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Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.

We need to be holy to have communion with God. We are unclean. Only sacrifice of life can make us holy. We’re unable to sacrifice our life and also live to God. Jesus solved this problem. He died for us and because he is God, he survived that death. He also could die for us because he didn’t have to die for himself. His life is eternal so there is more than enough sacrifice for all. Trust Jesus today, you need him.

So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.

God has provided for our atonement, not by things we can do today, but by the sacrifice of his Son. Without him, we are hopeless, with him, we are clean. Trust him today.

When a man is afflicted with a leprous disease, he shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall look. And if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, it is a chronic leprous disease in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean.

Praise the Lord he has made the unclean clean… None of us need worry about our own inability to approach God, because we can each have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He has made all things clean!

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.

God hasn’t changed. What is different is that we come before him though Jesus. He still deserves to be worshiped in the proper way. Every one of us deserves to be struck down just as Nadab and Abihu were, but by God’s grace we are not. May we take seriously the worship of the Lord.

On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel

It takes time to prepare for worship. This is true for the preacher, the music minister, and others who are guiding the service, but it takes time for the people to prepare as well. The vast majority of people simply show up to church on Sunday and expect to worship, perhaps this is why there is such a high level of dissatisfaction within many churches today, people are coming unprepared for worship. A worship service is an opportunity for outsiders to come and see what the Lord is doing, they are observers, and should always be made welcome. However, the worship service is a time to respond to the working of God in your life, that happened the week before. How has God spoken to you, what has the Lord lead you to do, how many people have you shared the light of Christ with or invited to come to your church? If you haven’t done any of that, all that is left is to criticize the show. Prepare yourself for worship, come ready to respond to God… not to be entertained by a specticle.