All this hoo-ha - the sacrifices, the offerings - all of it is for the Glory of God - to remember his holiness and to be and remain holy so he can dwell among us. For we are the priesthood now. We are in the place of the priests of old. He wants to appear to us as he appeared to them. We are to follow his commandments, walk his path, love him, so that we maintain a holy he can live in. So that he can appear to us in all aspects of life, bless us in all aspects.
He will astound us with his presence.
Obedience or death. It was as simple as that back then. It is much the same now, but more abstract, less immediate. Aaron's sons disobeyed and offered strange fire to God with additives he specifically told them not to include. What happens? Insta-death. Consumed by the very fire they had no business fooling with. Nowadays, we disobey in the same ways but think we've gotten away with it because the death that comes, comes slower.
The Israelites almost had it easier. Their God was a frightening God. We see him now, though as the Buddy Christ - the best friend we can pay attention to - or not - as we please. Back then, he was something to be feared and he showed himself as such. I say that, but he could be doing so still. We don't see things as the Israelites did. We say that they saw all the miracles, they saw all the consequences, all the wrath. But we see it too. We don't recognize the miracles and the consequences because we are jaded. We think we know all, have seen all, and that all can be explained. We won't allow anything to be miraculous.
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