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Deuteronomy 23:1-14
For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.                                                                                                       Verse 14 (NIV)

Reflect
We have all become familiar with the concepts and terminology of isolation and quarantine these days. Once 14 days are passed and there are no signs of COVID-19 a person is declared virus free and allowed to integrate with their group of people or within their “social bubble.”

Our text today makes it clear that not everyone was allowed into the presence of God – only those who were clean. Israelites who were unclean according to the law needed cleansing before they could join the worship of God’s people. Some conditions prevented people from worship for life – an almost unbearable burden, if not for the Day of Atonement. Others were not allowed to join in worship because they opposed God’s people. In these ways God taught the people to reflect his holiness in the community. Nothing could stain the purity or break the wholeness.

The reality is that we are all sinners and we are all stained, broken and flawed. So, we give thanks that Christ came to cleanse his people from their sin, to open the way for all who are broken in body, in spirit, and in heart to enter into the assembly of the faithful. That’s what Philip told a eunuch from Ethiopia, and he was baptised (Acts 8:26-40).

Confession of sin and belief in Christ break the quarantine that keeps us from God. How very blessed we are to live in the grace of Jesus Christ. Offer him your heart and life, that you may be given new life in him today.

Pray: “Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to cleanse my sins by your blood, and please live in my soul forever. In your name I pray. Amen.

Quarantine

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