We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He shall command us. Exodus 8:27
How far do you travel to meet with the Lord’s people to worship each Lord’s Day? For some folks, it’s just a quick stroll across the street; for others it’s a drive of an hour or more. And like me, you probably fit in somewhere between those two. How would you like to make it a three day trip into a desert? That’s what the children of Israel were asking to do so they could sacrifice to the Lord their God. There is a good reason why God wanted them to travel that far, a reason that applies to us today.
Pharaoh did not want the Israelites to make that three-day trip. Make your sacrifice here in Egypt, he urged. But God knew better. He wanted His people to remove themselves from all of the influences of Egypt so they could focus on Himself. God wants the same for his people today, not a three-day trip into a desert, but a getting away from the things of the world and into His presence. There is no room for the affairs of business, society, entertainment, or even the family when we enter the Lord’s presence to obey His command to eat His supper in remembrance of Himself.
Getting away from the influences of the world around us enables us to direct ourselves to that which is far more important than anything that the world can claim. So when we meet today, an acknowledgment of the Lord’s presence will produce reverence in our company. An acknowledgment of God’s great provision for our salvation will produce thankfulness. An acknowledgment of God’s rich grace to undeserving sinners will produce humility. And that worship will be all the more precious if it doesn’t have to compete with the world. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/3ceN6KclXI4