Scripture: Matt 26:17-35 | Speaker: Pastor Tim Kerr | Date: June 2, 2013
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KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God…..And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isa 35:2, 40:5
The first passage, from Isa. 35, occurs after a chapter depicting God’s fierce judgement on the nations. Just when we are convinced everything is over and there is no hope, the promise of Isa 35:2 appears. The rest of the chapter goes on to describe the effects of seeing God’s glory: strength to the weak; courage to the fearful; the blind seeing; the deaf hearing; the lame leaping; water breaking out in the desert; and great joy for God’s people!
But it is not until we get to chapter 40 that we get a clearer view of what exactly the glory of the Lord is! Mark 1:1-3 quotes from Isa 40:3 and tells us that this glory is none other than Jesus Christ. He is the living hope, in the shadow of God’s fierce judgement. He is the dispenser of joy to God’s people!
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork…..May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works,….and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. Ps 19:1, 104:31, 138:5
God’s creation points away from itself to its Creator and artistic designer. His glorious being is revealed in His actions. We understand the person in the art they produce. The masterpiece is just a small piece of the Master. God’s glory, when encountered, is clearly designed (sometimes) to produce gladness and happiness. It is a means to joy. It gives God joy. It fills our mouths with singing. And it reveals a very important truth to us—happiness is not derived primarily from within our experience, but from our experience of God!
KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 2 Chron 7:1-3
Before Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the new Temple, the Scriptures tell us that they sacrificed “so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered” (2 Chron 5:6). Then immediately after his prayer, the Scriptures tell us that, “Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.” (2 Chron 7:4-5). The sheer number of blood sacrifices are astounding!
The point must not be lost to us. God’s presence and glory cannot abide with His people without MANY dying in their place for their MANY sins. It is sin that keeps God from us and it is only when sin is dealt with that God can draw near to us. Christ’s death is greater by far than thousands upon thousands of blood sacrifices—“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4) and “You were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”
KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a 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. 1 Kings 8:10-11
These verses were written at the dedication of the temple that king Solomon built for the Lord. Two items stand out in this chapter: Atonement through massive sacrifice (1 Kings 8:5, 63), and much prayer. In this atmosphere of blood atonement and prayer, we find God drawing near to His people—His glory—as a cloud—filling the temple.
Christ was the temple of God in whom all the fullness of God dwelt in bodily form (Col 2:9) even as His body offered the blood atonement that we needed for God to draw near (Heb 10:19-20). And so as Scripture says: God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corth 4:6
KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” 1 Sam 4:21-22
Kâbôd is the Hebrew word for glory. It means “weightiness” or “heaviness”. It signifies that which is of supreme importance. The exact opposite of “light-weight” and inconsequential. In the final days of Eli the priest, Israel was led by his sons who were sexually immoral (1 Sam 2:22) and treated the offering of the Lord with contempt (1 Sam 2:17, 1 Sam 2:30b). Because of their ungodly leadership, the people of Israel had drifted from God and no longer had the blessing of God to fight their enemies. Their losses in battle were enormous (1 Sam 4:10) and the ark of the covenant was captured. They thought that using the ark would repel the Philistines “magically” in spite of their sin. When Eli’s sons are judged for their wickedness and killed in the battle, the wife of one of the sons gives birth to a son that she calls “Ichabod” which means literally “no glory”
The truth is that sometimes the glory of God departs from His people. His favour is withdrawn. Blessings cease. The protection they have enjoyed through the hand of God is withdrawn and they are plundered by the enemy. Faith gives way to fear, panic, and despair (1 Sam 7:2)
This sad state for the Israelites lasted 20 years (1 Sam 7:2). The breakthrough came through Samuel leading the people to repentance, fasting, and the necessity of atonement (1 Sam 7:9). And all of it was saturated with much prayer and intercession (1 Sam 7:8-12, Ps 99:6).
The glory not only departs, but it returns when sin is put away; the cross is put functionally front and center; and desperate prayer is made to the God who is “for” his people.
KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
Moses said, “This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.“…And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Lev 9:6, 23
These verses occur in a section (Lev 8-9) detailing the consecration and ordination of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood of Israel. What stands out from these two chapters arethe heavy requirements of sacrifice that had to be offered before God’s glory would appear to either the priests or the people. We find sin offerings, burnt offerings, peace offering, wave offerings, and grain offering prescribed in detail.
The lesson is clear. We are unclean and unable to face the radiant purity of God’s glory without a comprehensive atonement covering. The cross of Christ must be believed and applied to our lives in earnest, if we ever hope to have God’s glory appear to us.
KÂBÔD: Weighty, Glory
Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel….And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exod 24:17; 40:35
No one yawns when encountering glory. It is terrifying to the extreme. Listen to the description of such an encounter written in the book of Hebrews:
For you have not come to…a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” Heb.12:18-21
Note especially that Moses “was not able to enter the tent of meeting” because the glory of the Lord filled it. Do we need to make any adjustments to a casual approach to God in prayer? Does the way we approach God matter? How can we cultivate a better sense of God’s transcendence in our lives? (It is hard to show apathy at the trivialization of God’s name and at the same time tremble before His glory)
Communication – How to Listen and Talk by Tim Shorey
Speaker: Pastor Tim Shorey | Date: May 4, 2013
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Audio Sermon – A Tale of Two Daughters, A Story of Faith
Scripture:Mark 5:21-43 | Speaker: Julian Freeman | Date: May 26, 2013
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