Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Exodus 3:5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
SIN SEPARATES / CHRIST THE SAVIOR REUNITES
This Scripture comes from a story that transpired 1,500 years before the happenings on the Transfiguration Mount. Moses is tending sheep for his father-in-law in the land of Midian. One day as he carries out his shepherding chores he arrives at Mount Horeb, where a bizarre sight meets his eyes. The leaves of a bush are ablaze with fire but not burning up! As Moses draws near for a closer look, a voice calls from the bush: "Don't come closer! Remove your sandals! The place where you're standing is holy ground!" It was the voice of the Angel of the Lord whom we recognize as none other than the pre-incarnate Christ, the eternal Son of God.
In Bible times when someone entered a house, he would take off his sandals to keep from defiling it with the dirt that clung to his footwear. When the Lord's Angel told Moses to remove his sandals He was emphasizing that there was something clinging to his nature, his soul, that needed to be removed before he could draw near to Him. What that "something" is is clearly taught in such passages of Scripture as Isaiah 59:2: "Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
Through the story of the burning bush our God again reminds us -- and that, graphically -- of the serious nature of each and every sin against His law, the Ten Commandments. (Sin is not the minor blemish or insignificant character flaw the spiritually blind world would have us believe.) Were it not for the great and blessed work of our Savior who by His life and death as our Substitute removed the sin-stains from our souls, we could enjoy no loving relationship with Him here nor look forward to a life of glory with Him hereafter.
Praise be to our gracious and all-compassionate God! He had the sinless Christ take upon Himself our guilt that we might receive God's approval through Him.
