Touching the Untouchable

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest Hebrews 12:18

We experience so much of life through our senses: touching, tasting, viewing, hearing and smelling enrich our days. And yet, in worship the deepest parts of ourselves reach out to commune with an eternal God. We cannot touch him or experience him physically.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect… Hebrews 12:22-23

We come in worship to a heavenly place and spiritual beings, far greater things than our own paltry earthly experiences. It is hard for us as physical people to commune with a spiritual God because we so often fail to see what is quite literally before our eyes (but not seen physically). We think that because we cannot touch or see something, it cannot be there.

But the truest things have always been invisible. Remember in the Old Testament, Israel was surrounded by an army of fierce Arameans. Militarily, the Arameans were poised for an easy victory. Elisha stood with only his servant, undaunted and looked out in the morning:

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

There’s a whole other realm that can only be “seen” with spiritual eyes. The Bible calls it “faith.”

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

We are a part of something bigger than ourselves, something precious and beautiful: God’s kingdom. And even when this earthly existence fades, when our bodies grow old and weary, our spirits will not dim, for our kingdom endures forever.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe Hebrews 12:28

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