Jan. 26, 2010 Preparing to Encounter God 2: Cleanse Yourself Kathleen Maples

Exo 19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. Exo 19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, Exo 19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. Exo 19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

As I read these Scriptures, it strongly stands out to me that God made very sure in talking to Moses that he made the people aware they could not approach Him casually, or just any way. There was a desire in God's heart to meet visibly with His people but they could not approach Him the way they approach each other, and neither can we. He is not like us, no matter how much we may want to be like Him, no matter how much we say 'but God loves me' and He does, we still cannot approach this holy God just any way.

He says sanctify them and let them wash their clothes. There was some preparation before these people could encounter God. First, before you can be sanctified, you have to be clean. Wash your garments. We can only wash ourselves and be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. (1Co_6:11, Heb_10:22, Rev_1:5, and Rev_7:14). The word for washed here in Exo_19:10 is H3526 kabas. It means to tread, or wash clean, as in the fulling process. This was something flesh could do. Cleanse itself from what it could. Refuse anything you know will make you unclean.

In Bible times, there was a job certain people had called a fuller. You've heard the term 'fullers' soap' in the Bible. The fuller is the one who launders, or washes, by stamping with the feet, in a process to whiten and clean clothes. His main job was to clean and whiten garments for religious and holiday occasions. An alkaline substance such as soap and nitre was used, which is a potassium chloride derived from the white ash left behind after burning certain plants. The white ash was used to make soap such as lye soap to clean clothes. A fuller would also at times dye garments different colors, using various methods. The fuller's shop was usually located outside the city so he could have plenty of room to spread out his cloths for drying but mostly because of the bad smell the processes used to whiten and clean the clothes produced. Unbleached cotton was soaked in water then sprinkled with the powdered ashes of a kali plant, then beaten in heaps on a flat stone either with another stone, or a large wooden paddle. Then, the cloth is rinsed by being tread on in a running stream or many changes of clean water.

Sometimes we read casually over things without stopping to consider what He is really saying. We have washing machines now to do this, but back then, there was a process. This required a lot of time and effort. This is what God had commanded the people to do. Wash your garments clean. I'm coming down in your sight, in your midst, and everyone must be clean. You must cleanse yourself of all you can. So how does this apply to us, spiritually? That is the key. All things that were written before were written for our learning upon whom the ends of the earth are come.

This required a lot of time and effort. This is what God had commanded the people to do. Wash your garments clean. I'm coming down in your sight, in your midst, and everyone must be clean. You must cleanse yourself of all you can. So how does this apply to us, spiritually? That is the key. All things that were written before were written for our learning upon whom the ends of the earth are come.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

If we think we are standing, abiding, established and right, before the Lord, we best consider the Scriptures, pray and ask the precious Holy Spirit to shine the light. Shine the light, let nothing escape. Consider the Scriptures have been written for our examples, so we could see what happened to Israel and not follow their mistakes. Jesus told the Pharisees to cleanse first that which was within, then the outside will be clean also. But how do we do that? Mat_23:26 We have to go the One who is the spiritual fuller.

Jesus told the Pharisees to cleanse first that which was within, then the outside will be clean also. Mat_23:26 In 2 Cor 6 Paul gives the church instruction about some very important things. Don't be knowingly, deliberately unequally yoked with unbelievers. If you are an unbeliever and God saves you and your spouse isn't saved yet, pray that command of not being unequally yoked back to Him and intercede for your spouse until God saves them. Don't commune with darkness. Don't fellowship with unrighteousness. No idols in God's temple. Why? We can't join Him to something or someone that is against Him, such as the unrighteous, the unbelievers, the works of darkness. Because He said He would dwell in them, and walk in them and be their God and they would be His people. Jesus Christ is our Rock, and if we fall on Him, we will be broken, but His blood will cleanse us from our sins, from all unrighteousness. (1Jn_1:7-9) If we walk in the light, in the understanding of truth He's given us, the Word will also wash us and cleanse us. If we are occupied with and seek to live in obedience to the truth He has shown us, trusting His strength to be the power to enable us to do so, then we have joint participation in this-for we are in this together as the Body of this Lord Jesus Christ. His blood purges, it purifies. We have to acknowledge our sins, own up to our failures and mistakes and errors, where we've missed the mark, and be honest with the Lord. Then we can trust Him to cleans us and put away the sins that we have done.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Separate yourself from these things. You've been cleansed, touch not anything unclean. Don't attach yourself to things you know are not clean or pure.

