Biblical truths from scripture
The Glory of God: Old Testament. Part 1.
What is this glory?
1. The appearance of Gods Glory. OT.
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Exo 24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Notice that in the book of acts, when the apostles and disciples were filled with the holy spirit, there was a “fire” that sat upon each of them. This is the New Testament application of the Old Testament experience of Gods glory and presence and Fire.
Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
2. The presence of God. OT
Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
Exo 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exo 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Deu 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
1Ch 16:27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Note: when Moses asked to see Gods glory, it was more than just Gods face or his presence! He was asking God to get the glory for the things God had already done and was about to do! God not only answered That request by Revealing his power and glory to Moses while They were still on the mount, but also when God put the pillar of fire by night and the cloud of his witness by day, over the Hebrews for the entire 40 yrs they were in the wilderness. The people saw the cloud and the fire, there was no doubt that it was there from God! Moses could never do that!
Many today pray and ask God to do something for them, this is normal, but few actually go to God asking the HE be glorified in whatever they are asking. Even Jesus just before his crucifixion, prayed “not my will be done, but thine!”
3. The Power of the glory. OT
Exo 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exo 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
The presence of God is such an amazing experience, that nobody can overcome it, or even compare to it. The foolish idea that in Gods presence, someone is going to do things their way, is complete nonsense!
However, people can be so filled with sin, that they cannot sense Gods presence at any time. I was in a camp meeting when the glory came, and experienced all the glory of that place and time. it was there I saw a man sitting in the back row, with no regard or indication of any kind, that God was there! He acted as though he was bored and could not care any less! While everyone else was rejoicing with joy unspeakable and indescribable! I later found out that man was a whoremonger and a pedophile. With such a wall of sin about him, its no wonder he was “dead” to the things of God!
4. The requirements for the glory. OT.
Lev 9:6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you.
Lev 9:7 And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.
Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Note: God presence will have no fellowship with sin or those knowingly involved in sin.
2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
2Co 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
5. The Glory of God can be forfeited.
Num 14:20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
Num 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
Num 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Num 14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Eze 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
6. God has severe punishments for those that provoke him to anger, who reject his counsel, or try to copy or monopolize on his Glory!
Num 16:26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
Num 16:27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
Num 16:28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Num 16:29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
Num 16:30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Num 16:31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Num 16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Note: the judgment of Kora and his followers was severe! The modern version of todays “Koras’ would be: They were telling people that Moses was to narrow and to old fashion! Accusing him of being a legalist or a cult!
Kora thought he had a better way! forget those old ways, lets try something new. Kora had even built another tabernacle with many comforts, conveniences and more pleasant style of worship! I wonder if they had a band, with dancing, wild lighting, smoke generators, everyone spinning and laughing? Perhaps they had a coffee stand with doughnuts, or big screen TVs to watch some “movie”. I wonder if they all spoke in “unknown tongues, jumped around, rolled on the floor or ran on top of the alter? That all sounds very sick and disgusting, but its what today’s modern churches are passing off as glory! They too, will one day meet the judgments of God, drop into the fires of hell along with kora and his followers!
But Kora was in rebellion against God and Moses! Kora wanted the position and the glory to be attributed to himself! He had the charisma, the silver tongue, and the “movie star image”, along with others who didn’t want to pay the price of humility and surrender!
But God was watching and it made him angary! The ground opened up and swallowed them up like a mighty pit! Kora and his bobblehead followers, with his compromised religion dropped into the very fires of hell!
7. The Glory of the lord judged the people for murmuring. 14,700 people died.
Num 16:42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
Num 16:43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 16:44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Num 16:47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
Num 16:48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Num 16:49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
Num 16:50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
Murmuring: is complaining, slandering and gossip. It causes divisions, undermines loyalties, break ups homes and families, destroys the reputation of innocent people and enflames those whom God is trying to reach.
What kind of plague it was, is unknown, but the death rate was staggering!
God is not hesitant to punish with severity! His patience is long and slow, but when he has had enough, its time to pay!
2Sa 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
2Sa 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
8. The Glory of the Lord brought miracles.
Num 20:6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
Num 20:7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 20:8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
Num 20:9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
Num 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
Any miracles that God does, is always to fulfil his purposes! When men try to use Miracles as a sign of Gods presence, then its clearly a SHAM! Gods’ presence can bring miracles, BUT miracles cannot bring Gods presence! Satan and his underworld can do miracles. They do it to deceive and people fall for it!
Sometime ago, somebody put up a big tent, just down the block from our house. I wondered what it was about. Then the big sign went up that said “miracles and signs and wonders.” I knew right then it was a sham. Some people we knew, went to their meeting, and saw people getting healed and delivered, with all the emotions and drama that went along with it! They gave a lot of money to help what they thought was Gods work. A few weeks later, the tent was taken down and they left. However, it showed back up again a few towns away. So, the same people drove to that town and attended the meeting again. They said the same people with the same infirmities, got healed all over again! They jumped around and shouted the same things they had last week, when they were “healed”. Of course, the crowed loved it and gave money to help “Gods” work!
That couple said when they saw it was all an act, it made them very sick and mad! The tent meeting people of signs and wonders, had nothing to do with God! They were actors and fakes, fleecing the crowds for money.
Gods can and does, work miracles! But the greatest miracles of all, was when Jesus went to the cross ! or when a man’s sins are wiped away and an amazing peace takes its place! That’s the greatest miracles of all! God does do miracles of healing and deliverance. I have had several experiences of both. But it was never in front of a crowd, or for entertain or to get money. And there was no sign outside advertising it!
The Glory of God: New Testament. Part 2.
God with us!
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
New Testament “With us” is a lot different than the old testament “with us”.
God in US
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The promise of the Father.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
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