Thursday, June 12, 2014
Exodus 40:34
Thursday, June 12, 2014 |
Then a cloud covered the tent of the
congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
As we consider all that the Lord taught Moses and
the children of Israel about the “tabernacle”, the implements used in this
“transportable worship center”, and the priest that would perform all the
duties associated with the tabernacle we can learn of the “holiness of God” and
how He will lead in His Kingdom to come.
Exodus 32 to 39 is a
record of the above teaching that I would suggest you may want to study at your
leisure, and I know it will be a blessing to you. Those who are preparing for
the next Temple in Jerusalem do spend much time in the study of these
scriptures to make certain of their learning process for their future duties.
Now, as we once again come to our devotional
reading for today we will look at the final instructions for Moses as it
relates to the Tabernacle. The Lord at that time assured Moses of His constant
presence as the children of Israel would make their way towards the “promised
land”.
Our key verse for today is the account of the
“glory of the Lord” filling the Tabernacle and then showing Moses how He would
lead the way for the Jews. There would be a “cloud” during the day and “fire”
at night.
The “glory of the Lord” is the presence of the
“God-head”, often in the person of the Son, Jesus Christ. A study of the phrase
“glory of the Lord” indicates that most of the appearances of the “glory” is
describing the work of Jesus Christ.
One such example is Psalm 19, which
says that the “heavens declare the glory of the Lord”. It also says that His
“handy work in creation” is evidence of the “glory of the Lord”. Thus the
Creator, Jesus Christ, Colossians 1:16, is the
“glory of the Lord”.
This passage describing the “glory of the Lord”
filling the Tabernacle and the Lord’s presence in the form of a “cloud” in the
day and the “fire” in the night is God’s way of directing the Jewish people on
their way to the land that He promised them.
The Jewish people, you must remember, were
established as a “theocracy”, a nation under God on the Earth. Everything we
have read in Exodus, all forty chapters, were written so that we could see how
God unfolded His plan to be played out in the Jewish people.
What is so interesting to me is that His plan for
the Jewish people was not only unfolding 3,500 years ago at the time of the
Exodus, but it is being played out today as well, among the Jewish people.
The end of times scenario happening on Earth today
was foretold by the ancient Jewish prophets and each and every day another of
the prophecies for the last days is closer to fulfillment.
By the way, the next thing on God’s calendar of
events in the end times is the Rapture, when Jesus calls we that are Christians
into the heavenlies. That event, the Rapture, could happen at any moment, maybe
even today.
PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, thank you for
your presence with us today, as it was in the days of the Tabernacle in the
wilderness. Please guide each of us as you did the children of Israel, toward
the “promised land”.