Psalm 15 – How Do I Obtain Top-Level Clearance To God?

In a beautiful visual representation, the Angels who represented God’s holiness, His righteousness and justice, on the top of the Ark looked down at Israel’s sin. God can only condemn sin.

Romans 6:23 (NLT) says, “For the wages of sin is death”

BUT LET’S CONTINUE…

Ark of the Covenant top view © Created by Ross Cochrane using Blender 2.93 Cycles

Because of the people’s sins, once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies.

Before entering, he went through a thorough process of purifying himself. He came in fear and trembling with a bowl containing the blood from a sacrificed animal. He would pour the blood on the mercy seat, on top of the golden box between the golden angels.

Now the angels representing God’s holiness could see the blood rather than Israel’s sin. Now God’s holiness, His righteousness and justice were satisfied with the blood of an innocent sacrifice. The price was paid for the wages of sin. Other sacrifices were made throughout the year, but this sacrifice was for the whole nation.

TOP-LEVEL CLEARANCE TO GOD FOR US

Ark of the Covent Angels and blood © Created by Ross Cochrane using Blender 2.93 Cycles

Hebrews 9:4-28 says this is a beautiful picture of the sacrifice of Christ. “… So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven. … With His own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever…

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. …

Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins … For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed …

… He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.

And He did not enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. … But now, once for all time, He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by His own death as a sacrifice.

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.”

But what does all this really mean for me when it comes to entering into the presence of God today?

OPEN DOOR POLICY

Earthly rulers limit access to themselves, but as one commentary puts it, “The great God of the universe … has an open-door policy. Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we, as believers, can freely approach God’s holy throne. He not only invites us but also encourages us to come boldly before Him for everything we need (He. 4:16). Amazing! The Lord wants to be personally involved in each of our lives. In fact, He yearns for us to live in close communion with Him.” (Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (2014). Psalms)