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

We have the promise of God's presence to dwell in and with us, and that He would be our Father, that He would receive us. What awesome, incomparable promises. Since we have them, let us purify ourselves from all stains and immorality, anything that defiles. Let knowing He wants to live in and with us, and guide and make us like Him be our motivation. Run to the cross, admit your failures and trust the blood is sufficient to cover your sins.

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Before anything or anyone can be presented to the Lord, it must be cleansed, purified, sanctified. I don't understand how it really works but I know when I spend time in the Word of God, with the Holy Spirit opening my understanding and teaching me, when I emerge from that, I feel renewed strength, I feel like I've been cleansed, and helped and fortified. There is no other feeling like it. At times it's been so intense it was as if someone had turned on a shower inside me.

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we approach God, draw near to Him, He will move toward us. But again, we must cleanse or purge ourselves, purify ourselves from our sinful attitudes, confess and repent of all known sin, and sanctify our hearts or minds. That means focus that heart, that mind on God, on Him alone. Bring all those bad, unclean, impure thoughts into captivity, casting down imaginations of all and any that would exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. (2Co_10:5)

In the Old Testament they had to slaughter a male lamb, without blemish, the best they had in their herd, to make atonement for their sins. But Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God was-is our Passover Lamb, slain for our sins, whose blood is pure and washes us clean from the awful stain of sin. In Gen 35, God speaks to Jacob, tells him it's time to get back to Bethel-which means the House of God. It's time to get back to the House of God and build an altar to God. It's time to get back in the altar and pray and seek God. Jacob instructs his family to make

preparation. Put away the strange idols among you, be clean, not contaminated, change your garments. Get rid of that which is not clean. Put on clean garments. They did. They gave up their nose rings, earrings, their jewels, their little statues which they kept, idols of their fathers. Remember, Jacob's father in law was an idolater. And Jacob's wives, children and servants came from his father in law's house and land. Jacob led a people out of this idolatrous land, and God said it's time to get back to My house, build up an altar. Come see Me. Come, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow. (Isa_1:18). What a merciful God. What an awesome God.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

The word for washed here means to bathe the whole person clean. I don't understand how this works, I just know when we confess our sins, and truly repent and turn from that sin, He cleanses our spiritual garment, our spirits, and makes us clean before His sight. Nothing unclean can stand in His presence. We must have a covering, and ours is His own blood.

Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The word for washed here is different, it's G4150. It means to plunge, to launder clothing by plunging them in the flow of something that will clean them. He has made the only remedy for sin available to us-what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus, and praise God for the blood.

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God; Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

We can draw near to God, we can have assurance that we will be received, that we may come into the holiest place of all, the holy of holies, where His Presence is, by the blood. He inaugurated a new sacrifice, one that would only have to be made once, that of His Son. The veil that kept us out was ripped in two, from top to bottom. We have an invitation, we have a great high priest who went in there for us, with His own blood as the atonement for our sins. What an unfathomable love.

Oh, folks if we could ever have been good enough on our own, if our works, our behavior, our clothes, our manners, could ever have been good enough the Lord would have never clothed Himself with flesh and submitted Himself to such awful torture and death on a shameful cross. A cross is not something to decorate and

put around our necks. It's a pagan symbol of shame and torture. But to the Christian believer it's also a symbol of hope. That cross says nothing you can do in your own self effort is good enough. The price has been paid. Stand in what He did. Let Him through the Holy Spirit work out this cross in your own life. This cross is the death of self effort to be holy. It's the death of doing anything apart from the instruction and leadership of the Holy Spirit and expecting it to be accepted. We are not our own, and it take HIS power in us to live this out.

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

These are some of my very favorite verses in the Bible. The Holy Spirit ministered them to my heart when I was a young Christian, troubled about my past, feeling like I could never rise above it in the eyes of certain religious folks. Oh, how much of verse 9 and 10 was in my life before I met Him. But though I was an idolater, though I was unrighteous, oh, there come a day I bowed my knee and my heart to this great Christ. He opened the door of my dark prison cell and set me free. He shined the light in where I could see, He broke the chains that held me captive and loosed me from the power of darkness. He washed me clean. That word is G628 and it means to wash off and wash away. Hallelujah! My sins were gone, no longer to be counted against me. Because of what He did, His blood, His sacrifice, His death, I'm clean. He lives in me.

