Observations

• God is so holy that even His leaders couldn’t approach Him casually (24:1-2).
• The Israelites gave a verbal commitment to obedience that their lives would be unable to back up (24:3-4).
• Before they disobeyed, God deemed a sacrifice necessary to initiate such a covenant with His people (24:5-8).
• After being cleansed, the people could draw near to God with an unfathomable nearness (24:9-12).
• God’s presence was inviting to those near but seemed threatening to those afar (24:13-18).

Applications

• We are too unholy to approach the holy God on our own terms.
• The blood of Jesus is the only source powerful enough to welcome us back into the presence of God.
• God is not begrudging in His forgiveness or distancing with His presence.
• The God who removes your sin far away desires to know you up close.
• It is never the preference of God to be distant from you.