EXODUS 24:1-2 : Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu,
and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. And Moses alone shall come near the
Lord, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him. ”
In a cathedral in Copenhagen, Den mark, there is a magnificent statue of Jesus by the noted sculptor
Bertel Thorvaldsen. When first completed, the sculpture depicted Christ with His face looking up and
arms extended over His head. It was a statue of the majestic, conquering Christ. Later that night,
however, before the clay had hardened, sea mist seeped into the studio.
The sculpture was transformed into a Christ with head bent forward and arms stretched downward,
as if in a pose of gentle invitation. At first Thorvaldsen was bitterly disappointed. But as he studied the
altered sculpture, he came to see a dimension of Christ that had not been real to him before —the
Christ who is a gentle, merciful Savior.
On the base of the completed statue Thorvaldsen inscribed the words, “Come Unto Me,”When Israel
came to Mount Sinai, God called the leaders of the people to “come unto me,” but they were still to
“worship from afar.” Only Moses was allowed to come close and have fellowship with the Lord.
In the New Testament, however, all believers are invited to have an intimate relationship with God. In
fact, the writer of Hebrews urges us, “And having a High . Priest over the house of God, let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:21-22, italics mine). James records the
promise, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Don’t keep your distance from God. He wants you to draw close. The Father says, “Come!” (Isa.
1:18). Jesus says, “Come!” (Matt. 11:28). The Spirit says, “Come!” (Rev. 22:17). Confess your sins
first and be right with Him. Then enjoy the blessings of an intimate relationship with your Heavenly
Father.
GOD’S HEART IS AS OPEN TO YOU AS HIS ARMS.