After the washing, there is the sanctifying. That word is H6942, qadash. It means to be set apart or consecrated. It's purified, dedicated to and for God and His purposed. When they rose on that third day, when He would descend on the mount, they were to gather together with one purpose-to meet with and hear from Him. They weren't to come for any other reason. They weren't to spend the preparation time doing their own thing, but preparing themselves to be in the presence of the Holy One. Church, what would God do if we followed this pattern, and repented of all our self indulgence, all of our prayerlessness, our lack of dedication and concern for the lost, if we repented of all our selfishness, and humbled ourselves, and confessed our sins. If we shut off everything and anything that would distract or hinder us from being prepared for one thing-to meet with and hear from God. If we washed our garments clean, sanctified ourselves and gathered together in His house for one reason, to hear from Him, to meet with Him, to worship and adore Him and no other reason?

We gather in His house once or twice a week, we come because that is what we are supposed to do, but how do we prepare? Have we talked to Him before we got there or have we neglected prayer all week? Have we been in His Word, letting His Spirit teach it to us, wash us with it, correct us with it? Have we prepared our hearts? Or do we come in His House, expecting a Holy God to hold His nose so He isn't offended by the stench of the world on us? Have we watched so much TV this week

that our minds are saturated with the things of this life, this world, and wander to the latest sports scores, or the crime scene show we watched, or the news and politics of the day? Have we spent hours watching soap operas on TV even though God's commandments are being shredded, and the characters are indulging in all kinds of sin, and this is what we choose to entertain our minds with before the weekend comes and we think we do God a favor by showing up? And we wonder why there's no revival. Why sinners if they do bother to come with us to church set unmoved in our midst. What do they hear and see in the sanctuary when they come inside? Folks chatting casually, children unrestrained, moving about, giggling and laughing. Do they see empty altars, hear no cry, feel no sense of His holy Presence? How can you unless you bring Him with you, having been in His presence before you came, and then you would have to be grieved at the lack of reverence in His house.

Does the preacher get up with a Word with from God or does he get up and talk about the latest headlines? God help us. He was about to move among these people. He wanted to come down in their midst, but before He could, they had to prepare. And if we want the presence of God in our midst, we will have to prepare, too. I've looked at my life, wept inside over my own failures, wondered where is the power and heaviness of His presence that breaks and destroys the yoke? Where are the signs that are to follow them who believe?

In the book of Acts, this 120 gathered in this upper room. They had been told to wait there until they were endued with power from on high. (Luk_24:49, Act_1:8) They were a group of failures. The disciples had all failed the Lord. They ran in His greatest, darkest hour of trial. Self preservation kicked in and they fled. 2 followed Him from a distance. One denied and cursed, swearing he didn't know Him. He stood accused, in a kangaroo court, on trial for His life with no one standing with Him except His Father and the Holy Spirit. Angels watched this travesty play out, waiting, I'm sure for just one Word, so they could draw their swords and end this injustice. But He endured for our sakes. He endured so much. He died for us so we could have life. To have His supernatural life, we must die to our own natural life. It's His way or no way. His way is always best, folks.

Exo 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

Imagine being there. All these hundreds of thousands of people. He's delivered them from so much, brought them to Himself. They rise up on that third day in the morning, and they hear thunder, lightning is flashing like white fire all over the top of the mountain and inside this dark cloud that had settled there in their sight. Remember, the voice of God sounds like thunder. (Psa_77:18) Moses led these people out to meet with God. They stood there, trembling with fear in His holy presence. The mountain was smoking, because the Lord descended on it in fire. Mount Sinai itself was shaking. When the sound of the trumpet was heard, stronger and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in the hearing of the people.

Exo 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

Exo 19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

The Lord descended to the top of the mountain and addressed Moses. Something was not going right and He knew. That word 'charge' means to repeat or protest, to warn again. There was a boundary around this mountain, a line that couldn't be crossed. But the people, perhaps in awe of what was happening were getting careless, drifting too close to that line, not watching. He said in verse 22 "and let the priests which come near the Lord sanctify themselves lest the Lord break forth upon them." If they were sanctified as instructed before God wouldn't have repeated this, right? This says some didn't obey the instruction. Some didn't sanctify themselves as warned. Moses assumed they did and reminded the Lord he told the people what to do, and they did. Note what Moses points out in verse 23:

Exo 19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

The place where God would come down has to be sanctified. No animals could be feeding or grazing in this area. People couldn't be coming and going in this area. It was roped off, set apart for one reason, God was coming down. God is holy. He is unlike anyone on earth. He's completely different. He's completely pure. No mixture. His presence sanctifies, makes holy those He encounters. In Exo_29:43 He tells Moses concerning the tabernacle, "there will I meet with the children of Israel and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory." Where God will come down, people can't be doing their own thing. It has to be a holy, prepared, set apart place for nothing but God.

