Sunday, January 28, 2007

Exodus 18

Yahweh: Greater than all gods


(1) Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro*, the priest of Midian**, heard about everything God*** had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt.


*Jethro: In Exodus 2:18, Jethro is called "Reuel", which means "friend of God" or "friend of Elohim". Some believe that Jethro is, instead, the son of Reuel. Reuel means "friend of God", while Jethro means "excellence". Reuel was apparently his personal name, while Jethro may have been a more official or honorary name.



**Midian: The Midianites seem to have traveled extensively in the desert regions. R. A. Cole reasons that since they later were enemies of Israel, it is unlikely that these traditions would have been made up about Israel’s great lawgiver. - www.bible.org/netbible/exo2.htm. Midian was the fourth son of Abraham by Keturah after Sarah's death. Midianites were virtually the rulers of Arabia, being the dominant tribe. It was to one of their caravans that Joseph was sold (Genesis 37:28, 36).


***God: Elohim


(2) Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah*, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in.


*Zipporah: When did Moses send her back to her father? We don't know for sure. But, it might be when Zipporah was forced to circumcise their son, and she accused Moses of being a bloody man (Exodus 4:25-26).
Possibly, Moses saw that she, like Eve, would actually hinder him from doing what God had called him to do!


(3) (Moses’ first son was named Gershom*, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”


*Gershom sounds like a Hebrew term that means “a foreigner there.”


(4) His second son was named Eliezer*, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”)


*Eliezer means “God is my helper.”


(5) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God.


(6) Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.”


   Why did Jethro have to send a message ahead? Perhaps, he wasn't sure how Moses would receive him.


(7) So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent.


(8) Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles.


(9) Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.


(10) “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt!


   He had not seen the wonders but he does understand fully the one outstanding fact of the wonderful deliverance out of Egyptian hands. What amazed him was that Yahweh had delivered Israel from the powerful Egyptians, and he could only rejoice in it.


(11) I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”


   It is possible Jethro knew this before, because he was the priest of Midian (Exodus 18:1). But when he heard of God's great works over the gods of Egypt, it brought this truth to Jethro more clearly than before.


(12) Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God*. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence.


*God: Elohim


(13) The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.


(14) When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”


(15) Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God*.


*God: Elohim


(16) When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees* and give them his instructions.”


*decrees: This is before the giving of the law. These words indicate that the law may have already been given, which would indicate that the transactions mentioned here are not in chronological order. This incident may have been placed here to contrast with the treatment the Hebrews received from the Amalekites.


(17) “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed.


(18) “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.


   Jethro concludes his evaluation of Moses' actions with the words, "You cannot do it alone." Many of us men have been taught to be fully independent. To ask for help is a sign of weakness, supposedly. Only God doesn't need help. We need help.


(19) Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God* be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God*, bringing their disputes to him.


*God: Elohim


(20) Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.


(21) But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God* and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.


*God: Elohim


   Yet these "capable, honest men" (except Joshua and Caleb if they were two of those selected) died during the 40 years. Some may have even been leaders in some of the rebellions against Moses!


(22) They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you.


(23) If you follow this advice, and if God* commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”


*God: Elohim


(24) Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions.


   Moses could've reacted like most men - been upset that his father-in-law would suggest he do something better or interfere in his business. Much to Moses' credit, he was teachable; when Jethro said the thing that you do is not good, Moses listened to Jethro. Moses knew how to not bow to the complaints of the children of Israel (Exodus 17:3), but also knew how to hear good advice from a man like Jethro.


(25) He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.


   The apostles did something similar in the book of Acts (chapter 6) when they were too busy taking care of the widows, etc. and assigned such tasks to men like Stephen and Philip so they could devote themselves to preaching, prayer and study. Paul gave the same counsel to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2.


(26) These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.


(27) Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.


   But, Numbers 10:29-31 implies that Moses may have convinced Jethro's son, Hobab, to stay with them to act as a guide in the wilderness. But, we're not told whether Hobab went with Moses or not: One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel! ”But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family.” “Please don’t leave us,” Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. If you do, we’ll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us.” Some also believe that Hobab was another name for Jethro.






