufficiently impressed by the honor of being invited.

These invitations are part of various periods of time. Those eras, often called “dispensations,” are periods when God dealt with humanity in a specific manner. For example, God’s first invitation was to Adam and Eve. Their relationship with God was based simply on their appreciation of God Himself. He had provided for every need – a home, food, companionship, and a dignified purpose for daily activity. This is often considered to be the age, or dispensation, of innocence, before sin had entered the world. Evidently Adam and Eve enjoyed daily conversation with God, for when they heard Him walking toward them in the garden they knew the sound and recognized His voice (Gen. 3:8).

But then another voice convinced them that God could not be trusted. When Satan suggested that God was withholding something good from them, both Eve and Adam disregarded the goodness of God and yielded instead to the temptation.

Because God is just, this sin did permanent damage to the relationship of appreciation. But because God is good; He presented a new invitation. The gap in His relationship with mankind could be bridged by a suitable sacrifice: an animal whose life would become a substitute for those who ought to be judged. Therefore God Himself used animal skins to cover Adam and Eve, and this action became a paradigm, or pattern, for mankind’s approach to God.

This lesson must have been explained to the children of Adam and Eve, for their second son Abel brought an animal sacrifice which God accepted. However, their older son Cain brought only a sacrifice of his crops, which was not accepted; yet God made it plain that Cain could yet bring a different sacrifice and find favor in God’s sight (4:7). Cain rejected this invitation, and the murder of his brother revealed the depths of wickedness which now formed an obstacle to humanity’s relationship with God. Soon after this, mankind was divided based on those who called on the name of the LORD and those who did not (v.26) – that is, those who reached towards God and those who ignored Him. This period is considered to be a dispensation of conscience, an era when all people would each determine their own response to God.

Self-centered living always seems attractive, and over time the conscience of mankind became more and more numb to God’s standards. Soon God brought judgment upon the entire earth by a great flood, sparing only the family of Noah. Yet, the value of a sacrifice continued to be significant. After the floodwaters receded, Noah’s family exited the ark, which had preserved them, and Noah offered a sacrifice to God. God valued this sacrifice as a sweet response to His kindness in preserving life. At that time He instituted human government as a means for indicating right and wrong.

But humanity soon banded together against God (11:4), and God dispersed them into various nations. These nations created idols and worshiped all kinds of beasts and beings. God then chose the family of Abraham and promised a unique relationship with them. As that family grew over centuries into the nation of Israel – the Jewish people – God established a special means of approach for them. It was quite elaborate! A special class of priests served in a tent (and later a temple) that had been constructed according to very detailed specifications. Sacrifices, feast days and even priestly clothing were restricted to operations that precisely followed God’s instructions. On the most solemn annual observance, the Day of Atonement, only one solitary figure, the high priest, brought the blood of one specific type of sacrifice into one enclosed area into which no one ever entered the entire rest of the year (Lev. 16).

This period of God’s relationship with people, the era of the law, would seem to be the most restrictive so far. It is certainly true that the system of Judaism overflowed with laws, ordinances and precepts. Yet God was not distant during this time period! Moses said, “What great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” (Dt. 4:7). The fact that God invited His people to come near to Him through sacrifices and feasts is a beautiful expression of His interest in them.

God’s Plan Unfolds
Still, we can’t avoid noticing the limitations created by a class of priests, only one high priest, specific sacrifices, and so on. Those limitations were God’s way of emphasizing that there was not yet an opportunity to enjoy free, unfettered confidence in His presence. As Hebrews puts it, the Holy Spirit was making it plain during this time period that “the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest” (Heb. 9:8). The “Holiest of All” refers to the enclosed area where only the high priest could enter once a year. It was considered to be the dwelling place of God’s presence (see Lev. 16:2). By including the phrase “not yet,” this verse reveals that it was always God’s intention to open that way far more widely than it was in the Jewish system of things.

This unrestricted entrance finally came to pass through the saving, sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. At the moment of His death, while the earth shook, the thick curtain which blocked the entrance to that enclosed place, the “Holiest of All,” was torn in two from the top to the bottom (Mt. 27:51). It was as if God Himself was removing the obstacle which hindered mankind’s approach; and indeed He was!

The unifying theme of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ has opened the way of approach to God. Through Him we may come boldly to God’s throne of grace; we come to God by Him, and we offer praises to God by Him! The Scripture writer declared joyfully, “Let us draw near in full assurance!” (Heb. 10:22, see 4:16, 7:25, 13:15).

Today, in the age of grace, we are invited to come to God in all the beauty and value of the person and work of Jesus. As we approach God on that basis there will never again be a fear that we might be doing it wrong, because Jesus has already done all things well.

Looking Back
This brief survey of history highlights a few common denominators, or standards, in every time period. First, although our present time is considered the period of grace, in reality every era has always depended upon the grace and generosity of God’s invitation. Who would expect to be invited into His royal courts? Who could demand to be included on God’s guest list? If we are honest we know that we are weak human beings at best and actual opponents of God’s moral standards at worst. Yet the God who made not only mountains, canyons and sunsets, but also the galaxies, is the One who is delighted to invite us to share fellowship with Him. Every approach to God will always hinge upon His grace.

What is more, every approach depends on a response of faith. This simply means that hearing God’s invitation we believe that He meant what He said. We trust His words, respect His standards and acknowledge His right to define the way of approach. If He asks us to conform to His request, is He wrong? At one time He asked for a sacrifice, and those who brought one were blessed by enjoying His presence with them. In our time He has provided His own sacrifice, the Savior Jesus, and those who come based on that sacrifice can enjoy a daily relationship of peace with God.

In the days of Adam and Eve, God came calling for people who were ashamed of their sin. Although He could not overlook the failure, He could overcome the failure with His grace. Today He is still calling! Where sin abounded, God’s grace overflowed, bridging the great gap between us and Himself. Now, through Jesus Christ, every person can have boldness and access with confidence into the presence of God.

By Stephen Campbell