Exodus 34:1-9, 29-35 & 40:34-38 – The Glory of God
When Moses pleaded with God on behalf of the people of Israel God promised that Moses would catch a glimpse of God’s glory. Moses could not see that fullness of God’s glory but in just catching a glimpse he was changed. His face shone.
But when the tabernacle was finished God came down in his cloud of glory and filled the tabernacle. God’s glory was amongst his people in the tabernacle. Still Moses couldn’t approach because of the glory of God, but God’s glory was now present.
God’s glory is an unapproachable glory, it is a present glory, and it is a glory that changes us.
Ultimately the tabernacle points us to Jesus Christ. The true presence of God’s glory among his people. The tabernacle has shown us how sinful men and women can approach God. We can only do so through the means that God has provided. We must approach through the door, by way of the sacrifice, being washed clean. We can only approach through the great high priest who has gone in to the holy of holies and presented before God the blood of the sacrifice for sin. We can only approach through the great high priest who intercedes for us having paid the ransom price for us that we might be counted in.
We cannot approach the glory of God without Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Son of God who tabernacles among us. The glory of God took on human form and lived here on earth. It was a present glory. The glory of God was revealed in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we know God as the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.
And this is a glory that changes us in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we are made clean, we are forgiven, we are adopted into God’s family. And one day we will see that glory in its fullness, and on that day we will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
Questions
- What has stood out most for you about the tabernacle?
- How has the tabernacle helped you to understand the work of Jesus Christ?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.