Coming before the Lord

Have you ever got bogged down reading the book of Numbers? I know I have and at times I tend to gloss over most of it. For me, it's still a hit or miss book with lots of "to do's" scattered throughout. Yet this morning I came across a situation within it that I can actually get something out of. In Numbers chapter 9 Moses is about to lead the people of Israel through the Passover feast. All those who are clean are allowed to participate but those who aren't can not. God had already commanded them about this in Numbers 5:2-3, "Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person. . . . .you shall send them outside of the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst."

Unfortunately a group of people were exposed to a dead person causing them to be unclean. Knowing this, they still desired to take part in the Passover and came before Moses asking him if they could still participate. God kept His command but graciously gave them an alternate month so that they wouldn't be excluded from participating in it. My study notes say, "The Lord thus demonstrates the reality of the distance that uncleanness brings between a believer and his (or her) participation in the worship of the community, but He also provides a merciful alternative."

I am reminded about how my sin affects not only myself by the Body in which I serve and worship with. Back in Moses' day, sin that wasn't repented of often resulted in banishment and/or death. It was serious business not to come before the Lord unclean and with sin. Yet today, we aren't killed nor banished from our church Body for our sins. In fact, how many of us come before the Lord and take communion knowing they have un-repented sin to confess and yet still participate? Would our worship time be even more uplifting if we all came before the Lord and laid our sin at His feet before hand? How would we be changed? I wonder . . . . .

We are all sinners, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 2:23). But we do have a loving God who forgives us our sins so that we can come before Him clean. But it is our responsibility to acknowledge that sin and give it to Him. Let us be like these men who deeply desired to worship the Lord during Passover and "worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

Krista Jones
2.15.08