Fri.-Sabbath, 2/19-21/16 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday. In order to help get us ready for church, here is Thomas Watson, from his "Happiness of Drawing Near to God" book:

"How are we capable of drawing near to God? By nature we stand in opposi-tion to God, (Col. 1:21)—being alienated and enemies. How then can we ap-proach near to God?  Answer: It is through a Mediator. Jesus Christ is the screen between us and divine justice. Christ as our High Priest assumes our flesh. Christ's flesh is called a ‘veil,’ (Heb. 10:20). As Moses when his face shone so exceedingly bright put a veil upon it, and then Israel might approach near to him and look upon him—so Christ having veiled Himself with our hu-man nature, we may now draw near to God and behold Him.

"And as Christ makes way for us into the Holy of Holies by His incarnation; so by His crucifixion, He died to make God and us friends. The divine law being infringed, God's justice was provoked, and satisfaction demanded, before we could approach to God in an amicable way. Now here Christ as our Priest shed His blood for our sins, and so made the atonement, (Col. 1:20): ‘Having made peace through the blood of His cross.’  As Joseph being so great at court, made way for all his brethren to draw near into the king's presence, (Gen. 47:2), so Jesus Christ is our Joseph, that makes way for us by His blood, that we may now come near into God's presence. Through Christ, God is pleased with us; He holds forth the golden scepter, that we may draw near, and touch the top of the scepter."