God gave the God’s glory and clothed the man Adam and eve with His glory. When they sinned, they lost the glory of God. Because of sin, man loses God’s glory. But to every child of God who has received the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, God gives the glory. Also God gives the glory to His body, the church. In Romans – 9:4, we read, “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”. Again in Acts – 7:38 we read, “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us”. God kept Moses as a prophet to the Church which was in the wilderness and led them. Moreover, God separated and brought the Israelites out from Egypt. For the word “Ecclesia” in Greek, the root meaning is “Called out” (from the world). The place of worship is the church. God gives His glory to the church which is called out and separated. In Zechariah – 10:1, we read,” Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain”. Such bright clouds bring revival in the churches. Let us see how the glory was revealed to the church in the wilderness which was led by Moses.
The Cloud is the presence of God:
In Exodus – 16:10, we read, ”And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold the glory of God appeared in the cloud”. In Exodus – 20:21, we read, “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was”. God came to Moses in the dark cloud, and spoke with him. God says, in the last days, He is going to show forth His full glory. And God is searching vessels to do that.
The glory of God which was manifested openly:
In Exodus – 24:10, we read, “And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness”. Moses, Aaron and the 70 elders saw the glory of God. God’s glory was manifested plainly and openly in the church in the wilderness.
God manifested his glory as a devouring fire:
In Exodus – 24:17, 18 we read, “And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights”. God turns His servants into flaming fire and uses them. In Hebrews – 12:29, we read, “Our God is a consuming fire”. In Matthew – 3:11, we read, “…he shall baptize you with Holy Ghost, and with fire”. The fire refines everything.
The glory of God dwelled in the Tabernacle:
In Exodus – 25:8, we read, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them”. In Exodus – 33:9, we read, “And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses”. God dwelled in the midst of the people of Israel. God spoke with Moses from the cloudy pillar. God wants to dwell among us. Our house and our church should be kept holy.
God’s character:
God’s goodness is His glory. Moses pleaded to God to show His mercy. In Exodus – 33:18, 19 we read, “And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy”. Again in Exodus – 34:6,7 we read, “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon children’s children, unto the third and third and to the fourth generation”. Moses saw the glory of God. We can see the glory of God in the cloudy pillar, in the fire, in the Tabernacle, in His characters, His mercy and grace. God’s glory is manifested even through the body of man: In Exodus – 29:30, 35, we read, “And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place. And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them”. Moreover, as Moses was with God, his face shone brightly. And theservants of God are called just like Aaron.
Four Characteristics of God’s glory:
Sanctifying glory: In Exodus – 29:44, 45 we read, “And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God”. God sanctifies the believers and the ministers.
Leading glory: In Exodus – 13:21, we read, “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night”.
Protecting glory: In Numbers – 14:10, we read, “But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel”. God covers his servants with His glory and protects them.
Feeding glory: In Exodus – 16:7,8 we read, “And in the morning, then ye .shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur gainst us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full”. When the Glory of the Lord is with us, we will be fed to our full.
My dear readers! God wants to fill you and your church with His glory and lead you. Do not get stained by the world, but sanctify yourselves. Just like Aaron and his family, when we dedicate ourselves and when we sit in the presence of God
and intercede for the sins of the people and become prayer warriors, God’s glory will be manifested through us. The fire of revival will be poured out upon our nation!
