Come with me to the Tabernacle
to Exodus chapter 33
God had called Moses to the mount. Moses took the Tabernacle out of the midst of the people and erected it outside the camp, a distance away from the people and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation.

Several chapters beforehand in Chapter 25, God had commanded Moses to build it, giving specific instructions as to its construction.
It was to be the Lord’s meeting place with His people, but now Moses called it the Tabernacle of the congregation—set apart a distance from the people.

They had sinned by making the golden calf. God had promised to bring His people into the Promised Land and He keeps His word, but now stated that He would not go with those people. He had made a covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and their seed and intended to honor that promise and He keeps His covenants to a thousand generations. As we know, that generation died out, but God did keep His word and only two of them went in, with the new generation that had been born. It seems therefore that God can “skip” a generation.

Moses and others could still go to the Tabernacle to meet with the Lord.

Moshe would take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp. He called it the tent of meeting.
Everyone who wanted to consult Adonai would go out to the tent of meeting, outside the camp. Exodus 33:7

Take note that those who wanted to get close to seek the Lord could do so, but it seems however that others did not. They were content to watch from a distance and this seems to be a common human trait to this day.

And it came to be, whenever Mosheh went out to the Tent, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Mosheh until he entered the Tent. And it came to be, when Mosheh entered the Tent, that the column of cloud descended and stood at the door of the Tent, and He spoke with Mosheh. And all the people saw the column of cloud standing at the Tent door, and all the people rose and bowed themselves, each one at the door of his tent. Exodus 33:8-10

There are people who want to get close to God, some who want to be part of the action so to speak and others. Some of us are called into specific activities such as ministry, others are asked to assist them and other people who have a mixed approach to the entire thing. We may not be a “Moses”, but we do have the ability and opportunity to become a “Joshua”, or a “Caleb” if you follow through on their history.

It seems to be part of my assignment now to encourage others to be in that latter group and I see this as very important because “the cloud is moving again”. That cloud moved when God’s people were en-route to their promise and it often took them through enemy territory. Antisemitism is on the increase, but so to is an attack against our religious freedom in most countries in the world. We are in end time global activity and thus need the presence of God in our lives today.

What is that presence?

Moses had basically been alone and needed help, telling God that He had assigned him to bring the people out of Egypt and lead them into the Promised Land, but not yet told him who would help him, even though He knew Moses by name.

I often say that God knows us by name and so when He gives us an assignment, He knows what we need and who is the best person to assist us. We cannot do it alone. Neither can we allow anyone who is not called to help us. A surgeon cannot allow a landscape designer to help him in an important operation.

Moses knew that God had shown him favour, so he knew that he had a relationship with God, but lacked something. Despite the plagues in Egypt and their miraculous preservation and the opening of the Red Sea, Moses did not know God’s ways.

It is one thing to witness His acts—what He does, but not know God’s ways.

God's ways

Moshe said to Adonai, “Look, you say to me, ‘Make these people move on!’ But you haven’t let me know whom you will be sending with me. Nevertheless you have said, ‘I know you by name,’ and also, ‘You have found favor in my sight.’Now, please, if it is really the case that I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways; so that I will understand you and continue finding favor in your sight.
Moreover, keep on seeing this nation as your people. Exodus 33:12-13

What Moses asked would be something good for us to request, but he asked for something else and it is something we should all want, especially for leaders.

To be frank, I did not ask to be in the position I presently occupy. A preacher is accountable to God for what he says and does—and for what he does not do. Other people’s lives may be at stake.

The last time I checked (only to see if I am on track), I have impacted more than 1.6 million people. Many of them are pastors, so I definitely do not want to teach error.

What Moses said was for help in leading God’s people, not for help to implement his own plans and agendas.

To paraphrase, Moses said
These are your people. Help me to lead them. Show me Your way—so that I might know you and that I may find grace in your sight” (verse 13).

That word know is interesting. It basically means that he asked for intimate knowledge about the person, with a focus on the relationship with that person.

I want to know God intimately and personally.

Jesus alluded to this often especially when He met the woman at the well in John 4. She was worshiping God, but did not know what she was doing! Many people know about God, but do not know God.

When Moses had asked that, God immediately assured him  that His presence would go with them.

That makes a world of difference. We can hold meetings without His presence and I do not mean the “spectacular”. When God’s presence is really evident, people can walk into the building and “feel it”. There is no show or external props, but the tangible presence of God that can make people weep, repent, fall to their knees , be healed and so on. I‘ve seen it and would like to see it return. It shall.

