How To Approach God

After the fear and trembling at Sinai, Moses enters into the darkness where the LORD speaks to him and says:

“An altar of earth you shall make for me… In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.” (Exodus 20:24, ESV)

This passage addresses a pressing question left by the law: how can sinners draw near to a holy God? God’s answer is marked by simplicity. He forbids images, rejects human display, and provides a way of approach that directs attention away from human effort and toward what He supplies.