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Saturday, January 27, 2007

Exodus 17

Exodus 17 - Is the Lord here with us or not?


(1) At the Lord’s command, the whole community* of Israel left the wilderness of Sin** and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink.


*community of Israel : sons of Israel


**wilderness of Sin: Exodus 16:1: ...between Elim and Mount Sinai...



(2) So once more the people complained* against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. “Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”


*complained: Exodus 16:2-3: There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”


   They don't seem to learn from their experiences! The people should have come to Moses to ask him to pray to God for water, but their action led Moses to say that they had challenged God. How often do we complain to God about our problems or even blame Him for our problems? Sometimes, He has brought us to the desert to test us too. Sometimes, He brings us to the desert to prepare us for His use. Consider the problems and heartaches in our own past and present - why has He brought us to this point? Perhaps, we need to ask not WHY but rather, "WHERE are You leading us?" Often, He doesn't reveal the destination to us till later - to strengthen our faith and teach us to depend on Him. We need to have faith that He has complete control of our situation and loves us and will care for us and use us for His great purpose.


(3) But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”


   Israel's reaction might seem perfectly reasonable. Given the lack of water, anyone's natural reaction would be to worry. But Israel had much evidence from the past that God was powerful and trustworthy; Israel had great promises that the future would be wonderful. Why was this present situation so worrisome? Because at heart the people did not trust God. They gave no thought to what God had done in the past nor what He promised for the future; they thought only about their lack of water now. This helps us understand what "putting God to the test" means. Each Israelite looked around at the bleak wilderness and asked, "Why has God brought me here?" God clearly was not to be trusted; look at the scary and dangerous place to which He had brought them. However, if God were to apologize and come through with some water, maybe they would be willing to forgive Him and follow Him again. Notice how Exodus describes it: "...they tested the Lord, saying, 'Is the Lord among us, or not?'" The lack of water caused them to question whether God was really on their side. All that He had done in the past didn't count; all that He had promised to do in the future didn't count; what counted was the frightening present. God couldn't really be there, couldn't really be powerful and trustworthy, if He would bring them to a barren wilderness. The question should have been settled already; God is there; He is powerful and loving. Instead, each new difficulty caused Israel to question His power and goodness. They "tested" Him by making Him prove His faithfulness all over again. Years later, Moses looks back on this event and warns the people: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah." This is the verse Jesus quotes when Satan tempts Him in the wilderness.
www.mckenziestudycenter.org/bible/articles/testing.html


(4) Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me*!”


*stone me - Numbers 14:10: But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.

Moses, David, Jeremiah, Stephen, Paul and Jesus suffered from stoning or its threatening. Stoning to death is still practiced in Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc.


(5) The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you.


(6) I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai*. Strike** the rock***, and water**** will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.


*Mount Sinai: Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai or the mountain range.


**Strike: Zechariah 13:7: “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.


***Strike the rock -

Numbers 20:8-12: You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”


Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18, 31, 37: He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! ... “But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation ... You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth ... But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock as even they recognize ... Then he will ask, ‘Where are their gods, the rocks they fled to for refuge?

1 Samuel 2:2: No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

2 Samuel 22:47: “The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

Psalm 18:2: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection He is my shield, the power that saves me,< and my place of safety.

Psalm 78:15-16: He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them water, as from a gushing spring. He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river!

Psalm 105:41: He split open a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry wasteland.


1 Corinthians 10:3-4: All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.


   Notice that the rock is only struck ONCE. Striking the rock recalled striking the Nile; there it brought death to Egypt, but here it brought life to Israel. There could be little further doubting that God was with them and able to provide for them.


****water:

John 4:10-13: Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

 John 7:37-39: On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Revelation 22:1-2: Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

 Revelation 22:17: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.


