And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering of sacrifice, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
“We don’t like the tabernacle. It’s too confining,” some might have protested. “Can’t five of us just get together and sacrifice in the woods?”
“No,” God said.
“Who needs priests?” others might have asked. “Aren’t we all spiritual? Can’t we all offer sacrifices?”
“No,” God said.
There are those today who think they can worship God without going to church. “My church is on the golf course,” they say, or “at the lake,” or “on the beach.” “Why go into a stuffy building?” they ask. “Isn’t God the God of creation?”
This passage reveals God’s heart concerning the way He wants to be worshiped, not because He is stuffy and contrary, but because He knows what will happen practically. You see, over the years, I have noticed that the people who choose to seek the Lord at their lake house rather than in the sanctuary with the congregation never do well over the long haul. There can be a tendency, especially for older Christians, to say, “church was great for our first ten years, but now we just need some space on Sundays,” failing to realize that it’s when we’re with our brothers and sisters—living stones being fit together for a holy habitation (1 Peter 2:5)—that sometimes we’re rubbed the wrong way by necessity. That is, it is the interaction, the fellowship, the seeking of God together that not only smoothes our rough edges, but also gives us stability.
Pastor Jon Courson
