Exodus 40:34-38 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle

December 16, 2007 Exodus 40:34-40

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

The GLORY of the LORD Appears Within the Tabernacle

I. It is a seemingly familiar yet strange concept

When it comes to tapping into the natural power of the creation, design is key. Windmills, solar panels, and dams are carefully designed and built so that they can harness the power of water, wind, and sun and be put to use.

This is the way “Wiccans”, who used to be called “witches” approach their worship of the earth. By use of incantations and the proper herbs and plants they try to put either curses or blessings on people. This type of worship goes back throughout the ages, where people have tried to tap into their gods of the sun, moon and stars by designing pyramids and other structures that they felt would be able to tap into the power of their gods. It is almost a “bait and switch” approach to religion.

Anyone with a knowledge of the Holy Scriptures knows that the true LORD cannot be treated like a vending machine – where if you go through the proper ritual or build the proper structure He will be forced to appear because you pulled the trigger or built the building just right. Yet if a person without a knowledge of the LORD were to read through the portion of God’s Word for today, he or she might get that impression. It’s rather peculiar how God works it. He gives Moses the exact specifications on how to build a tabernacle – a big tent more or less - which included specific types of wood, gold, silver, and cloth. Then, after Moses builds the structure, the LORD comes.

What separates this action from the building of the pyramids or other heathen earth rituals? The difference is that this structure was structured, designed, and commanded by God. He who put Himself in the pillar of cloud and fire was designing a place that He would remain in a special way after the Israelites journey through the wilderness. God decided that He would dwell within it. Strange as it may seem, God decided to put His special presence – His GLORY - within this moveable tent that was no bigger than this church. Moses has no input into it. It was not his suggestion or design. He simply builds what God tells him to. In other words, it is the Word of the LORD that establishes the building of the temple. This is miles apart from the other temples for other gods which come about from either the thoughts and imaginations of man or the design of Satan – who was intending to mimic God and replace God with these other gods which are really no gods at all. Let’s look at what happens when Moses finally finishes building the structure God has him build -

The LORD puts Himself – His GLORY – in the temple. Isn’t it strange that after Moses went through having this whole structure built and the LORD does descend on it, that Moses then cannot enter into the Tent of Meeting? Moses was able to enter his own tent and meet with the LORD prior to this. He was also allowed to go up Mt. Sinai with the 70 elders of Israel and eat and drink in God’s presence. But here he can’t enter the tent. Why not? Even though Moses was God’s chosen spokesman who had been given awesome visions and words directly from God – he was still a SINNER. He had no right to stand or enter into the Glory of the LORD WITHOUT THE LORD’S EXPRESS invitation. This tent was not Moses’ tent to come and go from as he pleased. It was the LORD’S tent and the LORD’S house which the LORD had put into the hands of men – which could only be entered and touched by invitation and direction from the LORD.

Isn’t this similar to how we approach our LORD yet today? There are many who mock us as superstitious and fools for believing in the miracles of the Christian faith. They say, “how could you be as foolish as those supposed Wise Men to travel to church and worship a baby in a manger? How could you believe that God actually put on flesh and lived among you?” Yet here we are, putting a porcelain baby under the tree in memory of this event. Here we are singing about “God in man made manifest.” We say that Mary is in a sense the mother of God. “Oh, don’t say that,” says even some Christians. She isn’t really the mother of God – she is the mother of Jesus. But Isaiah says that Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.” God told us this is where He would be found. So this is where we worship God – in Jesus.

Think about how this applies yet in our actions. We find ourselves pouring water on infants and adults and reciting the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We regard this as a sacred act where God transfers a sinner from Satan’s realm into heaven’s realm. The world sees no fire or power and says, “why do you do such a thing?” We say, “we do this because God’s Word says all are sinners, and also because God promises that the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ is given to all who have this washing with the Word.” We also find our selves acting very cautiously with the Lord’s Supper in our church. We don’t hand it down the isles for anyone to take as they please. We don’t use Pepsi and Doritos as some churches do. We believe that the holy body and blood of Jesus are hidden in, with, and under the bread and wine – right where God’s Word said they would be. We need to be instructed and understand exactly what this is before we partake of such a holy food. If this is where God said He would be, then we believe Him and we respect where He is and we only approach Him when and where He tells us to – just as Moses did. We only go where He told us He would be – in a crib, on a cross, under water, bread and wine. This is not superstitious action. It is called faith – based on the Word and Promise of God.

II. It marks an expansion of the access to God’s glory

The building of this tabernacle brought about a noted change within the way the LORD worked with the Israelites. Up to this point Moses was the Israelites’ sole prophet, priest, and king. But when this tabernacle was constructed the LORD was confirming and publicly enacting the priesthood of Aaron and his sons. As the Israelites continued to try and follow the LORD throughout the coming years, they would regularly need instruction and forgiveness. The tabernacle would be the place for this to happen for ages to come – long after Moses was dead.

On one day of the year – called the Day of Atonement – the high priest could even enter the Most Holy Place. However, he could not enter without bringing in the blood of a sacrifice for himself and the people and sprinkling it on the mercy seat of the ark. He also had to take a good handful of incense on a censer with burning coals from the burnt offering so that the smoke of it would fill the Most Holy Place in order that the High Priest’s vision of the LORD would cover the mercy seat and not allow a full vision of God’s glory. If any detail of this procedure were skipped the priest would have died. Yet nonetheless, with the sacrifice and the incense Aaron and his sons were now able to approach the LORD as well for many years to come. They could now make the sacrifices on behalf of the people as the chosen instruments of the LORD. This was the LORD’S promise to them.

Isn’t it a wonder at how the LORD has now expanded the promise even further? Peter says to all of us who believe in 1 Peter 2:9-10, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. To think that we who would not even be allowed on the temple grounds through the Old Testament – that in each of our hands the LORD places His very self as we have the Holy Spirit poured on us and the body and blood of Christ poured into us! To think that the LORD calls US His priests – people who can make intercession to Him immediately from the tongues of our mouths and the bottom of our hearts! We are the intercessors for the world!

How could this be? It is all based on the tearing of the temple curtain at the sacrifice and death of Christ. At that one death the whole need for the Old Testament sacrifices and priesthood – which foreshadowed the priesthood of Christ – was completed. The LORD then provided the priest’s gown for each of us through the simple act of baptism, where He clothed us in His righteousness. Isn’t it amazing that the LORD would not only put Himself on us but also allow us to taste and to touch Him! This is all possible because of Jesus’ incarnation – it all started when He became us – not only our flesh – but also our sin. Now, because Jesus became us, we sinners are told by Him to handle and touch and taste Him – which God promises will convey the very sacrifice to us through faith. And just as the touching of Jesus on earth did not destroy but heal those who were sick and dying, so the touching of Jesus’ through the sacraments conveys what they promise; forgiveness, life and salvation. All of this is hidden in the little tabernacles that He provides and has built for us.

III. It leads us where we need to go

Imagine how awesome it must have been for the Israelites to see the LORD descend on that tabernacle with the cloud and fire the first time after they built it. There could be no doubt that the LORD was with them as they looked at that fiery pillar and cloud. The Israelites had a clear marker as to where to go.

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

What an easy thing. Just go where and when the LORD said to. I wonder however – how long it took for the wonder to wear off – especially when the fire started leading the Israelites winding through the wilderness – leaving them with only one food called Manna and sometimes nothing to drink. Some of them indeed wished to go back to Egypt; they even threatened to unseat Moses and stone him. But every time they did the pillar of fire over head threatened them and even put many of them to death. It may have seemed real glorious at the beginning when they were first led out of Egypt, but now many of them felt stuck. They had no choice but to follow the pillar of fire no matter where it led – even through a seemingly barren wasteland. Although the pillar of cloud and fire was real nice when it came to protecting them from their enemies and the elements, it was a seeming pain when it didn’t lead them into the luxurious land they wanted to live in. The only glory seemed to be in looking at it and not in following it.

Oh, that we would learn from this lesson. Isn’t it a wonderful and glorious thing when the LORD baptizes us and then regularly fills us with His body and blood? Isn’t it wonderful to have the LORD attach His forgiveness and mercy to these simple things – and then invite us to have them? It is the highlight of the Christian to go through these sacramental acts and believe that herein the LORD is working.

The difficult comes in the fact that we receive these glimpses of glory in the midst of a desert of sin. The children and infant that we clothe in Christ still have sinful bodies that exhibit sinful behaviors in spite of their baptisms. The mouths that have the body and blood of Christ enter them still end up struggling with sinful words. The hands that are allowed to touch the vehicle of God’s grace still do things they should not be doing. So we then leave the table and the hidden glory of the LORD and reenter a world that is both cold and unforgiving. We wonder to ourselves, “LORD, where is the glory you promised me?” As we lead ourselves into car accidents and broken relationships and families we accuse the LORD of drunk driving – of leading us where we don’t want to go. So many Christians expect the glory to come now. They expect the LORD to lead all of them into their own little Israel on earth with the huge bank accounts and elaborate houses. They are told that Jesus wants them to be rich and happy, but then end up disappointed when they are instead led into a desert of sickness and sorrow.

The Promised Land for the Israelites was 40 years off in the future. In the meantime, they were called on by God to suffer in their sins and be satisfied with the pillar of fire and cloud throughout a barren wasteland. The only glorious thing would be through beholding the LORD in the cloud and the fire from earth. And so we are trained in what the glory of the LORD is all about. Look for the LORD where he promises to be, lying in a crib, hanging on the cross, ascending in the clouds; hidden under water, wine and bread. Our fading and dying eyes are given hope as we remember that our glory is only found in whatever places Jesus promises to be. Through faith in HIS tabernacles, we are willing to go wherever His fiery Spirit leads on this side of heaven – even through the valley of the shadow of death – because we know beyond the valley we have the Promised Land. Amen.