“Being Always In The Presence Of The Lord!”

“Being Always In The Presence Of The Lord!”
“The Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover… He shall slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain…He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. In this wsy he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been…” (Lev.16:1-5 & 15-19).
Someone may ask, “Why reflect on this old story of sin atonement when Jesus Christ has replaced this with his life’s blood?” Well, you cannot dig a new road without cutting across the old one, sometimes in many places. The first and simple reason is that Jesus himself said he had not come to abolish the law but to ensure that it is fulfilled to the least iota(Mtt.517&18). The second and important reason is that “the word for ‘atonement cover’ is the same word used of Christ and translated ‘sacrifice of atonement.'” Talking about Jesus Christ, it states, “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished” (Rom.3:25).
Yesterday we read of Jacob saying, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” Today we read that Aaron was asked “not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place.” Besides, he had to bathe and put on special linens etc.
This may be specific to those who go into the sanctuaries and Most Holy Places, but it refers to you too. God is everywhere, so everywhere is a Most Holy Place. If that is so, God expects us to cleanse ourselves always because we are always in his presence.
If the blood of Jesus Christ is the one that has been sacrificed on the atonement cover once and for all, it means we are in his presence each time we pronounce his name. After all, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (I Cor.6:19). Therefore, no matter what we have been in the past, let us make the effort each day to be clean in what we do; wherever we are. The sons of Aaron died because they ignored this!
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for cleansing me in your blood. May I always strive to be clean in your presence. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!