Exodus 20:26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’
A misstep is to take a step we did not intend to take. This quote in Exodus might seem confusing when read out of context but the instructions were in creating wilderness altars of stone.
The stones formed the altar and it was not to be so high and lifted up that its sacrifices could not be placed there without stepping stones to elevate the sinner to a position of ability to make that sacrifice. The reference of nakedness takes us all the way back to the Garden and Adam’s confession of shame in being seen naked.
We cannot place our sacrifice of shame at the altar of forgiveness by hiding our shame.
Many feel that it is important to clean up our acts before coming to church. This is exactly the wrong attitude and keeps sinners from finding the peace of God that is so freely offered.
Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
That is not to say that only sinners need to repent. Even those of us that follow Jesus have missteps.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
Clearly we need to know the way in order to see what steps are established by the Lord in the way that we should walk. Sinners who have not repented cannot see the Way.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In this life we have found in Christ our focus can be so intent on not making a misstep that we forget that this journey’s destination is set to come before the Father.
The opposite is also true. We look for signs that have been given about end time prophecies that will tell us where we stand in the church age and seeing afar off, we do not look where we are stepping. We forget that how we walk is more important than where we walk.
The other message in Exodus 20:26 is a warning of elevating oneself in the need to feel worthy. Those steps to that altar are built on the pride of life.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.