Being Passionate For God's Presence In Your Life

BEING PASSIONATE FOR GOD’S PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES

The Glory Of God

If you read your Bible today – there is a very interesting passage about the presence of God.

I want you to go to Exodus 40:33-38.

Exod 40:34-38

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35 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.

36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys.

37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up.

38 For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

(NKJ)

Moses had just been given detailed information on the building of the temple. Every thing was matriculously spoken to him by God. Then it was finished.

It was now time to enter the temple.

When the work of the temple was finished – they couldn’t enter the temple because a cloud (God’s glory) filled the temple.

Go with me to 2 Chronicles 5:11-14. We will see another passage that talks about the glory of God…

2 Chr 5:11-14

11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions),

12 and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets--

13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,

14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

(NKJ)

One more passage… Exodus 33:1-33 (especially v.18)

In all these passages… you will see a common thread… notice the use of God’s “glory.”

Things took place when God’s glory was around.

God promises us that He will encircle us with His glory ? from the north, south, east, and the west.

Tonight I would like to share about the glory of God is our lives and how God desires for us to have more of His glory in our lives.

There are three things I would like to talk about:

1? The Meaning of God’s Glory

2? The Mention of God’s Glory in the Bible

3? The Manifestation of God’s glory in our lives today (or how… God wants to make His presence known in our lives today.)

I. MEANING

Two words help define the glory of God:

1? (Heb. Phaeim) ? presence of God, face(s) of God. This speaks of an intimacy with God.

Moses said in Exodus 33:15 ? "If your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here."

The plurality here could refer to the Trinity or the attributes of God.

2 ( Heb. Kabowd) - - "glory or weight.

Exo 40:34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (NKJV)

Exodus 33:18/ 2 Chronicles 5:14

Romans 3:23 ? "All have sinned and have come short of (deficient) of God’s glory."

God is basically saying "I will bring my presence among you and my weight will be upon you. It will stamp upon you.

It is that which comes into our midst with such a force that it makes a mark upon everyone in that place."

So... glory has to do with countenance, sustenance, power, weight.

II. THE MENTION OF GLORY IN THE BIBLE AS A CONCEPT

1. Adam and Eve were clothed in the glory.

They did not know what their garments were made of.

Sin revealed their nakedness.

Romans 3:23 ? "For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God."

2. God’s glory was then in the temple (tabernacle) –

God made a covenant with His people that His glory would rest there.

The priest fell under the power (weight) of God’s glory.

This was the first step to restoration after the fall of man. Man was looking for some way to remove that feeling of weight? less?ness.