Glory

Last week we looked at the instructions from God given to Moses, regarding the skilled workmen and materials needed to begin to construct the furnishings of the tabernacle. The LORD spoke these instructions to Moses when he was in God's presence on the mountain. Moses then assembled the elders and all of the children of Israel to give them the instructions of God. Only those with a willing heart and spirit were to contribute to this work of the tabernacle. These things brought to mind what Paul later wrote about the building of a living tabernacle by master builders, made from all of the believers in Christ (see the previous post titled "Assembled"). This week's Sabbath reading, called P'kudei, meaning "accounting of/for", from Ex. 39 and 40 deals with the completion of the work of the tabernacle, and its assembly. When the furnishings, curtains, incense, robes of the priesthood, outer coverings of the tabernacle, and more, were completed, they were brought before Moses (Ex. 39:32-41). Then: "According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it. And Moses blessed them." (v. 42-43). This brought to mind the New Testament scriptures in which the saints, the believers in Christ, are being equipped or perfected for "the work of the ministry" (Eph. 4:11-13). There is a work to be accomplished by the believers in Christ. Paul wrote that Christ Himself "gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping (katartismos - complete furnishing, perfecting; perfectly joined together, put in order, arrange, complete, to mend what has been broken, to prepare") of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." According to the Concordance, the use here of the word fulness (of Christ) means "the body of believers as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency of God and Christ". Our personal salvation is just the beginning of the story. There is a great work of God being built of all believers that, when assembled together properly, results in the manifestation of that fulness of Christ as defined above. Don't we all want to see the completion of this great living building project? We also see a shadow of this in the events that took place with the assembling and completion of the tabernacle by Moses and the children of Israel. Moses and Israel began assembling the tabernacle on the first day of the first month according to the specific order and directions given to Moses by God (Ex. 40). First was the placement of the ark of the covenant containing the stone tablets of the commandments, and then the partitioning off (sakak) of the ark by the veils placed around it (v. 3). As something for consideration aside from our main topic, I would like to offer a thought about the placement of the ark, and its veiling or partitioning (sakak), as a possible addition to what we already believe about the purpose of the ark. The Hebrew word sakak used here means "to weave, to entwine as a screen, to hedge, fence about, shut in, stop the approach, to block, to screen, cover, thorns, to protect or guard, to cover with armor". We may also then be able to look at the partitioning off of the ark containing the Word of God, which is Jesus (Jn. 1:1-3, 14), as the covering and protecting of the Christ in the midst of the children of Israel until the time when He would be revealed to Israel and all people. We can see this necessity to hide Christ as a mystery in the following from Paul: "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the LORD of glory." (1 Cor. 2:7-8), and also, "...the stewardship...given to me for you to fulfill the word of God, the mystery (hidden truth) which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory...that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." (Col. 1:25-28). Paul also wrote that God sent forth His Son when "the fullness of time had come" (Gal. 4:4-5). If we can consider the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle to be a shadow of this hidden mystery, the children of Israel carried Him in their midst wherever they traveled (the tabernacle was transportable)- hidden, covered, protected, until the time came for Him to be revealed. We also know from scripture, that at the moment of Jesus' death, the covering veil in the temple was ripped in half by a great earthquake, and the ark of the covenant was revealed (Mt. 27:50-53). It is something interesting to think about anyway. Now back to the tabernacle reading from this sabbath - After the placement of the ark in the tabernacle, the order of the placement of the other furnishings was also accomplished according to the directions given by God. Then the Lamp was lit, the sweet incense was burned, and sacrifices were offered on the altar of burnt offering. Moses and Aaron washed their hands and their feet in the water of the laver (see also Jn. 13:5-12), and the people raised up the outer hangings around the tabernacle court, and finally, they set the gate or door to the outer court (v. 21-33). In their assembling of the tabernacle, they started at the most inward place of the tabernacle, and worked their way outward. I think this is the pattern that God follows as He builds each of us as well. When this assembly of the tabernacle was completed, something amazing happened: "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory (kabod - "glory, honor, abundance, riches, splendor, reverence, majesty, magnificence") of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 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." (Ex. 40:34-35). Previously, Moses had met with the LORD on the mountain, and after returning to the camp of the children of Israel, his face would be shining from having been in the presence of the LORD. He had to wear a veil, because his shining face frightened the Israelites! (see Ex. 34:28-35). However, this same Moses could not enter into the kabod glory of the tabernacle - no one could. There is a similar account in another part of this week's Sabbath reading from 1 Kings 8 that occurred later in history. After Solomon completed the building of the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, the glory of God filled the newly built temple: "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD." (1 Kings 8:10-11). The priests, who were consecrated for service in the House of the LORD, could not enter into this glory. However, a great change was accomplished in a prayer spoken by Jesus, before His crucifixion, to His Father in heaven: "...I have finished the work which You have given Me to do, and now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." Jesus continued in prayer: "...I do not pray for these alone (meaning the disciples with Him), but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me...I desire that they also...may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." (Jn. 17:5, 20-24). Through the prayer of Jesus, not only can we enter into the glory, but He gave us the same glory that He was given by His Father. It is the glory found through oneness with Them. The meaning of "glory" written in these verses is from the Greek word doxa, which means "splendor, brightness, magnificence, excellence, majesty (a thing belonging to God or Christ), the kingly majesty of the Messiah, the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ". It is the kabod glory that fills the tabernacle of God. It is interesting that the Greek root word for glory is dokeo, meaning "to be accounted". The Sabbath reading is titled P'kudei, or "accounting of/for". As every item was accounted for by Moses before being placed in the tabernacle, there is also an accounting for every living stone, or believer in Christ, that is being built into the living tabernacle/temple of God (1 Pet. 2:4-5, 1 Cor. 6:19-20), because this living temple contains the Spirit and kabod glory of God. Paul wrote about what God has given to us: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:28-31). Nothing can prevail against the living tabernacle of God, and the glory within it. The pattern established by the tabernacle of God, and later, the temple of God, is of a dwelling built to His specifications, which He then filled with His glory. If God will fill a building of skins or stones and lumber with His glory, how much more will He fill his living temple, the believers in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, with His eternal glory? When I think about this great work of God for us and in us, I have to see also that our calling in Christ was never meant to be a common calling, or a part time, half-hearted calling, but it is the highest calling there is. Paul wrote: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me...but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward toward those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12-14). If you would like to know more about the living temple of God, and the filling of it, and of us, with His glory, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You made it possible through Your Son, Jesus, that I can be one with both the Father and the Son. Your Son has given me the glory that He had with You from before the world was made. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be built together with all the believers in Jesus into a living temple, and into the fulness of Christ. By Your Holy Spirit, I want to press toward the upward calling in Christ. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus, AMEN."