The Surpassing Glory Series

I just came to find out about a preacher who went to the village to share God’s Word. He was preaching from the Bible and telling the people how they should live holy lives following Jesus Christ. As he was preaching the people where intently listening to the Word. Then suddenly while he was preaching one of the ladies stood up and ran out of the church. In a few minutes the lady returned to the church and was listening to the preaching. After the service the church leaders asked the lady why did you get up and leave the service? Did you not like the preaching? She said no I loved the preaching and had never heard preaching like that before. So they asked then why did you run out of the church like that? She said she went to ask the preacher’s driver does he really live those things he is preaching. It was only when the driver said that the preacher really lived the things he was preaching did she come back to hear him.

This morning I drove myself to this church. But I do want to share some things with you from God’s Word. I pray I will live these things that I share with you.

Every day we face so many difficulties. I don’t have to tell you about all the troubles that are out there. There are troubles at work, troubles at home, there are troubles with our health, there are troubles with money, there are so many troubles that we have to face all the time.

When we face these troubles we long for God to show Himself. In these times we long for God to reveal His glory so we could just taste heaven on this earth, in the midst of our problems. Moses was having this kind of experience.

Exodus 33:19-23

And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And He said, You cannot see My face. For there no man can see Me and live. And Jehovah said, Behold! There is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon a rock.

And it will be, while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back parts. But My face shall not be seen.

Moses was in a time of trouble. He just begged God, show me your presence. If I can just experience your radiant glory then my problems would fade away and I could lead your people.

If Moses was to see the full glory of God he would not be able to survive it. But God put Moses there in the cleft of the rock. And there God’s glory passed by Moses. While there Moses tasted that bit of heaven on earth experiencing the glory of God. It was an amazing experience for Moses for God’s presence to pass by. Moses experienced God’s glory there on the mountain.

What happened when Moses came down from the mountain? He did not realize it, but his face was shining. So the people could not even look on Moses face. He had to veil his face.

Sometimes we long for that kind of experience of Moses. For us we are having some problem or pain in our body, some family problem. Wouldn’t we just love to see the presence of God the way Moses did.

The children of Israel were able to experience it. They built a tabernacle. The glory cloud filled the tabernacle. As God’s people moved in the desert there was a pillar of glory in the daytime and a pillar of fire at night. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if today we had an experience like that?

Let’s look at what happened when Solomon’s temple was dedicated.

II chronicles 7:1-3

And when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from Heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices. And the glory of Jehovah filled the house.

And the priests could not enter into the house of Jehovah because the glory of Jehovah had filled Jehovah’s house. And when all the sons of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah on the house, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised Jehovah, saying, For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

Here again was the glory of God present among God’s people. God’s presence was there at the dedication of the temple. Fire came down and the glory of God filled the place. Nobody could do anything but fall to their knees and bow their face to the ground. Nobody was thinking about their body pain, nobody was thinking about their financial problems all they could think about was bowing in the glorious presence of God. I must fall on my knees I must bow my face to the ground.