Reverencing, rejoicing and the holiness of our loving Father God.

14th July 2008

If your house is anything like ours, there is often a great sense of anticipation if we know people are coming round to visit. Preparations have to be made, of course. Food needs to be bought; toys need to be tidied away; floors have to be cleaned, all with the buzz of excitment of looking forward to a time of fun with friends or family. This, of course, is heightened when you throw in the natural excitement of our young girls, who tend to great the news of guests with a unison cry of 'Yeaaaahh!!!'.

We've just finished our series on the book of Leviticus, which, in many ways is a book about the preparations that needed to be made for God's people to meet with him. Gilbert kicked off the series teaching us that the book may be summarised as follows: how redeemed people can enjoy the fullness of relationship with their Redeemer. God had redeemed the Israelites from Egpyt; now he was telling them how they - still a sinful people - may enjoy the benefits of the presence of the holy God in their midst.

Up to chapter 9, God gives detailed instructions of how to conduct the offerings that would allow the people to draw near to him. But now, in chapter 9, the instructions have all been given. The preparations are now to be made. The entire people of Israel gather in anticipation to present the offerings – will they work? Will God’s presence manifest itself to them?

Joy and reverence at the appearance of God

If you've ever felt anticipation before visitors have arrived at your house, it’s not hard to feel the drama of this occasion. Moses calls everyone to gather outside the tabernacle and says to them: "This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." (Lev 9:6).

After Aaron makes the various offerings as prescribed by God, the book of Leviticus reports:

9:23 Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

The text states simply that fire came down from heaven itself to consume the offering – a staggering and awesome sight to behold. You’re not going to see a sight like that and remain a casual observer in the worship service. It kind of compels a response.

And the people responded. But the text reports that they did two things that at first glance seem a bit contradictory. First they shouted for joy – because God was here! The sacrifices had worked. They, a sinful people, were able to enjoy fellowship with God himself.

And then almost immediately, they fell face down. The realization struck them that God was here! Fire had fallen from his very presence – the Holy One was in their midst. And, in keeping with other times when God reveals his glory in scripture, it seems that the default physical posture is to get on your face before him. It just seems entirely inappropriate to stand in the presence of the Holy One.

Worshipping the transcendent God who is near

The shout of joy and the humble fear of God, side by side, in healthy tension. We are called to a ‘both-and’ rather than ‘either-or’ approach when it comes to considering the transcendence and immanence of God (to use the theological terms). Holding both at the same time will save us from the dangers of the extremes of over-familiarity or a cold distance from God.

Probably the best single sentence that summarises this healthy tension is Hebrews 10:28-29. At first the author says

...let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably…

We are called to a profound sense of gratitude for what we have in Christ, which in the broader context of the chapter is the contrast between the mountain where Moses received the 10 commandments (where the people drew back in fear from the manifest presence of God, as reveal in smoke and fire and fear) and the heavenly Mount Zion, to celebrating angels and saints in heaven, through Christ (a picture of our relationship with God established through Christ). This is a reason for thankfulness; and our gratitude is acceptable worship to God for all he has done. We should come gladly, with joy and delight, approaching God through Christ, thankful that the kingdom that we receive in him can never be shaken.

But then the author goes on immediately to say

…with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire.”

Our gratitude should be mixed with an equally profound reverence. It’s hard to read this verse without thinking of the fire in Leviticus 9 that came down from heaven to consume the offering on the altar. This God who beckons us to draw near is an awesome God of pure holiness. It’s good for us to remember this as we gather as his people in corporate worship.

So it's 'both-and' not 'either-or'. Gratitude and reverence; shouts of joy and getting face down in awe. Our holy God of incomparable grace compels us to both responses, to a confidence that never descends into arrogance; to a healthy respect that never descends into cowering paralysis of uncertainty over our status before God.

Where do you tend to land on this continuum? Do you tend towards an breezy over-familiarity with God? Remember that the God you worship is a consuming fire. Do you tend towards a colder distance with God? Remember that he is passionately committed to show redeemed people the fulness of joy of being in relationship with him. And remember that he is both these at the same time. We prepare our hearts well to meet with him if we seek to hold them both in healthy tension.

Here is a video of the text of Leviticus 9 I produced to use as I lead that morning in church. In the next blog, I’ll include some prayers and quotations I’ve come across that illustrate this healthy tension well.

Alistair Hamill