Yahweh the Transcendent and Immanent God

Introduction

A.W. Tozer makes the salient point in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, that the most important thoughts we think are those about God. Our view of God, how we approach and treat Him, depends on the status He holds in our eyes. If God is your ‘boyfriend’, your best friend forever, your ‘homeboy’, the big man upstairs, or a doting granddad, you will treat the LORD without reverence. Yes God is immanent but He is also holy, holy, holy. Philip Ryken draws out the implication of this for worship: “Most Christians today feel more comfortable with a user-friendly God than with one who is holy and majestic. The result is a casual approach to worship. I refer not to the style of worship, primarily, but to the attitude of most worshipers. We come to church the way we would drop by someone’s living room rather than the way we would enter the throne room of a king.”[1] If you view God as a moral monster, you will treat Him very differently. If you take a ‘deist’ view, that is God created the world but is otherwise un-involved save rare instances, you probably you think about Him much if at all. If your view is that of scripture, you will respond like Israel did in our passage. We are going to explore the holiness of God today.

Background

I mentioned last week that we will spend a lot of time at Sinai. In terms of the structure of our bibles Israel remains at Sinai from Exodus 19 to the end of Numbers 10. This entire time is spent outlining the law of God, including how He is to be worship. It is a lot of material with great detail provided for worship and sacrifice. No area of life is untouched over the year they are at the mountain. As we have been discussing, it begins with an understanding of the holiness of God.

Exposition

Verses 7 - 8: Having received instructions from the LORD, really a preamble to the coming covenant, Moses calls forth the elders of the people to inform of Yahweh’s commands. The elders relayed all this to the people whom responded in the affirmative. Moses, likely pleased with the positive response returns to the LORD to give to people’s answer. Stuart raises an excellent question as to why this kind of back and forth travel up and down the mountain is necessary. We know the LORD knows all things. Why would Moses have to go up and the LORD anything? His answer is highly significant and one we should take to heart: “the formality of the process kept the people reminded that they were not dealing only with their elders or Moses or both but with the universe’s only God, who was not approachable by just anyone, who was greater and more dangerous than any force they had ever otherwise known, and who was requiring of them in a patient, cadenced process their assent to the most important commitment they could make. Yahweh would hear their words of agreement only from his officially appointed spokesperson, Moses, so Moses brought those words to Yahweh.”[2]

Verses 9 - 11: It is the intent of the LORD to manifest Himself in a greater way among the people for the purpose of solidifying Moses’s permanent status as His servant and further revealing Himself to the people. We first note the LORD’s statement that He will come in a thick cloud. This is consistent with later statements in scripture (Ps. 97:2, Isa. 6:4). No one alive on this side of eternity can handle the unveiled glory of God. More importantly, it prevents the people for pursuing a dangerous curiosity. Matthew Henry states: “This thick cloud was to prohibit curious enquiries into things secret, and to command an awful adoration of that which was revealed.”[3] Even Moses had to be hidden in the cleft of the rock. Moses would no longer need not fear being put to death by the people. Fearing God would mean fearing Moses the servant of God. Just as important, the people needed to prepare themselves for Yahweh’s presence. The king of the universe was coming into their midst like they hadn’t seem. This wasn’t and couldn’t be treated lightly. The LORD is holy and has set them apart to be holy. They in turn are to honor God as holy in their midst. To ‘consecrate’ is to be apart or put aside as holy. Washing clothes symbolizes the need for cleansing as purity is necessary to be in the presence of God. One doesn’t dress any old way when they know the president, prime minister, or king is coming.

Verses 12 - 13: Here we come to the heart of the matter. While the presence of the LORD has been, and will continue to be, with the people He is an absolutely holy and transcendent God. However close the people are able to come, there must and will always be a distance between the creature and the Creator while on this side of eternity. Even in eternity, when the saints of God in Christ are dwelling with Him forever and seeing Him as He is, there will remain a distance of degree between God and us. It can’t be any other way. This distance must be acknowledged, accepted, and honored for a proper relationship to be maintained. It is deadly to treat Yahweh lightly. If you don’t believe You can ask Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-4) and Uzzah (1 Chr. 13:10). Allow me a modern illustration. It is imperfect but will help solidify the point. It is referred by T.D. Alexander: “Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a genetic disorder that attacks the immune system. Those born with this malady are extremely sensitive to infectious disease. One sufferer, David Vetter (1971–84), spent his twelve years of life in a sterile plastic chamber. He was famously dubbed the “Bubble Boy” by the media. Any contact with germs would mean certain death for David. Eventually, after receiving a bone marrow transplant from his sister, he died. Her marrow had contained traces of a dormant virus that quickly induced cancer throughout David’s body. Much as sufferers of SCID cannot tolerate any infection, God cannot tolerate unrighteousness. Not even a trace. But unlike those who suffer from SCID, God’s intolerance of unrighteousness is not dangerous for him. It is anyone who brings sin into God’s holy presence that, absent the covering of Christ, is subject to dire consequences.”[4]