   Referring to John 7:37, Chuck Smith wrote, "This was the Feast of Tabernacles in which they were celebrating how God preserved their fathers through the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. A part of the preservation was the providing of the water out of the rock. So during the Feast of Tabernacles, the priest would go down to the Pool of Siloam with these water jugs. They would fill them with water, and they would come back up to the steps where several hundred thousand Jews would be gathered in the Great Temple Mount area. In front of all of the people, as they were singing the Halel songs, the priest would pour the water out on the pavement there of the Temple Mount. That was to remind them how that God gave water to their fathers out of the rock in the wilderness. This was just sort of weaved in to the celebration of Tabernacles, the Booths, where they had to make their little booths, again to remind them how their fathers lived out in the wilderness for forty years. So this pouring out of water ceremony was a reminder of the water out of the rock, this experience." - Chuck Smith Commentary on Exodus 16-18: www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/chuck_smith_c2000/Exd/Exd016.html


(7) Moses named the place Massah* (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”**


*Massah-

Deuteronomy 6:16: You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah.

Psalm 81:7: You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah.


**“Is the Lord here with us or not?” is a question with a contemporary ring to it. A somewhat simplistic analysis would show a real distinction between the way in which God is viewed in the Old Testament and the New. In the Old Testament, God is deemed invisible. In fact, to look at God is to invite death. He speaks through angels to Abraham and Jacob. He speaks through dreams. He speaks in visions to various of the prophets. God sees all, knows all, but he lives up in the sky or on the mountaintop. Jesus changed all that. He came and lived among us. He became a human being. "Is the Lord among us or not?" is an Old Testament question. The New Testament answer is: "Yes, the Lord is always with us." For us, the relevant question is: "Are we with the Lord?" Do we know where we are going? Are we going to listen to the one who came to live among us, to be one of us? Or do we think of God as the distant one, the God portrayed in the Old Testament? I was born and raised in Princeton, and our most eminent citizen was Albert Einstein, who died when I was ten. There were many Einstein stories. Someone sent me the following told by Billy Graham:


   In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a major address, just come and let us honor you." So he agreed. After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn't find it. The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively.



   "The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.' Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.'Having said that Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I also know where I'm going." - www.trinitystaunton.org/the%20wilderness%20of%20sin.htm


(8) While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek* attacked them.


*Amalek-

Genesis 36:12: Timna, the concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek. These are the descendants of Esau’s wife Adah.

 Numbers 24:20: Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: “Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!”

Deuteronomy 25:17-19: “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this! - (The Hebrews were ordered by God to totally wipe out the Amalekites, which they failed to do!)

1 Samuel 15:8-9: He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

Haman was the son of Hammedatha; chief minister of King Ahasuerus (Esther 3:1-2). As his name indicates, Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Because of his attempt to exterminate the Jews in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, he is frequently called "the persecutor of the Jews". His plot against the Jews and his downfall are remembered during the Feast of Purim.


Amalek was the grandson of Esau, who was of the fleshly seed, and represents the flesh. So in scripture, Amalek is always a type of the flesh, the flesh-life, the fleshly seed. There's a spiritual seed; there's a fleshly seed. There's a spiritual side of my nature, there is a fleshly side of my nature, and the spirit and the flesh are in conflict. A constant warfare, my spirit lusting against my flesh, my flesh against the spirit, these two are contrary. Every child of God knows what it is to have a conflict with his flesh. Now Amalek is a type of the flesh. Here God's people, the spiritual seed is coming in to take the land, but the flesh is the first thing that moves in the way to stop them, and to hinder them from going in and taking, and possessing that which God has promised to give to them. One of the biggest barriers to our receiving the full promises of God for our lives is our flesh. The flesh is always warring against the spirit. Our flesh would keep us from entering into the fullness of God's promises, and into the fullness of God's blessings. Amalek came out to meet them, the picture of the flesh, and fought with them. - Chuck Smith Commentary on Exodus 16-18: www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/chuck_smith_c2000/Exd/Exd016.html


