Foundations and Workings of Glory: A summary
Feb 23rd/14
Part 1 Background and Foundations
Good morning church; we have three or four messages left in our glory series.
With these weeks my prayer is to summarize and present again the key truths
around God’s glory. Before we began I had a strong sense that “glory” was an
important biblical theme, I had no idea how important. I would like to establish a
couple of things before we enjoy a biblical review to see what God is doing with
his glory.
The first thing I would like to do is rattle us, just a little bit, out of our Christian
worldview, at least out of my Christian worldview. I grew up into an
understanding that heaven was out there and that someday I would leave here
and go there. Jesus’ main mission was to rescue me and everyone who accepted
his wonderful gift of salvation and take us to heaven. The biblical worldview is
actually much more about re-establishing heaven on earth. The simplest
definition of Heaven is, “The place God dwells”. As I read the Bible, both Old and
New Testaments, I began to see God’s heart to bring heaven here; I began to see
him acting in history to do just that. This is the great restorative plan of all history
and this is also what his glory is about, increasing to that end.
Hab 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea. 1
This is the great longed for biblical hope that God is moving history towards.
Further to this and a very important point for us to understand, the people of the
Bible very much saw heaven intersecting earth at certain points, most notably in
the tabernacle and temple and most specifically in the Ark of the Covenant. The
buildings and articles of worship were not symbolic; we think in that way. The
people of the Word knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that what they truly
were was heaven on earth, the place God dwelled with humanity and that they
pointed to a greater and more wonderful fulfilment to come when his glory would
not only be local but fill the whole earth.
1
The New International Version. (2011). (Hab 2:14). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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So when the Psalmists speak of spending time in the courts of the Lord or the
dwelling place of God they are sharing their deep longing to go to heaven, heaven
on earth; to enter the presence, the glory.
Ps 84:10
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere; 2
Ps 26:8
Lord, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.3
Ps 84:2
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.4
This understanding of God’s presence literally being at the temple does expand
even as we have already noted in the Habakkuk prophecy. There are other points
in the story where the people of the Bible show an understanding that God’s
presence or glory is to fill the earth (Is 66:1, 2) and that ultimately the temple is
not intended to be a container for God, rather it is a very important intersection
point of heaven and earth that will expand until the whole earth is full of his glory.
This is important to keep in mind because it gives us a more complete
understanding of what Christ was doing on earth; not so much a rescue mission as
a glory bringing mission, a presence bringing mission, moving the story, the
purposes of God profoundly forward.
If I were to paraphrase the biblical view of heaven, I would say something like:
“Heaven is not the out there place we are going to go to, it is the coming here
presence of God as his glory fills the earth.”
The biblical perception of time as it relates to humanity is that it has a beginning
point and is moving forward to an end, the end is the glory of God filling the
2
The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 84:10). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
3
The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 26:8). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
4
The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 84:2). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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earth, including humanity.5 From this perspective the story is about increasing
glory as it moves forward, this is another important point to keep in mind as we
move through these next couple of weeks.
As God’s Glory comes forward in the story, it is always increasing. We humans
tend to look back on the “glory days” The glory days are not in the past they are
now. The greater glory days begin tomorrow.
A review of important points so far:
1. Heaven has always intersected earth, wherever it does is a point of glory
2. The end game of history is the glory of God (heaven) filling the earth;
God’s space and ours becoming fully united (Rev 21:1-3).
3. As History moves forward, God’s glory increases. We humans are not
trapped in an impossible situation on earth we live in a glory increasing
time.
I haven’t mentioned it yet but I’m eager to point something out. You and I as
individual humans are destined to be fully restored to our created position of
glory; the very presence of YHWH in us; in fact God’s plan to restore his glory in
the Cosmos is to come through our restored glory (Rom 8:18-23).
I want to move on to the second half of our message for today. In our glory series,
early on, we noticed what I might call three pillars of glory. It strikes me that
owning these pillars of glory is very important for us as children of the King of
Glory. As we discovered in our glory series it is always these three pillars that
come forward in the story as God’s purposes in increasing his glory are worked
out.
We are introduced to these pillars of glory in Exodus during the forming of the
nation of Israel.
