http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2039-40&version=NIV
The oppression of the Jews, the plagues sent on the Egyptians, the deliverance of the Jewish people, the wanderings in the wilderness, the giving of the Ten Commandments and instructions for the tabernacle.
All of this has been revealed and told to us in the book of Exodus. But, why? I would say there are many reasons but I would like to focus on three of them.
First, the Exodus of the Jewish people is a very significant event. It is a foreshadowing of how Christ delivered us from our sinful selves and transferred us into His Kingdom. The Jewish people never forgot how God delivered them. Now, they did not always act like they never forgot, as we saw how the people murmured in the wilderness, but they never forgot. In the same way, we must never forget how the Lord Jesus Christ saved us from our sins. We should live lives of gratitude and thankfulness for this great gift.
Secondly, the Exodus was done to show God’s Glory. In Exodus 40:34, we read that the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. God was present with all His glory in the midst of His people. This is the same as it is today. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, is here to glorify God. Praise be to God that we can be a part of His work!
Lastly, the book of Exodus, like all of the Old Testament, as Paul writes in Romans 15:4: -
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
The Scripture says everything that was written was written to teach. The next several days we will be delving into the book of Leviticus. And many of us connote this with being dry and dull reading. But, this was written to teach us, as Paul says. I know it will be challenging, and pray for me, as blogging through Leviticus will be challenging for me as well, but stick with it. As we get a better grasp of the Old Testament, our understanding of how the New Testament uses the Old Testament will increase. And when this increases, our knowledge of the Word of God will increase. Which, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will lead to transformed lives that strive to glorify God in all we do.
I have added three pictures from the ESV Study Bible. One of the Priestly Garments and two of the tabernacle. This is what some scholars think they looked like. Just click on the picture for a bigger view.
Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer
I like your thoughts on God’s glory, “Secondly, the Exodus was done to show God’s Glory” We will read a lot about God’s glory.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the glory of God?
Here we read the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle and later how it will fill the temple. We read where Moses’ face shone with the glory of God so he wore a veil to hide it. God's glory represents His awesome beauty, all His power, His righteousness, His perfection, His holiness and His goodness and love.
2 Cor 3:18
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.
God will be glorified by what He does in us
The brightness of God’s glory is a person
Heb 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Christ in us the hope of glory – Lord you are our glory and the lifter of my head
If we partake in the suffering, we will also partake in the glory!
Suffering is a pathway to later glory
The example of Lazarus, John 12
Lazarus is sick and Jesus is summoned
Lazarus dies and his body starts to decay
Why is this happening? So God can be glorified.
God takes the seeds of despair and brings glory out of it.
Jesus comes and raising Lazarus from the dead.
The final result is God is glorified
Our example
We have a need
We start to pray but the Lord tarries
It starts to stink and things start to get really bad
Jesus comes and fixes the problem
Jesus is glorified
These are awesome illustrations. Really helps to see it. Thanks for posting!!
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