   What made Amalek so dastardly was that unlike any other enemy who attacked the Israelites fleeing slavery in Egypt from the front, Amalek attacked the rear. This meant that his soldiers could kill women and children, the elderly and the infirm and in so doing avoid engagement with the soldiers at the front. In this way he could produce maximum carnage and maximum terror. The moral problem the Bible addresses is that this is not warfare, it is the slaughter of innocents—it is terrorism. Our enemies are just our enemies except if our enemy is Amalek. In that case our enemy is also the enemy of God. Amalek thus becomes the symbol of terrorism in every generation. He is the symbol not of evil but of radical evil. In our generation Amalek is alive and well and killing the weak ones at the rear of the march. Amalek has attacked the rear of our line of march in Madrid and Bombay, in Jakarta and London, in Haifa and Tel Aviv, in New York and Washington, in a quiet field in Pennsylvania and in a hundred other homes and families—leaving them covered with blood and tears. Yes, one can disagree and debate how Amalek must be fought, but not that Amalek must be fought. One must report and mourn the innocents who are inadvertently killed by our soldiers in our battle against Amalek, but that remembrance must always make the spiritual moral and political distinction that our victims were killed by mistake and Amalek's victims were killed by design. - www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13938178/site/newsweek/


(9) Moses commanded Joshua*, “Choose some men to go out and fight** the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”


*Joshua: 1st mention of Joshua (Yehoshua).


** fight: Where did they get their weapons to fight with? Some say they had household weapons, though you have to wonder why Pharaoh would allow his slaves to have weapons. Some say the weapons were washed up on the seashore when the Egyptians drowned. I can see bows and arrows washing up, but swords?


(10) So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur* climbed to the top of a nearby hill.


*Hur: Per Josephus, the husband of Miriam. Per 1 Chronicles 2:19, he is Caleb's son.


(11) As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage.


(12) Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.


   When we fight our "enemies", we too must raise our hands in prayer to God in heaven. In Exodus so far the staff of God is the token of the power of God; when Moses used it, God demonstrated his power. To use the staff of God was to say that God did it; to fight without the staff was to face defeat. Using the staff of God was a way of submitting to and depending on the power of God in all areas of life.


(13) As a result, Joshua overwhelmed* the army of Amalek in battle.


*overwhelmed: Hebrew mouth of the sword. It means as the sword devours – without quarter


(14) After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”


(15) Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”).


   The Expositor’s Bible Commentary provides the following insights into this battle and God’s revelation of Himself through it: “Both elements were to be operating: (1) the sword in Joshua's hand and (2) the staff (symbol of divine intervention) in Moses' hand. Once again divine sovereignty and human responsibility were linked in carrying out the will of God … Moses' outstretched arms primarily symbolized his appeal to God. He had commanded Moses on previous occasions, "Stretch out your hand" with the staff (9:22-23; 10:12-13; 14:16). ... The word for "banner" (nes) reflects the root "to be high," "raised," or "conspicuous." The allusion would be to lifting up the staff as a standard and a testimony to his power. The victory, then, was the LORD's, just as the war had been his. - www.path-light.com/IAM08b.htm


(16) He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now* the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”


* Or Hands have been lifted up to the Lord’s throne, and now




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Saturday, January 13, 2007

Exodus 16 - Glory

kabowd or kabad {kaw-bode'}


Per Net Bible:

Kabowd is translated in the King James version as "glory" 156 times, "honor" 32 times, "glorious" 10 times, "gloriously" once and "honorable" once for a total of 200 times.

Definition: glory, honor, glorious, abundance, honor, reputation, reverence.

From: kabad , meaning weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or
copiousness:-glorious(-ly), glory, hon our(-able).