God says, "Away, you go down, you will come up, and Aaron with you, but let not the priests and the people cross this line to come up to Me." Then God goes on to give the ten commandments to the people. These commandments are very revealing. He reminds the people, He is the Lord their God, He is the One who delivered them and rescued them from the bondage of Egypt. You will have no other gods before Me. That word for 'gods' in the Hebrew is H430, elohim. It's plural. It means rulers, judges, divine ones. There is only One God, One authority in our lives. His Word comes first. No judge, no ruler, no idol of men will trump His Word, authority, or position in our lives. Especially ourselves. Self is the number one idol in this nation. He is such a vast God-and He's revealing some important things about Himself in these commandments. Lord, help us understand.

He said "Do not make, dress, or prepare for yourself any carved image of any likeness of anything that is in heaven, not in the sky, not in the water, or the earth. Don't bow yourself to anything or anyone but Me for I Am a jealous God. It's sad. God clearly says don't prostrate yourself or do reverence, or worship anyone or anything except Me." Do not make for yourself an image of who you think I Am and put it on display. Do not make images of anything to worship. He is the invisible God, and this is a faith walk. We do not walk by sight or feelings. To try to put a face on this God we are not to know after the flesh but after the Spirit seems blasphemous to me. I know there is a strong market for images of Jesus Christ, you can find them hanging in many churches, on tee shirts, Bible covers, in picture frames, on candles, etc. It's idolatry. It's wrong.

He is to have exclusive rights to His people and they are to be faithful to Him. Devotion is His exclusively. Do not take His name deceptively. Do not by your behavior ruin or misrepresent His name. Don't abuse His name, making it an empty, common or light thing. Don't use His name casually, but reverently. You have to understand His name means His position, His authority, His character. So to misuse or abuse His name, is a very grievous thing-more far reaching than people realize. His position is God over all, the Source of all life. His character is holy; there is such a vast depth to that one I can't find words to describe what I know of His character. But I know He is fair, pure, honest, and righteous. His authority is absolute.

Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy. What does that mean? Sabbath means to rest from labor. A day of rest and quietness for people. However, He also says "keep it holy". Since He alone is holy, that tells me the Sabbath day is meant for man to rest from his work, and spend time with God.

Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Many would rather argue about which day the Sabbath is and strive with those who don't keep the Sabbath on Saturday, rather than Sunday. Would God rather me keep it on Saturday? The Jewish system of doing things was done away with in the coming of Pentecost. It was not a quick thing, but everything changed. Jesus prophesied in Matt 24 when the disciples were pointing out the beauty of the temples, which includes the rich traditions of the Jews and their religion, and Jesus said there was not one stone that wouldn't be thrown down. It was all going to pass away. All the ordinances, the animal sacrifices, all the feasts and celebrations, these things were physical types and illustrations of spiritual truths which the coming of the Holy Spirit would reveal to the church. Would God rather me argue with someone about which day is to be kept as the Sabbath or would He rather me set aside Saturday or Sunday and just come to His House, come to the secret closet and pray and commune with Him, and refuse to participate in other things that day?

This is just a personal conviction, but I don't like the idea of having or attending birthday parties, family dinners, or any other kind of carnal gathering on Sunday. After church on Sunday morning, I don't go out to restaurants to eat. I go home and prepare something simple and quick for us to eat, but I think the Sabbath day should be set apart as much as possible. I know many have to work on that day. Do I condemn? No. We are to pray. God grant them time and space to get alone with you. If not on Sunday, on Monday. Whatever. It's not the routine that counts, it's spending time with God when and wherever we can. We need time alone with Him, shutting everything else out. Early in the morning before the kids get up, late at night after they go to bed, whatever we can do, but we need to sanctify or set apart a time to get alone with God. If we don't, then we must believe we can do this

without Him, and we sure aren't putting Him first. As I read and study His Word, I'm increasingly aware of how much I need the power and instruction of the Holy Spirit to live this Word. Knowing is not enough. I want to possess and be possessed by Him.

Honor your parents, respect them, listen to them, that your days may be prolonged on this earth. Don't kill, don't break your marriage vows, don't steal, or deceive, do not carry tales or lies on others. Do not lie on anyone. Do not desire to take what belongs to someone else. Do not lust after what others have or are. We must trust God knows best. He gives us what we have. He knows our hearts. He knows everything. When He shows us things wrong in our heart, our lives, remember, He will not deal with us about something that He won't give us the strength to conquer. He is our Conqueror. He is our Strength, our Strong and mighty tower, our Shield and Defense.

Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without

end. Amen.

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