Saturated, Overwhelmed, and Transformed

 

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped, each at the entrance to their tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.  Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.  (Exodus 33:7-11 NIV)

Moses pitched a tent where he would go to meet with God. 

When Moses went inside the tent, the people would see a cloud of Glory filling the tent.  They understood that this was the presence of the Lord, and they worshipped.  But all they could see was the Glory cloud.

Moses, on the other hand, inside the tent, inside the cloud, saw God face to face and spoke to God as you would speak to a friend.   

When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, after spending 40 days and nights with God, he was so saturated with the Glory that his face was shining.  The people were scared to come near him, so he covered his face with a veil. (Exodus 34:28-25)

I guess we can’t judge those people for being afraid; humans are accustomed to living in the physical realm, and when we’re first introduced to the Kingdom of God, it can naturally be a little frightening.  Both Ezekiel and John fell down when they saw the glory:

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face. (Ezekiel 1:28 KJV)

His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. (Revelation 1:14, 17 KJV)

Even Moses was afraid the first time he saw the Glory, in the burning bush:

And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.  (Exodus 3:6 KJV)

But his fear didn’t last long.  After spending years getting to know the King of Glory, being saturated, overwhelmed and transformed by His joy, mercy, and love, all he wanted was more:

And he said, “I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory.” (Exodus 33:18 KJV)

There’s something about the Glory that, once we taste it, we yearn for more. 

I love to picture Joshua, so thirsty for the Glory, that he stayed in that tent long after Moses left, on his face just soaking in the awesome presence of the Lord.

He wanted more.  Don’t we all?

 

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 

If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  (2 Cor 3:7-18 NIV)

 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:6 KJV)

 

 

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved worldwide.www.zondervan.com.  The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.