Author: Gary Witcher
Company: none

Way, Place, Group to See and Worship

     While it is true that every one is free to search for God in his own way, it is equally true that no one can find God except in God's way.
     Under the Old Law, God had a place for the Jews to see Him.
     "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow," God told Moses in Exodus 19:10-11, "and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people."
     God also had a specified place for the people to worship Him.
     "Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters and ox, or a lamb, or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp," the Lord said to Moses in Leviticus 17:3-5, "and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man.  He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
     "The reason is," God explained, "so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to the Lord, at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord."
     This place of worship was later changed when the tabernacle was replaced by the temple.  God had a place for the Jews to see Him, and He had a place for the Jews to worship Him.
     The Lord also had a specified way for the Jews to see Him.
     In the last verses of Exodus, Moses asked to see the glory of God.  God established some restrictions and allowed Moses to see Him only in a specified way.  As we have already seen in Exodus 19:10, the people were to wash their clothes, consecrate themselves and observe other restrictions before seeing God at Sinai.
     Likewise, God had a specific way for the Jews to worship Him.
     Nowhere is this clearer than it is where we find someone who violated this way.  We are provided with just such an example in Leviticus 10:1-3.
     "Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans," the text tells us, "placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.
     "And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
     "Then Moses said to Aaron, 'It is what the Lord spoke, saying, "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before the people I will be honored."'"

     God had a way for the people to see Him, and he had a way for them to worship Him.
     And, under the Old Law, God had a group through whom He could be seen.
     Exodus 19:24 explains that only a few people were allowed to climb Mt. Sinai and approach God.
     After God had given His law to the people, only the high priest was allowed to pass beyond the veil of the tabernacle or temple and approach God.
     God also specified a group of people through whom He could be worshiped.
     "Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him," God ordered in Numbers 3:6-7.
     "And they shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of the meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle."
     Clearly, God had a place for the Jews to see Him and worship Him.  He established a way for the Jews to see Him and worship Him.  And He specified a group through  whom He could be seen and through whom He could be worshiped.
     We already know that we are no longer under the Old Law.  So what does this discussion have to do with us in the Christian age?  

     "Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary," Hebrews 9:1 notes.
     It does not take much to see that the language here is saying that there are also regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary under the new covenant.
     "For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one," the Hebrew writer continues, "in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place.
     "And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant.
     "And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
     "Now when these things have been thus prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle, performing the divine worship, but into the second only the high priest enters, once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
     "The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing; which is a symbol for the time then present, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation."
     What, then, do we learn from this passage?  First of all, we see that there must be a divine pattern for New Testament Christians to follow.  This pattern involves regulations that are spiritual in nature and which are able to cleanse the worshiper's conscience.
     It shouldn't surprise us to find that God now has a place to see Him.
     "He who has seen Me has seen the Father," Jesus notes in John 14:8-9.
     We can see God only through Jesus.
     God has a place for us to worship Him.
     "For with the heart man believes," Paul states in Romans 10:10, "resulting in righteousness."
     "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith," Hebrews 10:22 recommends, "having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our body washed with pure water."
     Notice what it says here about having a clean conscience, and remember what we said earlier that the new system would do for us.
     "By this will be have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all," Hebrews 10:10 tells us.
     God is now worshiped in our hearts through the body of Christ.
     God now has a way to see Him.
     "Blessed are the pure in heart," Jesus claims in Matthew 5:8, "for they shall see God.
     "We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus," Hebrews 10:19 notes.
     God can be seen in pureness of heart through the blood of Jesus.
     The Lord has a way to worship Him.
     "True worshipers...worship the Father in spirit and truth," according to Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman in John 4:24.
     And God now has a specified person through whom He can be seen.  Hebrews 10:11-12, 21 state that this one is Jesus.
     God also has a specified group through whom He can be worshiped.
     "But you are a chosen race," Peter writes to Christians in 1 Peter 2:9, "a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His glorious light."
     To sum up what we have said, the "where?" of the New Covenant is "in Christ."  The "How?" is "as Christ taught" and the "With whom" is "with those who follow Christ."
     Ephesians chapter one has a wonderful presentation of the things that are ours through Christ if we follow God's place, His way and His group.
     Please do not believe for a minute that one place, or way, or group is just as good as any other place, way or group.
     The Bible promises only that the Truth will make us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."