And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it. The prohibition on steps prevents the exposure of nakedness that ascending steps would cause under the robes worn by ancient priests. The concern is for holiness in worship: nothing inappropriate is to be visible in the act of approaching the altar. Later the Levitical priests will wear linen undergarments for exactly this reason (Exodus 28:42). The attention to physical modesty in the worship space is part of the comprehensive holiness that worship requires. The body matters in worship — not only the interior disposition but the physical appropriateness of how approach is made. The Decalogue ends, appropriately, with practical instructions about the altar where the covenant God is met.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse