• Dene's Blog
  • About Dene
  • Contact Dene
  • Dene's Recipes
  • Dene's Books
  • Dene's Classbooks
  • Gallery
  • Recommended Sites
  • FAQ & Tutorial
  Flight Paths

Being in the Presence of God

10/31/2016

0 Comments

 
Today’s post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
Sometimes we know things for a long time before the significance of placing two events side by side strikes us. (Daddy used to say that something had to strike me pretty hard to penetrate.)  So it was just the other day when for some reason I happened to think of Mt Sinai and Isaiah close enough together to discover a significance.

First, consider the reaction of the children of Israel when they came into the presence of God, “And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was” (Exod 20:18-21).

Then, note Isaiah’s reaction when God appeared to him, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me” (Isa 6:5-8).
 
In both cases they feared God greatly. The Israelites backed away and asked that God speak no more. Isaiah exclaimed, “Woe is me” as his sins became evident in the presence of the holy God. But, contrast in your mind their subsequent actions—Isaiah exclaimed, “Here am I, send me” and entered a lifelong ministry to God.  Israel backed away from God and within months rejected God in faithless disobedience and all died in the wilderness.

It seems that we come into the presence of God blithely. We sing, “Our God is an Awesome God” or “Holy, Holy, Holy” with fervor, but no fear. God hoped that their fear would keep Israel honest, “Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!” (Deut 5:29). When even Moses said, “I exceedingly fear and quake,” it is hard to call this a simple respect (Heb 12:17). Multiplying praise songs is no substitute for meditation with fear. We have buried our fear of God in a sea of redefinition to respect and therefore, many have followed Israel and so few have followed Isaiah.

Certainly we have been adopted as sons and can come with boldness to the throne of grace, but perhaps an unseemly familiarity has overwhelmed our sense, “If you call on him as Father, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.”  (Rom 8:14-15, Heb 4:16, 1 Pet 1:17).

It may be that we have confused our own emotion with coming into the presence of God!  Because we feel warm and “touched,” we construe this as the presence.  Let us consider that even the most righteous fell in the presence of just an angel (Dan 8:17,27; 10:8, 10).  Surely we would do well to be less pushy about our family status and more aware that He is GOD!  Then, perhaps we could walk as Isaiah walked.
 
But ye are come unto….. God the Judge of all, and… to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant…. see that ye refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him that warns from heaven:….let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:22-29)

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12)
 
Keith Ward

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Author
    Dene Ward has taught the Bible for more than  forty years, spoken at women’s retreats and lectureships, and has written both devotional books and class materials. She lives in Lake Butler, Florida, with her husband Keith.


    Categories

    All
    A Wives Series
    Bible People
    Bible Study
    Birds & Animals
    Book Reviews
    Camping
    Children
    Cooking Kitchen
    Country Life
    Discipleship
    Everyday Living
    Faith
    Family
    Gardening
    Grace
    Guest Writer
    History
    Holiness
    Humility Unity
    Materialism
    Medical
    Music
    Prayer
    Psalms
    Salvation
    Trials

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly