Filled with God’s Glory

Where Do We Begin?

The first couple of books of the Bible are edge-of-your-seat action! From Adam and Eve getting kicked out of the Garden to Moses standing before the burning bush!

But after that, the stories slow down a little bit and the rest of Exodus breaks down the law of Moses in extreme detail. There’s page after page of info about sacrifices and feasts and rules and requirements. Sometimes we find ourselves a little worn out by it. But there’s much to learn from it, still.

Among all the other details we find is specific information about the construction of the Tabernacle. Every piece of furniture, every decoration and instrument. Exact dimensions and materials. A lot of information!

Amazingly, though, we find out that all the information is used to describe something that the average Israelite would never see. Why? Because you had to be a Levite to enter the Tabernacle. In fact, you had to be a priest to enter certain portions. And the most important part of the Tabernacle - the Holy of Holies - was reserved for the HIGH priest alone. On top of that, he was only allowed to enter once a year!

That’s a great amount of detail for a limited access building, with a room that only one person could enter once a year. It’s as if there is a greater purpose for this Tabernacle than we can find just by reading through the books of the Law…

Where Do We Go From Here?

The Tabernacle Was Built by Spiritually Gifted Men

We talked for a while last time about the Ten Commandments.

You can actually boil down the Ten Commandments to two things: instructions on how to love God well and how to love others well.

Now, when the Israelites left Egypt (the Exodus), the Egyptians offered them all sorts of jewelry to take with them on their journey. The purpose of it wasn’t so they could simply adorn themselves. It was a very practical use. That same jewelry would be melted down to be used in the construction of the different items in the tabernacle.

But Moses was not a metal worker; he couldn’t convert the jewelry into what they needed. He wasn’t a carpenter; he couldn’t take wood and make furniture.

There were a lot of talents needed to build the Tabernacle that Moses didn’t have. And so he actually came to the everyone and called for people with these talents to join in.

Exodus 35:30–35 NKJV

30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, 32 to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. 34 “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

So Moses was gathering these artisans, if you will. They weren’t leaders, military men, or priests. But if they hadn’t made themselves available to serve, they would never have had their names mentioned in Scripture.

Because they were willing to make their gifts available to God, they are honored in the Bible.

We have to be willing to do what God enables us to do. We may not feel like we have the talent to teach, preach, sing, or do any of the other more visible ministries in the church, but we must still find a way to put our talent to use in God’s kingdom.

The Compass

Have you ever used a compass before?

If you have a smartphone, there’s usually a digital one.

In scouting and the military, the use of a compass is important. If you get lost in the woods and can’t find your way out, you can use a compass to find north.

And compasses work because the Earth has a magnetic polarity. The magnetic pull of the earth causes the needle of the compass to always point north. You can actually make your own compass:

Fill a basin with water.

Set a leaf on the water.

Place a sewing needle on the leaf.

The tip of the sewing needle will rotate to point north.

And the same way that a compass works, the Tabernacle serves a similar purpose. It points us toward a covenant relationship with Jesus.

Hebrews 9:7–12 NKJV

7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

The Tabernacle pointed the way to the New Covenant. It was a symbol of what was to come (what Jesus would do).

As a matter of fact… the setup of the items in the Tabernacle made the overhead shape of a cross!

And so we embrace the New Covenant when we allow the Holy Ghost to fill us so we can walk in relationship with Jesus.

The Tabernacle Was Finished

I remember when we built this building. When I say it was a great deal of work and time… it was a huge project. And a lot of times when a church takes on a big project like that, the entire church family gets involved in helping out.

People who have skills in different trades get involved (whether that be plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, etc.). And even the people who don’t have a trade can help move furniture or clean or paint. There’s always a way to get involved.

And when everyone does that, it usually brings unity. It’s like everyone is coming together to make a difference. And it’s exciting. But it’s still a great relief when everything is done and the church family gets to enjoy the new building.

I’m sure that’s how Israel felt when the completed the construction of the tabernacle. They put in long hours to get this done. And it was finally complete!

Exodus 40:33 NKJV

33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

Now, in constructing a church building, there’s always a final piece to put in place. Once all of the work is done, all of the furniture in place, and the finishing touches made, the Pastor normally schedules a dedication service.

Why do churches do this? It’s because we recognize that you can have a beautiful facility, but it doesn’t matter if the glory of God doesn’t fill the building and bless the work. It would just be another building in town otherwise.

The children of Israel finished construction of the Tabernacle, but it wouldn’t have mattered if God didn’t decide to fill that place with His glory. And that’s exactly what happened: His glory filled the Tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34–35 NKJV

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

You’ve probably been in a church service where the power of God fell so strong it was as if a glory cloud had settled into the building. You look around and it’s like there is no one who ISN’T being touched by what God was doing.

Last weekend was like that!

And those types of services can be somewhat overwhelming. We feel His presence wash over us and we’re not always sure how we should respond. Leap up or hit our knees? All we know is we’re in His presence - and we have to respond!

The glory of God filled the Tabernacle in just that type of way. Moses couldn’t even go in because the glory of God was so thick in that place. God literally filled every inch of the Tabernacle.

And God continued to fill it. He didn’t just fill it - He dwelled in it. The whole time through the wilderness with the Israelites.

Exodus 40:36–38 NKJV

36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

The Tabernacle became the dwelling place of the Spirit in the Old Testament. And the tabernacle was a symbol of what God wanted to do in us in the New Testament.

When Jesus came, the Bible says God was “made flesh” and “dwelled among us” (John 1:1, 1:14).

It was God dwelling among His people. His presence and His Spirit moved through Israel in the flesh just like it had in the Tabernacle.

At the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that while He was currently dwelling with them, He would soon dwell inside of them (John 14:17).

And Paul, in Corinthians, said that we are vessels of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

Here’s another interesting Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Now, here’s something important about the Church: while we typically worship together in church buildings, the church is not a building; the church is all of the believers that gather in the building! And His presence still fills the building, but most importantly, He fills us!

We are the dwelling place of the Spirit. And as the dwelling place, we need to let the glory of God fill our lives. Everything that we do should reflect His glory:

The way we talk

The way we treat others

The way we conduct ourselves

The way we dress

The decisions that we make

Every aspect of our lives must be influenced by His Spirit!

If you haven’t been filled with His Spirit, today would be a great day to seek that experience! If you have been filled, take some time to think about your walk with God:

Are you reflecting His glory?

Can other people see His glory shining through your life?

What areas of your life do not reflect His glory? What can you do to change that?

Release

So check this out… If you are lost in the woods, these are some pretty interesting ways to find north:

Look for moss - it usually grows on the north side of trees and rocks.

Look for spider webs - they tend to appear on the south sides of trees.

Put a stick in the ground vertically and mark where the end of its shadow is. Wait a little which and mark where the end is now. The line going between those two points should run east to west.

Watch the sun, which rises in the east and sets in the west (more or less). But since the exact position of the sun varies by season and latitude, this is a little inaccurate.

Note the direction in which the highest clouds move, which is generally west to east.

And, of course, use a compass!

If you expect to spend some times in the wilderness, finding north should be one of those things you practice in advance, like making fire or purifying water.

And also, if you expect to move through school, church, a career, or a marriage, finding God’s True North should be one of those things you practice in advance - before an emergency ever happens.

PRAYER