Shekhinah or Shechinah means the dwelling or settling, and is used to denote the dwelling or settling presence of God, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem. Shechinah is derived from the Hebrew verb 'sakan' or 'shachan' or simply "skn". In Biblical Hebrew, the word means literally to settle, inhabit, or dwell, and is used frequently in the Hebrew Bible. (See Genesis 9:27, 14:13, Psalms 37:3, Jeremiah 33:16), as well as the weekly Shabbat blessing recited in the Temple in Jerusalem ("May He who causes His name to dwell [shochan] in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship"). The word for Tabernacle, mishcan, is a derivative of the same root and is also used in the sense of dwelling-place in the Bible, e.g. Psalm 132:5 ("Before I find a place for God, mishcanot (dwelling-places) for the Strong One of Israel.") Accordingly, in classic Jewish thought, the Shekhinah refers to a dwelling or settling of divine presence. According to Professor Kern, Shekinah means "the presence of God".
Ezekiel spoke of "the glory of the God of Israel was there [in the Sanctuary], according to the vision that I saw in the plain." It is probable that after the entrance into Canaan this glory-cloud settled in the tabernacle upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. We have, however, no special reference to it till the consecration of the temple by Solomon, when it filled the whole house with its glory, so that the priests could not stand to minister (1 Kings 8:10-13; 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14; 7:1-3). Probably it remained in the first temple in the holy of holies as the symbol of Jehovah's presence so long as that temple stood. Ezekiel 8-11 describes the departure of God's glory from the first Temple as a prelude to the final destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem in 586BC. Where references are made to the Shekhinah as manifestations of the glory of the Lord associated with his presence, Christians find numerous occurrences in the New Testament in both literal (as in Luke 2:9 which refers to the "glory of the Lord" shining on the shepherds at Jesus' birth) as well as spiritual forms (as in John 17:22, where Jesus speaks to God of giving the "glory" that God gave to him to the people). A contrast can be found in Ichabod, so named as a result of the Ark of the Covenant being captured by the Philistines - "The glory is departed from Israel" (1 Samuel 4:22 KJV). -- Answers.com: Shekhinah: www.answers.com/topic/shekhinah


The Septuagint translates kabod with the Greek word doxa, which in simple terms means that which gives a proper opinion of some one or some thing. And so God's glory gives us a proper opinion of Who He is.
David writes that "the heavens are telling of the glory (Hebrew = kabod, Greek = doxa) of God..." (Psalm 19:1). Thus all of creation resounds with testimony to the Creator, giving a proper opinion of Him.


In Exodus 25:8-9, we see that it was God Who first expressed His desire to dwell among men, instructing Moses to tell the people to construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell (shakan) among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle (mishkan from shakan) and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. Shekinah originally was used in the Jewish Targums (Aramaic translation of Hebrew Bible) and rabbinic literature whenever the Hebrew text would mention the presence of God in a way that implied certain human limitations. In summary, the term Shekinah as commonly used describes the visible manifestation of God's presence and glory usually in the form of a cloud.


The picture of the Shekinah cloud of glory dwelling on the Temple has a parallel "fulfillment" in the New Testament (obviously written by Jews familiar with the Shekinah in the Old Testament) where John writes that The Word became flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Christ is the Shekinah of God, "the radiance of His glory" (Hebrews 1:3, Verse Note). Paul adds that it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Christ (Colossians 1:19, Verse Note) and that in Christ all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9, Verse Note). Paul writes that Christ is "the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8). This same "Shekinah glory" now rests (dwells) upon all those who are in Christ. Thus, Paul records that God made known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory (Romans 9:23) He prays for the Ephesian saints that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:18, Note by W. Barber). He reminds the Colossian saints that God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ ("dwelling") in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27, Verse Note) The presence of the Holy Spirit is also a representation of the Shekinah as when the Spirit descended and remained on Jesus (John 1:33) and at Pentecost the Spirit came down and rested on the 120 disciples appearing to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them (Acts 2:3). - The Glory of the LORD: >www.preceptaustin.org/overview_glory_of_the_lord.htm



Jesus Christ, the Shekinah Glory of Israel, lived in the Holy of Holies, Exodus 25:21-22; Leviticus 26:11-12; Psalm 91:1; Hebrews 9:5. His presence was manifest by a cloud above the tabernacle by day and a pillar of fire by night, so that the Jews could always tell when Jesus Christ was present in the tabernacle.


Since Jesus Christ as the God of Israel was invisible to the Jews, He was understood through the
various categories of doctrinal teaching presented in the O.T.:

a. articles of sacred furniture

b. feast days and holy days

c. rituals of the priests

d. the priests' uniforms


There are two categories of theophanies as
appearances of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The examples are not exhaustive.

(1) Animate.

