If God is a consuming fire, how can anyone approach Him?
With reverence and with confidence, and only because God made the way Himself. The ark story warns us that closeness to God is never casual, yet Hebrews tells us to draw near with boldness. Both are true at once, because the fire fell on the Son so that worshipers could come home: acceptable worship is bold about the invitation and serious about the One who invites.
This question arose from studying Why does God want worship? Doesn't that seem needy? and Can God actually hate a worship service?.
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Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
God defines the terms of approach
Uzzah's impulse looked noble: the cart lurched, the ark tipped, he steadied it. But the ark was to be carried on poles, never on a cart, and never touched, and God had said so. 'Yahweh's anger was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.' The warning is not that God is unpredictable; it is that He is exactly as holy as He says, and we are never entitled to handle Him on our terms.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled. Yahweh’s anger was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
David learned the fear first, then danced
David's first reaction was anger; his second was awe: 'David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, How shall Yahweh's ark come to me?' Only after the ark was carried the way God commanded does the chapter erupt into joy: 'David danced before Yahweh with all his might.' Reverence did not kill David's joy; it was the doorway to it. The most exuberant worshiper in Scripture was also the man who learned to ask how God wants to be approached.
David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, “How shall Yahweh’s ark come to me?”And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
The new covenant holds both: awe and access
Hebrews refuses to let us pick a side: 'let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.' This was God's own word when Nadab and Abihu died for approaching wrongly: 'I will show myself holy to those who come near me.' Notice that acceptable service comes through grace, not through our performance of holiness. Yet the fire has not cooled. Familiarity that forgets He is fire is not intimacy; it is irreverence wearing intimacy's clothes.
Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.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.
Because Jesus opened the way, we draw near boldly
The same letter that calls God a consuming fire says: 'Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.' Boldness here is not casualness; it is confidence in the blood of Christ that opened the way. We do not approach like Uzzah, grabbing at God uninvited, nor like Israel at Sinai, backing away terrified. We walk right up, because we were invited, at terrible cost.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying, ‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” Aaron held his peace.Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
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Is it right to worship Jesus, or only God?→“I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”What are God's people supposed to do when they gather?→“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”Why does the Bible command singing? And what if I don't feel like it?→“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”What is the Spirit's role when the church gathers?→“What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”Is all of life worship, or only what happens on Sunday?→“Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”What will worship be like in the new creation?→“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”What is Paul saying about men and women in the church?→“But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
Yahweh’s anger was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.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.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
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