Attracting God’s Glory

 

I would like to share a few pearls gathered from the book of Exodus with you today. They are four keys that will help us to attract the glory of GOD in what we do. It is written indeed that Moses, “erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” (Ex 40:33-34)

Then the cloud covered the tent…: covered the tent i.e., covered the work that Moses had finished. Then the cloud covered the tent… and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle… Then… In other words, something happened before that was necessary. What was decisive in the fact that the glory of GOD came to rest on what had been done?

1) Moses withdrew to the mountain (Ex 24:12-18)

We need to know how to cut off from everything and run away from distractions in order to ascend to GOD in prayer. Moses stayed 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain; but for the first 6 days, nothing was happening; the radio was silent and it is only on the 7th day that GOD finally called him. This also speaks to us about patience. People have stayed for hours without grumbling in waiting rooms before being received by Heads of States. But when it comes to GOD, nobody wants to wait. You don’t hurry GOD; if you are really serious about hearing Him, you'll have to wait in His antechamber.

2) Moses received clear instructions regarding all he had to do

“See that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.” (Ex 25:40). There was a pattern to look at and to see; and this pattern was on the mountain only. Therefore, we must first ensure that we have truly SEEN what we wish to do in GOD and with GOD.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD. » If our work is from the beginning with GOD and in GOD, it will not fail to become “God.” Meaning, it will not fail to be covered by the cloud and to be so saturated by GOD’s glory that whosoever would have seen it would have in a way, ‘seen GOD’ (since the whole thing would be totally covered by and submersed in GOD). Moses saw the tabernacle that was with GOD before erecting his own. Indeed, the letter to the Hebrews refers to a true, greater and more perfect tabernacle and sanctuary not made with hands, which Christ entered into and whose pattern was given to Moses on the mountain (9:11, 9:24, 8:5).

3) Moses did all that he had been asked to.

From Exodus 39:43 to Exodus 40:32, it is repeated nine times that: “This, Moses did; according to ALL that the Lord commanded him, so he did.” ALL. He did not leave any detail out; he dared not consider any of them as insignificant or ridiculous. And GOD had paid so much attention to details even to the point of indicating the number of clasps to use for the curtains! How many of us would have minded or even noticed that precision? We would have certainly been many to overlook this ''triviality.'' But Moses carefully listened to ALL the orders of the LORD (he received them in his heart), fully and faithfully transmitted them, and made sure they were executed to the letter. The work done, Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them (Ex 39:43). The blessing followed the conformity of the work to the vision, to the instructions. 

4) Moses completed the work.

The Bible says that the end of something is better than its beginning. The proverb adds, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Which is better translated from French into: “There is no need to run; one must leave on time.” Moses went to the end of what GOD asked him to do. The work started and probably lasted for many months. Yet, Moses didn’t just complete the work for the sake of it: he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar himself, and set up the screen of the gate of the court before relaxing at last. What happened next? Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle (Ex 40:34). The cloud did not come down before the curtain of the gate of the court was set; GOD’s glory did not descend before the final touch was made. The Kabod was such that Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle (Ex 40:35).

Today we want to see the glory of God without paying the price that Moses had to pay for it to come down. And besides, when Moses was busy obeying, he had no idea what awaited him after his obedience. He simply followed the instructions and orders of the LORD. “Come up to Me on the mountain”: he went up, without knowing that it was going to last 40 days and 40 nights and that he would have to go back because the sin of the people would make him break the first tables of the Law. “Make it after the pattern that was shown to you”: he complied. I am not even sure that he was aware he was reproducing a heavenly thing on earth; maybe he thought it was simply a vision… Moses blessed the workers (and the children of Israel) because they had thoroughly obeyed the command of the LORD. As for us, we want GOD to bless our enterprises, while we have not bothered doing things the way He wants. We bring our "masterpieces" to Him and ask Him to bless and cover them with His glory, instead of going up to Him to receive our assignments from Him along with the related instructions. May God help us!

If you really want to see the Kabod on your life, your work, on everything you do and on all that concerns you, then: stop what you are doing; go back to scratch; go up to HIM with two tablets of stone and stay up there as long as necessary. Only come down after He has engraved the Law (His guidance) on them. Then, apply yourself to execute them carefully and do not give up; but persevere to the end and finish what you have started. Finally, this done, take a step back, present your work to the LORD of glory and watch as the cloud comes down and rests on it.

God bless you.