What God said in reply is a real blessing and inspiration. In verse seventeen God said that He would grant Moses that request, telling him that he had found grace in His sight. That’s what we want and need and through Jesus we may have it. God also stated clearly that He knew him by his name.

I keep referring to this. God knows your name.

God’s glory in us

This brings us to our day. As Paul said,

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

The term open face is anakalyptō and it means uncovered. Think in terms of something being hidden behind a curtain or a veil. It is real and present, but hidden in plain sight. The Holy Spirit is the one who takes that veil away so that we can see clearly. It also implies that others cannot see what we have inside us—that treasure hidden in earthen vessels. People should be able to see what is inside us and want what we have. All that we have to do is be open.

Paul said that this happens as we behold the Lord—and that it is progressive. As we look at Him and keep looking to Him, we get to know Him, we can act like mirrors who reflect His light. He told us to “let” our light shine, not “make” it shine. He also spoke of the reverse saying that if that light is not shining, darkness is evident. We all know that some people “look dark”. There is no sparkle in them, especially in their eyes.

When that light is inside us as a way of life, there can be a kind of “glow” about us. That’s His glory inside us, being allowed to reveal itself.

Allow me to ask you a question, without sounding unkind. Can you tell someone else to look at you?

Peter did. He told the lame man in Acts 3, “Look at us”. He knew what was inside him and shared it.

I am not suggesting ego trips and pride, but simply allowing the deposit of Christ inside us to reveal itself automatically. The reverse, the false modesty often seen is really a form of pride in itself. Be real and be honest.

Another aspect of looking in that mirror to consider is that mirrors reflect something. If Christ is in us, the hope of glory, when we look at our reflection in a mirror, we should be liberated enough, without exhibiting pride and false bravado, to “see Jesus” there. The more we behold Him, the more we can become like Him.

It is a work in progress.

When I was a much younger believer who knew less than nothing, I often asked God to let me see Him.
One evening at around 8:30, I was in my bedroom, pacing around and “praying” and started to wonder what God looked like. I kept asking that and asked, “Please let me see you”. I don’t know how long this went on, when suddenly, a brilliant “ball of light” appeared in the middle of the room at head height and slowly started to expand. My heart started pumping furiously and I became breathless and I fled out of the room in fear.

I heard the voice of the Lord tell me, ”I am glad you did that”. It has never happened again. I will not even try to guess what might have happened if I had remained there, but I think I know one thing—we really are not capable of handling a “face-to-face” encounter. We have to look at His reflection. That’s my theory.

Jesus—God’s glory revealed

I think that this is a good place to now bring this to a close and I want to leave you with a picture of the Lord.

In Hebrews 1:3, the writer tells us that Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and that He is he express image of His person. We should read that.

Throughout our history God has spoken to our ancestors by his prophets in many different ways. The revelation he gave them was only a fragment at a time, building one truth upon another. But to us living in these last days, God now speaks to us openly in the language of a Son, the appointed Heir of everything, for through him God created the panorama of all things and all time.
The Son is the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, the exact expression of God’s true nature—his mirror image! He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word. He accomplished for us the complete cleansing of sins, and then took his seat on the highest throne at the right hand of the majestic One. Hebrews 1:1-3

In Colossians 1, Paul stated:

He is the divine portrait, the true likeness of the invisible God, and the firstborn heir of all creation.
For through the Son everything was created, both in the heavenly realm and on the earth, all that is seen and all that is unseen. Every seat of power, realm of government, principality, and authority—it was all created through him and for his purpose!
He existed before anything was made, and now everything finds completion in him.
He is the Head of his body, which is the church. And since he is the beginning and the firstborn heir in resurrection, he is the most exalted One, holding first place in everything.
For God is satisfied to have all his fullness dwelling in Christ. And by the blood of his cross, everything in heaven and earth is brought back to himself—back to its original intent, restored to innocence again!  Colossians 1:15-20

When John was on Patmos and saw the Lord, he couldn’t stand to see and fell to his face. See Revelation 1:17.

In Matthew 17, when Jesus took Peter, James and John (not anyone else) up to the mountain, Jesus started to shine in His original glory as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. Moses who had seen glory before, saw it revealed again in the Messiah.

Jesus came to reveal God.

No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side—he has made him known. John 1:18

The only person who could properly and fully reveal the Father is Jesus. When He came to raise Lazarus from the dead, He told them:

Didn’t I tell you that if you keep trusting, you will see the glory of God? John 11:40

As you seek and keep seeking the Lord, may His kā·ḇôḏ be in your life.

Robert