Series: Christmas 2023
Sermon: Jesus the Glory of God
Bible Passage: Exodus 40:34-35
Verse 34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Verse 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
I. The cloud represented God’s presence (cf. Exod 16:10, 19:9, 16, 33:9-10)
1. Exod 16:10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud
2. Exod 19:9 The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.”
3. Exod 33:9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses
II. The cloud represented God’s protective guidance (cf. Exodus 13:21-22, 14:19-20)
1. Exod 13:21-22 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people
2. Exod 14:19-20 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
3. Exod 40:36-38 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
III. The cloud symbolized closeness of God to His people—the immanence of God
1. Exod 40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
2. Exod 33:9 Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses;
IV. The cloud resting on the Tabernacle symbolized a significant stage in the salvation history
1. Exod 6:7 I [the LORD] will take you as my own people, and I will be your God
2. Exod 19:5-6 … out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation
Just as the glory of God descended on the Tabernacle, the glory of God descended on the Temple when it was completed (1 Kings 8:10-11)
The greatest tragedy in the history of Israel was the leaving of the glory of God (the cloud) from the Temple (Ezek 10:3, 18)
3. Verse 3 Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the Temple
4. Verse 18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the Temple
Observations
1. The cloud and glory of God refer to God Himself
2. The cloud and glory of God led the people of Israel through the desert, fed them through their journey, protected them from their enemies, and brought them to the Promised Land
3. When the cloud was on the Tabernacle and subsequently Temple, there was a closeness between God and His people
4. When the cloud left the Temple, it symbolized a distance between God and His people
Two verses in the NT deserve attention
1. John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth
2. Matthew 1:23 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,” which means “God with us”
Lessons
1. Jesus, the Second Person in the Trinity, is the cloud and the glory of God in the OT
2. It was Jesus who brought the presence and closeness of God to the people of Israel
3. It was Jesus who provided a protective guidance to the people of Israel to reach the Promised Land
4. He has brought with Him “grace” and “truth” (John 1:16-17)
5. He is the revealer of the Father (John 1:18)
Take Away:
Experience closeness to God through Jesus the glory of God