(a) As the angel of the Lord, Jehovah.

(b) As a man in human form, He visited Abraham and wrestled with Jacob.

(2) Inanimate.

(a) The cloud and glory of the Lord, Exodus 40:34-38.

(b) A pillar of cloud at the entrance to the Tabernacle, a different kind of cloud, Exodus 33:9.

(c) A pillar of fire.

(d) The burning bush.



The title, Shekinah, refers to the invisible presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy of Holies, enthroned on the mercy seat between the cherubs, Exodus 25:21-22, and the cloud over the tabernacle and sometimes in the tabernacle.

Psalm 99:1 The Lord is king!
Let the nations tremble!
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
Let the whole earth quake!

Isaiah 37:16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.


John 1:14, So the Word became human and made his home (tabernacled) among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.



-- Doctrine of Shekinah: www.countrybiblechurch.us/studies/Doctrines/doctrine_Shekinah.html



This is also the idea behind the name "Immanuel" in Matthew 1:23 - “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”, Isaiah 7:14 - All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).


Where do we first run into the idea of God residing on earth? In Genesis where He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden. We find that the high priest met with God in the tabernacle and in the temple at the ark where He was between the two Cherubim. Where do we first find these two Cherubim - at the entrance to the garden where the Cherubim guarded the entrance. There, Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices. Where else do we find a pair of Cherubim or Angels - in the tomb on each side of Jesus' burial cloths!



Some examples of "glory" in the Torah:


Exodus 13:20-21: The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.


Exodus 14:4, 17-18: And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”


Exodus 16:7, 10: In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the Lord in the cloud.


Exodus 24:16-17, 29:43: And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence.


Exodus 33:18-23: Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence (glory).” The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence (glory) passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”


Exodus 40:34-35: Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.


Leviticus 9:6, 23; 10:3: And Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”
Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’”And Aaron was silent.


Numbers 14:10, 14:20-22: But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice.


Numbers 16:19, 42: Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community, As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared.


Numbers 20:6: Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them,


Deuteronomy 5:24: They said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live!


Examples of "glory" in the New Testament:


Luke 2:9: Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,


John 1:14, So the Word became human and made his home (tabernacled) among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.


John 17:22: “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.


Related to these: Isaiah 40:3-5: Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”



THE PROGRESSIVE DEPARTURE
OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD
FROM "SOLOMON'S" TEMPLE
(Ezekiel 8:1-11:25)


STEP 1: In Ezekiel 8:3-4 the prophet records that the Spirit transported me to Jerusalem in a vision from God. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous. Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I had seen it before in the valley. Ezekiel 8 describes a series of four "abominations" involving God's Holy Temple, but as described in verse 4 the Glory of the LORD is still present, presumably in the Holy of holies although that is not specifically stated.


STEP 2: Ezekiel 9:3 records that Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. There is an almost identical description in Ezekiel 10:4 which records Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord.


STEP 3: Ezekiel 10:18-19 records that Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.


STEP 4: After addressing Ezekiel's fear's that all the remnant would be brought to a complete end with the prophetic promises of future restoration physically and spiritually Ezekiel 11:22-23 records that Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east. The Scripture then falls silent but the clear implication is that the glory of the LORD has departed from His dwelling place among man.




THE SHEKINAH GLORY CLOUD OF THE LORD
ENTHRONED ABOVE THE CHERUBIM



2 Samuel 6:2 He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim.


2 Kings 19:15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.


Psalm 80:1 Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
display your radiant glory


Psalm 99:1 The Lord is king!
Let the nations tremble!
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
Let the whole earth quake!


Isaiah 37:16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.



GLORY IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN


Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.


John MacArthur commenting on Genesis 3:8 writes that "God appeared, as before, in tones of goodness and kindness, walking in some visible form (perhaps Shekinah light as He later appeared in Exodus 33:18; 40:34).


GLORY BEFORE MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH


Exodus 3:2-3 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him (Moses) in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, "I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."


