And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. (Exodus 33:15 ESV)
Fortunately, I have had the blessed opportunity to be raised in a Christian home. Some homes might call themselves Christian but I was truly raised by a family who lived out Christianity in their day by day lives. Growing up as a kid - I can hardly remember a time when I didn't wake up and not find my dad and mom already on their knees in prayer for their family and for the church they pastored.
When I say "prayer" - it wasn't just a rote list of prayers that they prayed - it was praying to bring the presence of God down into their lives.
Exodus 40:34-38 talks about a cloud (The Glory Of God) that covered the temple. It was so "thick" that people had a difficult time even standing. The presence of God was felt and it was even experienced. I like what v.38 says, "This continued throughout their journeys."
There are two words that help us define the glory of God:
1- (Heb. Phaneim) presence of God, face(s) of God. This speaks of an intimacy with God. Exodus 33:15 speaks to this - "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here."
2. (Heb. Kabowd) - "glory or weight." This is found in Exodus 40:34 in speaking about the "Glory Of God" that filled the temple.
God is basically saying "I will bring my presence among you and my weight will be upon you. It will stamp upon you. It is that which comes into our midst with such a force that it makes a mark upon everyone in that place.”
So... glory has to do with countenance, sustenance, power, weight. It's kind of like a diver who has to wear a weight belt to hold him down in the water. As Christians we need God's weight to hold us down from all junk of the world. People in the Old Testament felt this weight-less-ness because of their sin. That's when Jesus showed up: John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home 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.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 talks about that we are being changed "from glory to glory." God's presence is now in us and we are growing in it everyday. The word change speaks of a transformation (gr. metamorphis) – It is the concept of a caterpillar and butterfly. There is an ongoing transformation taking place in us.
Let's go back to Exodus 33. There are three key words that help us understand the "path" to being in God's presence - (in His glory).
1. 33:5 "Stubborn / Rebellious” - Obstinate (stiffnecked)
2. 33:7 – “Requested” - "Sought"
3. 33:13 "Know” - Show
In reading this passage - you get a sense that God is calling us from the unworthy (from our sins). He is trying to purify us. He wants to really "know" us - to be intimate with us.
We know the word worthy relates to "worship" in the Bible. It also has to do with "weight."
The Gr. word is "oxios." It has the background has to do with the sustenance of a coin. (Coins that were minted without the technology of today. In those days just the handling of coins could wear it thin."
When a person would buy something their coins would be weighed and given their worth. Often they would be worth less because of their weight but not worthless (with no value).
The idea of glory is a reinvestment of our nature or being, with the intended worth that God wants for us. To be refilled with glory does not require that you have a major sin in your life. Often times it is just the wear and tear of life which causes a thinness to come in.
God is calling us from anything that is unworthy (that which is not up to the full potential God has for our lives.) God is calling us to Him to come away from everything that is shallow and shabby in comparison. God is calling us to come and be renewed.
Our problem is not walking in God's glory or even not having a passion for it but failing to perceive where thinness has come in.
Many things crop up in our lives that are unworthy to God. The only way back to worthiness is to kneel in His presence and first confess that which is unworthy.
Let us say "Search me and try my thoughts and see if there be any wicked ways in me." Basically... "Lord, I want your presence in my life more than anything. Do what you want with me so I can be a vessel for your glory."
We must be clothed again in renewal carefulness in speech, discipline, conduct, entertainment, speech, etc.
Do you have a desire to know God? To know His ways? Do you want to line up with His will? Do you want to experience His presence in your life. I am so glad that I am part of a church community that experiences "the presence of God." We are not in a hurry to "get church over with" but we have this longing to "wait" for God and to be filled with who He is and what He wants for our lives. I pray that you will find that longing in your own heart also for God to fill you to the brim and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment