Do we really understand?

I've been reading in Exodus. In the past, as I read through all the animal sacrifices and pouring of blood that had to go on before anyone could stand in God's presence, I immediately thought, "I am SO glad we don't have to do that anymore!" But yesterday was different. Yesterday I thought, "What an understanding they must have had about God's holiness."

We are so far removed from all of that, I think sometimes we take it for granted. Can you imagine people going through all of this process for years and years and years.... then the news that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. A greater sacrifice than all these animals. A sacrifice for all time. And now they were free. They were free to step into His presence. No more sacrifices for atonement. No more going through priests. They  were free to approach God.

I'm guessing they really understood the magnitude of Jesus's sacrifice. They understood how huge that really was. They had never had this freedom to approach the Father before. And I'll bet they approached Him with the most humble of hearts. And grateful. Can you imagine how grateful they must have been?

Sometimes I wonder if we get it. On Sunday mornings when we gather corporately to worship... do we understand the magnitude of what we are able to do? Do we humbly come before Him with grateful hearts that we are able to stand in His Presence? As we begin to worship, are we swept away by His goodness? His love? His undeserved mercy?

Or are our minds wandering to places we'd rather be? Do we say, "Stand by, God... I don't like this song. But I'll catch you on the next one." Are we distracted, emotionally unattached? Are we thinking about ourselves.... or Him?

People used to have to go through a process unimaginable to us to be in His presence. But they did it. Because they desired Him that much. Now we can walk right into His presence. But don't think for a second it's because He's lowered His standards. If anything He raised them. No longer are animal sacrifices sufficient. It's only the blood of Christ. He gave Himself. He went through the pain, the humiliation, the torture. All so we could draw near to Him. He is still every bit as Holy as He has always been, and it's still every bit as big of a deal to be in His presence.

We've never had to experience the painstaking processes of animal sacrifice that those early people had to go through. And neither they nor we had to experience the excruciatingly painful process of sacrifice that Jesus went through. He did it for us. He did it for all of us. He made a way for us to stand in the very presence of The Most Holy God. God is every bit as Holy as He has always been. And Jesus paid a price that is far greater than anything we can imagine for us to approach Him.

Take time to really think about it. How can I stand before a God who is so Holy? Let the magnitude of what we're able to do really sink in.

With all creation I sing, "Praise to the King of Kings". You are my everything. And I WILL adore You.