Exodus 38-40 and Hebrews 1
This past weekend at Church a friend asked if I knew of someone. He described what the person looked like and did for a living and then he added that this person was “glorious.” I loved his description of him. I have never referred to a person as glorious. That word has stuck with me for the past few days and then in reading my passage today, the word “glory” jumped out at me again!
According to vocabulary.com, “when something is fabulous and wonderful it can be described as glorious, like the glorious sight of the first flowers in your yard after a long, cold winter.” We all know that when we see that first tulip pop through the ground, that is a glorious sight. I did not get to meet this “glorious” person on Sunday as he already left, but I sure look forward to meeting him myself.
Exodus 38-40 gives lots of instructions. Instructions on how to construct the tabernacle and how to make priestly garments. Over and over in these chapters you read the words, “As the Lord had commanded Moses.” The Lord gave Moses all of the details to be included in the tabernacle and Moses passed the instructions to the people. The people obeyed and the tabernacle was finished. What was the result of the tabernacle being finished just as Moses had commanded? Glory.
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 on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:34-35
The cloud was a symbol of God’s presence. When the cloud came down upon the tabernacle it was a visible way of saying that God had come down upon the tabernacle to dwell with His people. We also see this referred to as Shekinah Glory.
The word Shekinah is a Hebrew word which means dwelling or settling. It represents or means the presence of God dwelling or settling over you. It describes the experience you have in the presence of God. The Israelites experienced God’s presence through the cloud by day or the fire by night. The cloud covered the tabernacle.
So how do we experience God’s glory in our life today? By the grace of God we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. The glory of God went from dwelling in tents to dwelling the hearts of men. Our bodies are now the temples of the Holy Spirit.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
1 Corinthians 6:19
If we know Jesus and have asked Him to dwell within us we have the Shekinah Glory living in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. God’s presence will never lift or leave because He is with us wherever we go. We experience more glory in our lives when we take the time to lean into the Holy Spirit. Spending time reading the Word of God, communicating in prayer to God, and worshipping God is when we experience the Glory of God in our life.
God’s glory will illuminate from us when we spend time in His presence. We will have a glorious presence about us and others will wonder what it is. We will reflect who He is in our actions and our reactions to others. I can’t wait to meet this person that was described to me as “glorious.” When someone describes me, I would love to be portrayed as glorious. Because of Jesus we are given the freedom to choose how we live. Today I will choose to see the glorious beauty around me and pray that others see God’s glory in and through me.