Although the Shekinah glory is not stated in this verse, it is notable that the Hebrew word for “bush” occurs in only one other passage, Deuteronomy 33;16, where we find the phrase “Him who dwelt in the bush” where the word for “dwelt” is “shakan“, the root word of Shekinah. Thus while one cannot be absolutely dogmatic, this parallel description of the Moses' bush experience would support that the Shekinah glory was displayed to the wondering eyes of Moses. So, just as the “the angel of God" manifested in the Shekinah-glory in guiding and guarding Israel in their wilderness wanderings, here we see Moses' initial encounter with the Shekinah glory of the “Angel of the Lord” who is none other than the Lord Jesus in visible manifestation. Today we see His glory most completely in His holy word (e.g., we see some of the fringes of God's glory in His Names and His Attributes). Paul writes But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)


GLORY AFTER ISRAEL'S EXODUS FROM EGYPT



1 Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea (KJV)


Exodus 13:20-22 Then (the children of Israel) set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (KJV)


Jehovah symbolized by the Shekinah glory-cloud guided Israel: "Cloud" is the Hebrew word 'anan, the same noun was used in First Kings where we read that when Solomon's Temple was finished and the priests had brought the ark of the covenant of Jehovah into the inner sanctuary, the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim, that it came about when the priests came from the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Then Solomon said, The LORD has said that He would dwell (shakan meaning to settle down = root word from which "Shekinah" is derived) in the thick cloud. ('anan) (1 Kings 8:10-12). In this context, "cloud" ('anan) is clearly a reference to the Shekinah cloud, symbolic of the glory of Jehovah dwelling in the most holy place in the midst of His people Israel.


GLORY ON MT. SINAI


Exodus 24:16 And the glory of the LORD rested (Hebrew = shakan, root of "Shekinah") on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. And Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.


GLORY IN THE WILDERNESS TABERNACLE


Exodus 25 And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell (shakan) among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. ...And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I shall give to you. And there I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.


Moses uses five synonymous terms/phrases for the wilderness tabernacle:

(1) Sanctuary (miqdas) which means "place of holiness", a place set apart as sacred and holy as opposed to the secular, common and profane;

(2) Tent,” (ohel) denotes a temporary or collapsible dwelling.

(3) Tabernacle (miskan) means "dwelling place" and is derived from the verb shakan, which means to settle down, to dwell or to pitch a tent. God is “pitching His tent” among men. The Shekinah glory cloud between the cherubim symbolized God's abiding presence with His people.

(4) Tabernacle of meeting (moed) where “meeting” means a deliberate prearranged rendezvous or appointment and not a casual accidental meeting, reflecting God's design and desire to meet with man.

(5) Tabernacle of the testimony (edut) emphasizes that the structure was the repository of God's Law especially the testimony of the Ten Words on the tables as a solemn divine charge.



Exodus 33:9 And it came about, whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.


Exodus 33:18 Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”


Exodus 40:34-38 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle (miskan from shakan = settle down). And Moses was not able to enter the tent (describes a mobile structure) of meeting (of "appointment" - designates a determined time and place) because the cloud ('anan) had settled (shakan = root of Shekinah) on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.


Leviticus 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.


Numbers 12:5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward,


Exodus 33:9 And it came about, whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses.


Psalm 99:6-7: Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name. They called upon the Lord, and He answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud. They kept His testimonies, and the statute that He gave them.


Numbers 14:10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.


Numbers 16:19 Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.


Numbers 16:42 It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.


Numbers 20:6 Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them;


1 Samuel 4:21 And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband


The Temple that was rebuilt after Judah's seventy years of exile in Babylon did not possess the Shekinah glory of the LORD.


For a brief moment in Israel's history, the glory did return to the Temple and the land of Israel in the incarnation of Jesus Christ (John 1:14), but His glory "departed" when the nation nailed the glorious One to a Cross.


As Warren Wiersbe has commented "Solomon’s temple was a place of glory. However, despite its extraordinary beauty, it was just another building until God moved in and consecrated it (cf Exodus 40:34). So it is with our lives (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The presence of God is the important thing.


2 Chronicles 7:1-3: Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD'S house. And all the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, "Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting."


Isaiah 6:1-3: In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."


