As we continue to learn how God communicated with His people, we understand a little bit about how serious it is to be flippant about our relationship and our approach to Him. Before the beginning of time, He knew everything that would happen. When He freed His people from Egyptian slavery, He knew Moses would need a visible sign of His presence. He gave great details about how this would happen. He gave them a visual way to know when to go and when to stop. He did this through a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. There was no mistake about where they were to set up camp and when they were to move. When they stopped, the Tabernacle would be set up in the middle of the camp. God would reside in the Holy of Holies.
The Holy of Holies was a sacred place that only the High Priest could enter once a year. Strict rules governed how he cleansed himself before going behind the veil. Aaron was the High Priest when the Israelites were making their way from Egypt to the Promised Land.
In Leviticus 16:4, the High Priest had to bathe his entire body in water before putting on his sacred garments. This symbolized the cleansing that takes place when Jesus cleanses us of our sins at the time of our salvation. Normally, the High Priest wore ornate, colorful garments, but on the Day of Atonement he wore a simple linen garment. A linen tunic for the outer garment, linen undergarments, even the sash and turban for his head would be linen. He stripped away all signs of personal status, wealth, and prestige. He dressed like any ordinary priest, symbolizing that all stand equal before God’s judgment. White linen specifically represents purity, innocence, and the flawless righteousness required to enter God’s presence. The bathing showed that we cannot approach God stained by the things of this world. Therefore, today we must have our sins under the blood of Jesus. When we are saved, we are then symbolically robed in the righteousness of Jesus.
Philippians 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Leviticus 16:4 “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen miter shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.”
The High Priest must also sacrifice a personal sin offering of a young bull. This sin offering would be for himself and for his own household to cleanse himself of sin. This reminds us that Jesus offered himself for all who would place their faith in Him and repent of their sins. While he died for all, each person must make their own choice. We cannot grant salvation to anyone; they must decide for themselves who they will serve. It is the one choice in life that no one can make for you.
Leviticus 16:6 “And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.”
In order to enter into the Holy of Holies, the High Priest was also required to take a censer of burning coals from the altar and two handfuls of fragrant incense behind the veil to create a cloud of smoke over the Mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant so that he would not die.
Leviticus 16:12-13 “And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.”
God gave very detailed instructions on how and who could enter the Holy of Holies. If these were not followed, the High Priest would die. There has been much speculation as to what would happen if the priest died in the Holy of Holies. There were bells in the hem of the garment, and folklore says a rope was tied around the priest’s ankle. If they could not hear his bells for a while, they would pull him out by the rope. While this is not mentioned in the Bible, I feel quite sure there were precautions taken in case he died in the Holy of Holies, because anyone else who entered would die also.
What can we take away from God’s instructions on coming before Him?
- Approach God with Reverence; God is holy and not to be approached flippantly. While we can approach God with confidence because of Jesus, our worship and prayers should never turn into careless casualness. We are to approach Him with a profound awe and holy fear because of who He is.
Hebrews 12:28-29 “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
- We must come into His presence with humility and purity. Approaching God requires stripping away spiritual pride, status, and self-righteous titles. Believers are called to come with genuine humility, “clothed” in Christ’s righteousness rather than boasting in personal
I Peter 5:5 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
- We must recognize the need for personal. Effective ministry and authentic worship must begin with self-examination and confession to God before we can help others.
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- Rely on the Finished Work of Jesus. No other sacrifice will do. Only the spotless Lamb of God can satisfy God’s wrath poured out on sinners. We need to thank God and praise Him for giving His Son to die for our sins, making it possible for all people to approach Him. Now, every believer has direct, continual access to God.
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