First is what the Rabbis came to call Shekinah glory. Shekinah is not a word that
appears in the Bible but a word that Rabbis came to use to describe what they
saw in the Bible it is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning “the one who
dwells”6. The word glory was added to Shekinah to reference God’s visible
5
There is of course another biblical view of time and that is God’s view which is eternal and has no beginning or
end. Heaven is not only about joining God’s space and our space but God’s eternalness with our time.
6
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book
House.
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presence, or presence that can be perceived with human senses.7 The word glory
was also used in reference to a radiance or light or fire that accompanied God’s
presence. This most obviously occurred during the Exodus and in the filling of the
tabernacle and later the temple under Solomon but we see it also in the burning
bush with Moses and the smoking firepot with Abraham and I would say most
incredibly at creation when God said “Let there be light” and his Shekinah glory
exploded the universe into existence.
We could give a simple paraphrased definition of Shekinah glory as the
experiential presence of God; the kind of presence we can sense, the kind of
presence that takes our breath away, the kind of presence that fills us to
overflowing. Some of us may experience this in nature, some in worship services,
some in prayer, some when the word of God is declared with God’s anointing, or
a blend of all of those and more. Jumping ahead a couple weeks this kind of
presence of God has to do with the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. We
should also note that not all people see God when his Shekinah Glory is revealed;
Jesus was the Shekinah Glory of God on earth yet many people saw and never
perceived his message.
Mt 13:15
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’8
I include this thought with an aching heart a heart that aches with longing for all
my dear friends at Oxford Hill to see. The reason I feel so strongly to summarize
our glory series is that we are touching on deep and profound secrets of the
Kingdom of God. Secrets revealed in the word and profoundly in the life of Christ,
but secrets that I missed for much of my life, in part because I was seeing and not
perceiving, hearing but not understanding
7
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible. (p. 2051) Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book
House.
8
The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 13:15). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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The Second pillar of glory we see in the word is the moral glory of God. We were
created into this and this is what we lost at the fall which subsequently made
God’s Shekinah Glory far too dangerous for us to be near. I have a new favourite
understanding of sin; kind of an odd thing to have a favourite of. My new
understanding of sin is not so much a breaking of rules and commands, though
that is certainly a legitimate understanding of sin, my new understanding after
our glory series is that sin is simply me falling short of my created glory. The
exciting reason to desire victory over sin is to get my glory back.
Ro 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,9
God’s moral glory, which I think of as “glory out of glory” because it was given to
Moses from within the Shekinah Glory, is first clearly declared in Exodus chapters
20-23, beginning with what we commonly refer to as the Ten Commandments.
Without having profound issue with the Ten Commandments as a title, I prefer
these days what they are actually called biblically and that is “Words”. They of
course include commandments, but as I read them what I see are words of
covenant relationship as a child of God that call me into my created moral glory
and into all the blessings that go with being a child of God.
At any rate, God gives them to Moses first in the hearing of all the people; this is
the point where they get terrified and ask Moses to speak to God and then tell
them what he said. The Shekinah Glory of God is too much for this young nation
they wanted a bit of distance. The human race had a long way to go to get all the
way back to full restoration of God’s presence.
Any who seek to live in God’s moral glory, find it impossible even though they
want to which is why a New Covenant comes onto the scene. One of the key
differences between the Old and New Covenants is that what is a command
under the Old Covenant becomes a promise in the New Covenant. This truth is
not only taught by the NT writers, it is prophesied in the OT as the prophets were
moved by Holy Spirit and realized that no human would ever live in God’s Moral
Glory (Ez 11:18-20, Ez 36:25-28, Joel 2:28-29, Jer 31:31-34). These are just some
of the OT prophesies that teach us that God is going to lift us into his moral glory
because we cannot make it on our own. This is perhaps another reason I do not
9
The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 3:23). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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like the title “Ten Commandments” these days, I associate commandments with a
heavy unbearable burden and God in his word is actually moving them from a
burden to a promise. In the New Covenant they become the “Ten Promises”.
Once again I am jumping way ahead of myself but I really really love the New
Covenant. Also I believe it is critical for myself and many of us to have a radical
shift in how we view God’s moral glory. My sense is that at this incredibly
important point, we may be stuck in Old Covenant thinking. If we get nothing else
out of our glory series, I pray we get a shift in understanding that God’s laws are
not what we have to uphold, but what we will be lifted into.
