Those who find themselves serving in the court and palaces of great empires of old considered themselves highly privileged. But then, they soon realised how very delicate and precarious their positions were. A little offending act or misdeed could spell doom for them. They could either be jailed, banished for life or pay the ultimate price. Hence, they carried out their service with very well calculated steps and precision.

The privileges and grace for service in the New Testament dispensation are here contrasted with the experiences of the Old Testament believers, especially in the wilderness. There were strict rules and restrictions guiding their relationship with the Lord and service to Him. They could not afford to be careless or fail to follow due process as that may spell doom for them.

The New Testament era is a lot different because it is characterized by grace. This does not mean that there is a relaxation or lowering of God's standards and demands. But there is a divine enablement that helps the believer today to serve God more acceptably. The grace of God does not absolve the believer from the responsibility of living in the fear and reverence of God. It is not a licence for careless living. Rather, today's believers must do better than those of the Old Testament in their service to the Lord.

God is God and remains eternally unchanging. His stand against sin and spiritually casual living is still the same. He is still a consuming Fire. We should therefore ask for grace daily so that we may please Him always and that our service may be acceptable unto Him. God's grace must not be taken for granted.