February 15th, 2013

February 15th, 2013

The Lord's Glory fills the Tabernacle

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys. (Exodus 40:34-38 NLT)

All of this preparation, all of this hard work, comes down to this. This was not just some tent. It was not just a shelter. This tabernacle that they had been instructed to build was the dwelling place for the very presence of the Most High God. They set the tent up, and God moved in. The great thing about it, is that God dwelt in the Holy of Holies, and later, after the construction of the temple, which has the same general layout, God dwells in the Holy of Holies there in Jerusalem. But I think the most significant thing for us as followers of the Most High, we read about a couple of days ago. We know that God dwells in the Most Holy Place, and that no one except the high priest, one time per year could enter into that presence. But on Wednesday, we read about something of great significance that happened to the Holy of Holies.
"Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (Matthew 27:50, 51 NLT)
If we were just reading the new testament, we might not get the significance or the symbolism that goes with this tearing of the veil. When Jesus died, he created a way for ALL PEOPLE to have access to the very presence of God. Wow!

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