Before leaving this second pillar of glory, let’s simply hear how Jesus summed up
what God’s moral glory would look like in you and me.
Mt 22:37
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ i 38 This is the first and greatest
commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ j
40
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”10
There is a very significant third pillar of God’s glory. At this time I have three
phrases to describe it and I can’t decide which I like best; first “His greater glory”
second “His forgiving glory” third “His restoring glory”. We also find this pillar of
glory declared during the Exodus. This revelation of glory comes after Moses had
spent much time in the Shekinah glory, after the giving of the moral glory or
“glory out of glory” and after Israel so full of hope in entering the Covenant had
already broken Covenant. At any rate, after already being very soaked in the glory
of God, Moses makes a few requests. First is for God to teach him his ways so he
can know him, second is for God’s presence to go with them, and third is for God
to show him his glory. It is this third requests that sets up an incredible event. It is
incredible first in my mind because Moses was already marinated in the glory of
God, it is incredible second for what God is going to reveal to Moses. The set up
to this event is like a blaring trumpet to us who read the word. “Pay Attention!
This is important!”
10
The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 22:37–40). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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Ex 33:13
If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and
continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.11
Ex 33:15
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not
send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me
and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and
your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?12
Ex 33:18
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
We are now deep into the story of Exodus, not only have we observed but we
have been clearly told that Moses already had an incredible relationship with
God. God spoke with Moses as one man speaks to another, Moses would go up
the mountain and meet with God in the Shekinah glory, God would meet with
Moses in a tent outside of camp and bring his Shekinah glory to the tent. All this
was already normal when Moses said “I want to know you, show me your glory.”
Ex 33:11
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.13
Now we are told just a few verses later that Moses is in for something greater,
even more glorious. This is why I call this revelation of glory “God’s greater glory”
Ex 33:19
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and
I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. 14
Ex 33:20
But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
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When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you
21
11
The New International Version. (2011). (Ex 33:13). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
12
The New International Version. (2011). (Ex 33:15–16). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
13
The New International Version. (2011). (Ex 33:11). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
14
The New International Version. (2011). (Ex 33:19). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will
see my back; but my face must not be seen.” 15
A quick point about this revelation, before we look at it in the word; this is one of
the points in scripture we are made aware that there is always more of God’s
glory to be revealed. Moses had seen God face to face, but now he can’t. Moses
has asked to see more of God’s glory than even he can handle and live. Clearly
previously when Moses saw God’s face, God was keeping much of his glory
unrevealed for Moses’ safety. Somehow Moses knew this and that is where his
request to know God comes from. This is exciting because even in the revelation
of this incredible greater glory as I have called it, neither we nor Moses are
getting the full or greatest revelation of God’s glory, there is always more to
come.
Let’s hear now God proclaim his greater glory.
Ex 34:6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD
God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness
and truth;
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who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and
sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of
fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth
generations.”16
First of all it strikes me that this revelation is contained within the name of God,
God reveals his greater glory through proclaiming his name. Coming out of that
we are given what we should hold onto as one of the most important pieces of
revelation of all of scripture, this is God himself revealing his greater glory. Notice
this revelation begins with love, graciousness and compassion and ends with
punishment. In between these, as the centerpiece of this revelation of glory, is his
forgiveness.17
15
The New International Version. (2011). (Ex 33:20–23). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
16
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ex 34:6–7). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation.
17
Remember, this revelation of glory occurs after the golden calf incident in which the people made an idol to
worship as well as worshiping God. Interestingly generations later this same sin shows up once more under king
Jeroboam when he wanted to give the kingdom of Israel something to worship without having to go to the Temple,
so he made two golden claves (1 Kings 12:28-30). This seems to be an example of how sin gets revisited
generations later; also an example of how we humans have tendencies to go back to things that get us in trouble.
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Forgiveness becomes the healing between God’s punishment and love. This is the
point where I see the other two phrases I use in reference to this all important
third pillar of glory “his forgiving glory” and “his restoring glory”. God in his
infinite love and grace provides a path of restoration for us when we fall short of
our created destiny of glory, forgiveness is that restoration. Forgiveness for me
and all who desire to walk in Covenant wholeness becomes the most significant
revelation of God’s glory. It is through forgiveness that God will turn back the
effects of the curse and restore all of creation; it works through humanity and
heals all of creation.
