The Glory Cloud

The Glory Cloud
Exodus 40:33-38

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/GloryCloud.html

No man can see God with human eyes and live, but His presence was enveloped in this cloud which descended, and it was something the people could look to and follow. Astonishing indeed! Beneath the cloud is the Holy of Holies and the mercy seat, and the glory of God filled that place.

The glory of God is an interesting study in the Bible. Mentioned nearly 400 times, but none more interesting than here in our text, I think. This was the shekinah glory of God, which led the children of Israel across the Red Sea, and thru the wilderness.

Romans 9:4
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
God mentions several identifying factors w/ His people, and one of them is ‘the glory.’

When did the glory come?
v. 34 ‘Then’
What happened just before this? Look at the last 5 words of v. 33...
‘So Moses finished the work.’
It was when Jesus Christ was finally on display in the Tabernacle. When thru obedience the work is done. And so the glory comes upon you and I as well when we are obedient to display God in our lives! Some Christians just display the radiance and attributes of God on their faces, in their walk, and especially in their talk.

So, it’s when we display Jesus and when we obey Jesus. Look back at vv. 17-32 and Moses is setting up the final tabernacle, and 7 times it says ‘as the Lord commanded Moses.’

Absolute obedience, not just partial obedience, is absolutely necessary. How often do people come for counsel and they aren’t there for advice really, but to tell me what they have already decided to do. This is contrary to the way the Bible teaches we do things.

Partial obedience is disobedience.
Ill.—a man promises his wife he’ll be faithful to her 364 days each year, but on one day each year he’ll visit another woman. He claims he is mostly faithful, but what is he really? Unfaithful!

But it’s not hard around here to find good, faithful people who obey the Lord and display the Lord, and thus they have a glory about them. Look around the church and these people stand out. Not talking about those who may ‘try’ to stand out, but those with whom it just happens naturally, or should I say, supernaturally.

When does the glory come? When we obey and display the Lord.

Where does the glory come?
v. 34 On the tent in the OT, but in the NT it came on Jesus. In the OT it came upon the ‘picture’, in the NT upon the ‘person.’

1. On Jesus.
3 times Moses had experiences with the glory of God.
• In the cleft of the rock he saw the afterglow, the hinder parts, as God passed by. It must’ve made him hungry for more.
• On the mountain as he received commandments from God, and his face shone as a result.
• Now upon the tabernacle, in a veiled form, and he must have wanted more having experienced more before...
• A few hundred years later in Mt. 17 Moses was there upon the Mt. of Transfiguration w/ Jesus, along w/ Elijah. This time he’s seeing that glory not on Christ the picture but on Christ the person!

It won’t be long, Moses, and you’ll be in the presence of that glory for all eternity. The same goes for you and me, and we should be longing for that day. We’ll be more hungry if we catch a glimpse