But he cannot go through the curtain {into the Most Holy Place} and he cannot go near the altar. [383] Why? Because he has something wrong with him. He must not make my holy places not holy. I, the Lord, make those places holy!”
A priest serves God in a special way. So you must treat him in a special way. Why? Because he carries holy things! He brings the holy bread to God, and I am holy! I am the Lord, and I make you holy!
Dear friends, we have these promises \{from God\}. So we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. We should try to become perfect in the way we live, because we respect God.
Then Joshua said, “{That is not true.} You will not be able to continue serving the Lord. The Lord God is holy. And God hates his people worshiping other gods. God will not forgive you if you turn against him like that.