This hopefully clarifies the point. The LORD specifically said He brought the people to Himself and so the people are allowed to come up to a point. The boundary then established the point of no return for those unauthorized. They can enjoy a limited presence, but only Moses could step higher into the presence of God. We will see something similar when the sacrificial system is detailed in Leviticus. No one could enter the holy of holies except the high priest. Even he could only do it once per year. Only those invited into the presence of God may come and then but so far. Last week we spoke about Israel original purpose as a kingdom of priests and this instructions don’t contradict this. They do make it clear that ‘kingdom of priests’ didn’t mean equal access to Yahweh’s presence.[5] As OT scholar Duane Garrett states: “Common membership in the covenant community does not mean equal privileges.”[6]

Verses 14 - 15: Moses again relays the instructions of God to the people. How exactly he consecrated the people we don’t know. It could have been a sacrifice. We are not told. The people obey however and wash their clothes. Interestingly, Moses commands something that Yahweh didn’t, the prohibition of sexual relations. How and why could do this? Alec Moyter gives us a useful insight: “The prohibition of sexual relations did not arise, therefore, from any idea of the sinfulness of sex, but from the awareness that in a true and happy marriage, intercourse involves a total absorption of each with the other and is the deepest emotional delight and commitment known on earth. The restriction was put in place at this important moment in time because the Lord wished to have his people’s hearts wholly for himself.”[7] Sexual intercourse between a man and his wife would present a distraction when special focus, preparation, and prayer is needed (cf. 1 Cor. 7:5). It was also a matter or ritual purity.

Practical Application

The writer of Hebrews declares several times that we have a new or better covenant, i.e Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 8:13; 12:24. Heb 12:18-24 is especially significant. We have a greater access than any OT saint could ever enjoy. This blood of Christ covers us. Paul declares that we have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13). At the death of Christ the veil was torn (Matt. 27:51). Since we are directly covered by the blood of Christ, we may enter into the holy of holiness without the fear of death for doing so. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Yet Yahweh is still a holy God. He is now immanent but still is the transcendent LORD. The creature Creator distinction is eternal. Additionally, He will not negotiate His holiness. As made clear again in Hebrews, none can see the LORD without holiness (Heb. 12:14). We must still fear the LORD. To Cite Matthew Henry again: “The distance at which worshippers were kept, under that dispensation, which we ought to take notice of, that we may the more value our privilege under the gospel, having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb. 10:19”[8] God is with us and He is holy. Let us treat Him as such.

Gospel Application

One of the main messages of our passages is that a holy God can’t be approached lightly. We can’t come arrogantly into his presence. We can’t come to Him on our terms. He sets the standard for entrance into His presence and maintenance of this status. If you are not in Christ, you don’t meet the standard. You can’t and never will. The reason is apart from Christ, we are enslaved and frankly dead in sin. We are under His wrath and judgment because we don’t acknowledge Him as God and give Him His due and proper reverence. Like the Israelite who got too close we are under a death sentence. It doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He will save all those who put their trust in him. If what I have described fits you, I call you to repent and believe the gospel. Acknowledge your sin, worthiness of judgment because of your guilty status. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that he was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, bore our sin on the cross and death, and rose again of the third day, now seating at the right hand of the Father. Confess him as Lord publicly with your mouth and you shall be saved. Don’t delay. Your works are NOT enough. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, in Christ alone. Repent and believe the Gospel today.

Bibliography

1. Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 501). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

2. Stuart, D. K. (2006). Exodus (Vol. 2, pp. 424–425). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

3. Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 123). Peabody: Hendrickson.”

4. Alexander, T. D. (2016). Exodus. (J. H. Walton, Ed.) (p. 100). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.

5. Garrett, D. A. (2014). A Commentary on Exodus: Commentary (p. 462). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic.

6. ibid. Pg. 464

7. Motyer, A. (2005). The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage. (A. Motyer & D. Tidball, Eds.) (pp. 204–205). Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

8. Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 123). Peabody: Hendrickson.