The shadow and the substance!

It is important to have a clear picture regarding the way the Old Testament saints approached God. They are some who even think that any one in the Old Testament times could approach God only through the priests and in the temple only. What we need to know that the Law of Moses was given as a shadow of the heavenly reality of worship and prayer. People could enter into the actual (heavenly) presence of God even in those times e.g. Daniel who prayed from his room thrice a day. However two things have to be noted regarding the shadow and the substance (true worship) - 

1. The people could not assume that the shadow was the substance. Meaning that just by doing the rituals prescribed, they could not enter into the actual reality of the presence of God. It pointed to the substance but was not the substance itself. 

2. The shadows could not be laid aside even though the O.T. saints could have a foretaste of the substance. Even David had to follow the prescribed ordinances even though he received an understanding that sacrifices were not what God was satisfied with. They had to use the shadows even while reaching out for the substance.