God's Glory

Exodus 29: 43

And I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory.

God's glory appeared as a consuming fire on the Mountain. Now His glory is consecrating all these things of the Tabernacle, and also consecrating these people by His glory.

His glory had some kind of effect on the Priests (and Levites, too) to protect them from the impact of the Ark of the Covenant. That's why God directed them to camp around the Tabernacle, between the Tabernacle and the other Tribes, to act as a barrier to protect the people (Numbers 2 & 3). 

Later, when the Philistines captured the Ark in battle and took it to their own towns, to the temple of Dagon, they found their idol with its face on the ground in front of the Ark. Then the next day, their idol was not only on the ground before the Ark, but its head and hands were broken off. The demon behind the idol was compelled to bow before the Ark of the Lord God. (See Isaiah 45:23-24, Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:10-11, and Revelation 5:12-13.)

And God caused the people of those towns to have serious health problems, wherever they brought it (I Samuel 5). Finally they decided to return it to the Israelites (I Samuel 6). 

We need to be careful how we approach our God--He is dangerous to us. That's why He gave so many specific instructions for the Ark and the Tabernacle: God told Moses to, Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you (Exodus 25:9). This "pattern" is the actual Temple in Heaven (Hebrews 9:11), which God showed Moses, so the people would be safe from it's powerful effects. 

God's glory is something that I can't even imagine. That His glory would consecrate the items and equip the people who would serve near them to protect them, is something out of a fantasy novel to me; but I know that it's true, because God's Spirit of Truth lives in me, and teaches me what is true and what is deceptive. 

I'm not even going to try to count all the times, all through God's Word, where we are cautioned to, "be careful," to, "give attention," to, "listen closely" to all that God tells us. Every book, every chapter, every word has been specifically given to us, God-breathed to His prophets who wrote down His Words (II Timothy 3:16).

Our God is Love, and how we love Him and one another is according to how He has loved us, and He has told us how in His Word. 

God says what He means, and He means what He says. That's why He gave us His Spirit, not only to keep us from falling away, but also to teach us how to understand what God is saying to us in His Word. God wants us to know Him, and He wants us to welcome His knowing us--let Him in to our thoughts and attitudes, so that our words and actions will be according to how He wants us to relate to Him and to one another. 

O my Father, Your glory is beyond what I can imagine. Help me to know You better each day, love You more every moment, and show Your love to others at every opportunity. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!