Rom 8:21
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and
brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 18
We will see more on this great revelation of glory next week when we look at
forgiveness in Christ.
I want to wrap up today with something I stumbled across with the guidance of
our Holy Spirit that I had not noticed before we began our glory series. What I am
about to share is what clarified for me these three pillars of glory we have been
talking about today and gave me a tool to hold onto them with my heart and
mind.
These three pillars of glory are exactly what the Ark of the Covenant is about they
are what the Ark in the OT literally was and in our day they are what the Ark
preaches to us. There is much to say about the Ark, one thing we can do with the
Ark is actually view our glorious Lord Jesus through the Ark of the Covenant. The
Ark in the OT was where the glory of God resided it was the most focused
intersection of heaven on earth and when it was lost to the Philistines for a
season it was declared “The Glory has departed” (1 Sam 4:21).
God has woven his eternal truths beautifully through Scripture; today I invite us
all to meet Jesus again through the Ark of the Covenant. We will actually speak of
this more in our summary of glory coming forward.
18
The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 8:21). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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19
First God’s Shekinah or dwelling glory or manifest glory would dwell between the
cherubim above the cover of the Ark. This is the place God chose to meet with the
priests (Ex 25:22, Lev 16:2). Again remember this wasn’t symbolic this was literal.
This is what the Psalmists longed to come close to as we read earlier today, the
very presence/glory of God, heaven on earth. In Christ the literal meeting place
changed. There is much to discover about this, for example we believe that the
prophesied greater glory of the second temple after exile (Hag 2:9) was actually
fulfilled in the coming of Christ to the temple.
So the first pillar of Shekinah glory shows up in the Ark between the wings of the
cherubim, In OT times this is where God presenced himself, in our time this is not
where God presences himself, but it is still a rich symbol to help us understand
God’s increasing glory on the earth. God’s glory doesn’t change it comes forward
in increasing measure.
The second pillar of glory shows up within the Ark itself, it is here the moral glory
on the tablets of stone is stored. A key purpose for the Ark was to carry God’s
moral glory (Ex 25:16). Again in Christ this moral glory is fulfilled (Matt 5:17).
Christ is not only the Shekinah glory of God dwelling above the Ark; he is the
moral glory of God fulfilled. In the coming forward of glory, the purpose of Christ
is to restore moral glory to you and I. The ten commandments stored in the OT
Ark become the Ten promises in Chirst.
19
http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&biw=1004&bih=837&tbm=isch&tbnid=pPEVdV83byuAmM%3A&imgrefurl=h
ttp%3A%2F%2Fmooselicker.wordpress.com%2Ftag%2Fwhere-is-the-lost-ark-of-thecovenant%2F&docid=emKXOElAxpeAM&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmooselicker.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F03%2Fark-of-thecovenant.jpg&w=450&h=227&ei=TuUIU4GvD8WHogTml4DgAQ&zoom=1&ved=0CJgBEIQcMBA&iact=rc&dur=8858
&page=2&start=13&ndsp=19
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The last pillar of glory is found in the cover or seat of the Ark. This is the mercy
seat or atonement cover depending on which translation one is reading. It is here
God brings together his greater glory of love and compassion and punishment
through the act of forgiveness. It is here that on the once a year great day of
mercy or atonement the priest would enter and sprinkle the blood of the sin
offering for forgiveness for the people (Lev 16). Again this is not where
forgiveness occurs anymore, forgiveness occurs in Christ, on the cross he became
not only our mercy seat but he became the sacrifice it was his blood that was
shed for our forgiveness. Christ fulfilled what was revealed in the mercy seat of
the Ark. He is our Mercy seat, he is our Ark of Covenant, all three pillars of glory in
the Ark come forward and increase in Christ.
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Dear church: I deeply believe it is important for each of us to see and perceive
what God is speaking to us in his word around his glory and how it impacts us.
What I have given today is all review from our glory series. My prayer this week is
that lights of understanding will go on in our minds and hearts. In the next three
or four weeks as we wrap up our glory series my prayer is that the light of
revelation will transform us.
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https://akiane.com/
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