John 12:41 These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him."


In Isaiah 6 the prophet was described as seeing the glory of God. John explains that Isaiah saw and spoke of Christ and His glory. Thus John's commentary is an important link in the Scriptural evidence that the Man Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. In this verse John repeats what he had declared in the prologue, that Christ is the glory of the Father unveiled for human eyes (John 1:14).



THE GLORY OF THE LORD IN EZEKIEL


Ezekiel 1:28: All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.


Ezekiel 3:12: Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the Lord be praised in his place!)


Ezekiel 3:23: So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down on the ground.


Ezekiel 10:4: Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord.


Ezekiel 10:18: Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim.


Ezekiel 11:23: Then the glory of the Lord went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east.


Ezekiel 43:2-5: Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory. This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway. Then the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.


Ezekiel 44:4: Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground.


PRESENT GLORY


Luke 2:9: Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,


John 1:14: So the Word became human and made his home (dwelt - Young's Literal = "tabernacled") among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.


The Messiah, the eternal "Logos" ("the Word") became flesh and lived in a tent among us, the tent being His physical body. Dwelt (made his home) is the Greek word skene which is used in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) to translate the Hebrew word miskan or "tabernacle". So, just as the Angel of God manifests Himself to Israel as the Shekinah glory-cloud which tabernacled with them in the wilderness, in the tent of meeting and then in Solomon's Temple, so here we see the long awaited Messiah "tabernacle" among men.


Paul (using a derivative of skene) speaks of our present physical body as a tent or temporary residence in (2 Corinthians 5:1).


The Jewish NT translates this verse The Word became a human being and lived with us and we saw his Shekhinah, the Shekhinah of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.


John 2:11: This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.


John 2:19: Jesus answered and said to them, “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”


Instead of the Shekinah glory dwelling in the Temple, it dwells in Jesus who is the true "Temple" as John amplifies with his comment that Jesus "was speaking of the temple of His body." (John 2:21)


Acts 1:9: After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”


The Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom will occur the same way Jesus ascended: physically, visibly, and in the Shekinah cloud of glory.


Luke 9:29-36: And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.


This disclosure of Jesus' glory was accompanied by a cloud, the combination clearly paralleling the Shekinah glory-cloud.


Hebrews 1:3: The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.


FUTURE GLORY


THE GLORY OF THE LORD RETURNS
AT END OF GREAT TRIBULATION
AT BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIUM


Zechariah 2:10: The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.


The verb "live" is shakan, from which Shekinah is derived. It is not inconceivable that Zechariah's prophecy in part alluded to Messiah's first coming but the complete fulfillment can only be when He returns a second time and returns to Jerusalem and dwells in His glory in the Temple in the midst of His people.


Romans 8:18: Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.


Matthew 16:27: For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.


Acts 1:9-11: After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”


Jesus will physically return in glory (see Matthew 24:29) on a cloud to Mt of Olives.


Daniel 7:13: As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.


Revelation 1:7: Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see him—
even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!


Isaiah 40:5: Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!


Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the anguish (tribulation) of those days, (the "great tribulation", the last 3.5 years of Daniel's 70th week, the 7 year period marked by Antichrist making a "firm covenant" with Israel and breaking it in the middle of the seven years, marking the inception of the "great tribulation", the time of Jacob's distress or trouble) the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.


The glory of the millennial temple is Christ Himself.


As beautiful as it was externally, the only time Herod's Temple had true "glory" was when the Son of God and of Glory (John 1:14), entered the Temple Mount area.


Life Application Bible notes that God had promised that one day, “I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people (Leviticus 26:11–12 nlt). What has been foreshadowed in God’s presence in the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–35), in the Temple (1 Kings 8:10–11), and in the bodily presence of God himself in Jesus (John 1:14) will become a reality in the new Jerusalem. As God had walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:8), so he will live with his people. God’s people will live within the Shekinah glory of God. The presence of God among his people fulfills all the longing of the entire Bible. The Old Testament prophets had foreseen this great day:


- The Glory of the LORD: >www.preceptaustin.org/overview_glory_of_the_lord.htm



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