Oh, Ouch! That Hurt!

Numbers 4:20 

".... The Kohathites must never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die." 

This in a weird way shook me up. The Kohathites were the ones who carried the sacred objects in the time of Moses, you know, the ones that carried the big poles with the "objects" on it. Now, you'd think that the Kohathites were pretty special people, I mean they got to carry God's sacred objects. Thats a pretty important job in my eyes. And even though these Kohathites were more special than most: they couldn't even LOOK at the things they were carrying, lest they die. DIE! Just by looking! 

A lot of the time we forget God's "not so pleasant" side. We have the loving merciful and kind God down pat. We sometimes forget that God is also Righteous Judge, and has a wrath unlike any other. We forget that the same God that is loving and kind in the New Testament is the same God that is in the Old Testament. You know, the God that poured out his wrath, and destroyed entire peoples. 

The Kohathites couldn't even look at the thing, and we have ability to come even closer. The veil has been torn, and we can come into close fellowship with the Father. Glory to God, he allows us actually talk to him, and have him answer. US! Can you imagine? The Kohathites couldn't even look at the OBJECTS- and we were given opportunity to look upon His face! 

And we don't take advantage of this. How dare we come to the living God, the Righteous Judge, with an attitude of pride and that he owes us. 

He owes us nothing. Not only are we saved and delivered, we have the honor to come upon him. We owe him more than we could ever repay. When we come to him with this attitude of "gimme gimme gimme" it's like a slap in His face. What about when we disobey him? Or blow him off? Or not talk to him because we are too tired? Or blaming him for the mess we have gotten ourselves into! 

Imagine what the Kohathites would say to us? 

"Dude, i couldn't even look at the thing I was carrying, and you get the opportunity to talk to the God who made it? What are you doing?" 

We make excuses, all the time, 

" oh, I can't do my quiet time today, I just have ____________God is a understanding God, so will understand." 

Fill in the blank. 

It should be the highest honor to come before him, but the relationship has been perverted into the idea that God owes us. He is so amazing and glorious, it is a privilege to be called his child, to have access to his inheritance. 

But so often it becomes a chore to us. Oh man, do I have to do my quiet time today? I'm just so tired. No! It shouldn't be "do I have too" it should be "glory to God, I get too" 

Understand what I'm getting at? It's basically what God likes to hit me over the head with. That GOD let's us talk to him, and we blow him off! GOD! ( please insert the mental picture of me flinging my hands in the air saying God over and over. Think empowered ) 

I don't know if this affects you in any way, but every time God reminds me who he really is- I have to take a step back and reprioritize my life, placing him in first because I have the privilege to be able to. 

Oh God, forgive us. 

-Emma