The Glory Inside.
Exodus 40:1-3
What do you think the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle, looked like? You might imagine it being very impressive, but not really, more than likely it looked dark, mostly black, or maybe it was a very dark shade of brown.
It’s outer covering was of badgers skin. So it’s appearance would have been dull, plain, and unattractive.
When God gave Moses instructions on how to build the desert tabernacle, he ordered that the tent be divided into two parts: a larger, outer chamber called the Holy Place, and an inner room called the Holy of Holies.
If you were a priest that was chosen to enter, if you were able to step inside, and once inside everything changed.
Exodus 40:1-3MSG God spoke to Moses: “On the first day of the first month, set up The Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. Place the Chest of The Testimony in it and screen the Chest with the curtain.
Only the priests were allowed inside the Holy Place, the priests would see the table of showbread to their right, a golden lampstand to their left, and an altar of incense ahead, just in front of the veil separating the two chambers.
Moreover outside, in the tabernacle courtyard is where the Jewish people were allowed, all of the elements in the courtyard were made of bronze.
However inside the tabernacle tent, close to God, all the furnishings were made of precious gold.
1 Peter 1:7AMP so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
So the Apostle Peter teaches the believer that their faith is more precious than gold. -And as their faith is tested, God and all the heavenly host will honor you with praise.
If you lived in that day, and If you were able to step inside the Tent of Meeting, everything changed.
On the outside everything bronze, but as one steps into the Tent of Meeting everything becomes gold, dark grey on the outside, but gold, incense and bright lights from the Menorah. -The Table of presence were 12 loaves of unleavened bread. P.H
Again, The first of its chambers was called the holy place.
Again, Inside the holy place was the table of the presence, the altar of incense, and the seven branched menorah, each of gold, each a treasure of inestimable value.
The table of presence stood along the north wall of the tabernacle, opposite the lamp-stand. It’s made of acacia wood (symbolizing the humanity of Christ), and covered with pure gold (symbolizing His divinity), the table held twelve loaves of bread, which were eaten weekly by the priests.
The golden lamp stands were placed close to God, they were precious gold, symbolizing deity and holiness.
The golden lamp stand stood for God's life-giving-power. It echoed the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9)
The altar of incense in the wilderness tabernacle reminded the Israelites that prayer must play a central role in the life of God's people.
Sweet-smelling smoke from incense represented the people's prayers ascending to God.
2 Corinthians 2:15ESV For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
Burning this incense was a continuous act, just as we are to "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
If you were to go into the Tent of Meeting, past the table of the presence, and if you were to venture, even deeper, you would find yourself in the Holy of Holies, with the Ark of the Covenant, within which were the 10 Commandments, and on top of which rested the glory of God.
All these things were hidden from the outside, and could only be seen from within.
So what looked plain, dull, unattractive, and of little worth on the outside, turned out to contain the greatest of treasures on the inside.
2 Corinthians 4:7TPT ”We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours.“
Verse 7b…Everything accomplished should bring total praise back to God!
Back in Biblical times people would store their greatest treasure inside clay jars!
So what does this reveal? You can’t judge a clay jar or a tent by its covering? Yes, and much more than that.
In the world, most things appear more impressive and attractive on the outside and on the surface than on the inside.
A good illustration is a beach front motel. “O the lobby will be ornate, while the rooms are usually dated! P.H
Remember this, 100% of the time the reality is less than the appearance.
However, with God, and the ways of righteousness, it’s the opposite.
On the outside, and on the surface, it tends to look hard and unattractive.
If you will venture to go farther you will find God’s perfect will.
Psalms 27:4NLT ”The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.“
David states, The deeper one enters the greater their delight. The deeper one goes greater truth is uncovered.
You see the way of the cross, and of sacrifice, on the outside, looks hard. But the deeper you go, the more beautiful it becomes.
I’m reminded of the early church and persecution.
The early church decides to go deeper. Acts 14:5-10 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
As Peter slept the church prayed fervently. As Peter was bound and chained between two guards. When Peter could do nothing, the church prayed.
The Bible reports that a brilliant light came inside the prison, an angel struck Peter on the side.
Peter is told by the angel, put on your garment and follow him.
Peter actually thought he was having a vision.
Spiritual Freedom produces joy, laughter and peace. There is no way Peter could escape armed soldiers. -But God!
The early church prayed for Peter’s release,
Hebrews 4:16AMP ”Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].“
The deeper you venture, the more treasure you find. So the deeper you venture into prayer the more awesome it becomes.
The old-timers called it, “praying through,” entering into the light!
The deeper the adventure into the love of God, the more precious it becomes.
Prayer promotes salvation.
Prayer produces deliverance.
Prayer brings light.
Prayer promotes miracles.
Prayer breaks chains.
Prayer paralyzes armed guards.
Prayer opens iron gates.
Again, these were trained soldiers Peter is bound to. Also two guard post, and finally one iron gate.
Therefore, go deeper… And deeper… And deeper still. Go ever deeper… Beyond the surface, beyond the appearance, and beyond the tent skins…
1 Corinthians 2:10-12NLT ”But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.“
Go deeper to await the treasures and the glory that arrives to those… Who go inside.
Exodus 40:34-36AMP ”Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained on it, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out;“
The glory of God isn’t stationary, Gods glory, Gods light, Gods revelation, is on the move.
The glory of God makes the hard times sustainable.
The glory is inside. Decide this very moment to go deeper.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6ESV Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Verse 7voice But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.
“God even anoints cracked pots!” P.H
