My 5-year stint in New York City had a rhythm of its own. Even grocery shopping was unique. Instead of weekly suburban drives to load up my cart, I made daily walks to local shops, only buying what I could carry home. One market, called Garden of Eden, enticed me every time I walked by its beautiful outdoor produce stands. The neat rows of apples, nectarines, peppers, and plums begged me to take a bite, to taste Eden.
Eden was where heaven touched earth, where God dwelt and communed with His people. The nation of Israel yearned for a taste of Eden. God delivered them from slavery, but would He continue leading them in pillars of cloud and fire as He had when they fled Egypt (Exodus 13:22)? Would God remain faithful when they failed to be faithful to Him? (Remember the golden calf fiasco in Exodus 32.) After a year of wilderness living, Moses completed construction of a special dwelling in the center of the nation. It was an elaborate tabernacle inside of a tent. The people hoped it would be a sacred space, where heaven would touch earth, where God would remain with His people.
On the first anniversary of their deliverance, the people held their breath. The tabernacle was set up and anointed; the priests were prepared, all was made ready and right for God. But would He move in? The book of Exodus culminates at this moment.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
—Exodus 40:34
Yes! The glory of God—His presence, essence, wonder, and weight – moved in and encamped with His people. Israel got a taste of Eden. When the cloud lifted, they would break camp and follow. When it settled, they would remain (Exodus 40:38). The tabernacle was a temple on the move according to God’s will. And the people followed.
Don’t we all want a taste of Eden? We long for God’s presence in the center of our lives and communities. If only we had a divine cloud and fire to follow. But we do! God recreated this “move-in day event” after Jesus rose from the dead. Again, God arrived through wind and fire. And this time, He encamped even closer to His people.
Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven….They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…
—Acts 2:2–4
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection made the way for God to not only dwell among His people, but to dwell within them through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ made us ready and right, and God moved in. We, along with all believers across time and place, are His temple on the move. God’s home is His people.
God filling His tabernacle foreshadows Him filling our hearts. Heaven touches earth as God dwells within us. “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).
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29 thoughts on "The Glory of the Lord Fills the Tabernacle"
Thank you for this study, I love seeing the whole story of the Bible come together. You do a truly beautiful job with the devotions from different voices, I so appreciate your work for us all to grow from. Thank you ❤️
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Even though I got quite behind in this study, I really did enjoy it! I love when the devotionals point out how the OT and NT coincide. God’s Word is so good!
May God bless my sisters who took the time to contribute to this devotional in any way, shape, or form (from beginning to end). God bless you ladies for using your God-given talents for His glory!
*desert* I meant lol.
I heard a while back in a sermon how God is so detailed. And don’t we see how detailed He is in the blueprint on construction every small things to big things, and even in our own lives. Being in the dessert for a prolonged journey, it is very hot and dry in the day (think over 100 degrees), and extremely cold in the night. And with the cloud of God during the day, God helps to make the day somewhat overcast for His people. With the fire in the night, He keeps His children warm. This very detail stuck with me, of His goodness, of how God covers us in ways we might not perceive, using natural elements, or just anything. The cloud and fire follows the entire house of Israel throughout all their journeys (Exodus 40:38). He still does that for all of His children now. May we have eyes to see and give thanks to Him. We are never alone in the season of wilderness, His cloud and fire is there to keep us warm and protect us from the heat wave of purifying. Glory be to our God. Be blessed dear sisters.
My favorite study in 3 years – and I enjoy most of them. But this one….so good. Exodus is now my favorite OT book. Gods pursuit of His people is so beautiful. Thanks SRT for the beautiful studies of this eternal love story!
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“Heaven touches earth as God dwells within us” So good!! ❤️
Patti’s devotion was inspiring. I’m late in writing this because I stayed with my sister and it’s a good thing I did. She fell earlier and is just really out of it. I have to work tonight and I’m already worn out. I’m so frustrated.
Be blessed and know God is with you ALWAYS.
This was so wonderful. Every morning when I wake up, my hearts beats faster because I could hardly wait to taste the Manna from Heaven, which is His Word ( this past few weeks the Book Exodus). After all the hard work, the ups and downs, the spiritual and personal defeats, the tabernacle is done and ready For God. He delivered them ( and us!) and He wanted to dwell among them ( and in us!) No other gift! I stand amazed. God is very good.
Praise God that He is relational and abiding! All praise and glory to Him!
Wow, SO good! Thank you SRT for a wonderful study, and loved the insights per usual. Especially the one of looking to GOD EACH morning to see what He has for us each day! Moving as He guides!! So simple, yet profound and what we should know, but still want to lead our own way! I look back and see how doing that led me astray for so long, to a place where I finally hit my knees knowing that I couldn’t do it anymore. Needless to say since then my life has been beautiful and I am filled with His GLORY! It may not always shine as brightly as I like, but I give my weaknesses to His perfection, and I grow daily, as I am in the Word, in prayer, and planting seeds with my hands and feet.
Praying for each of you! I pray Lord, as we go to feed the hungry tonight, that your glory will shine on all of us there, and work in the hearts of the people! You want them to come to you heavenly Father, may I speak words of faith, and boast of your good works and faithfulness. In Jesus name.
@Christina Higgins– May God be her inheritance, your daughter in law, in this time of grieving. May she process her pain in health. May God give her space and people to help her in this journey He foresaw in her life. May she recognize God is holding her through her suffering. May her son be blessed with his heavenly Father in place of an earthly one. May be experience many fatherly figures to fill the role of a dad who has left too soon. God knows and sees. God bless them all. In Jesus’s name.
Thank you @Lexi B for your prayer and reminder Jesus is interceding for me, too. :)
I missed yesterday. Wow – what a good devotional! I gained more than I expected from this study. The scarlet thread woven through God’s word! I almost wish I would have read these last devotionals at the beginning. Maybe I wouldn’t have had the desire to skim over. Thankful that God tugged at my heart to read through and see the glory in this study.
Shekinah is the abiding presence of God. The Lord responded immediately and favorable to the obedience of Moses and the people – He filled the tabernacle with His glory. His visible presence remained with them throughout all the stages of their journey to the promised land. When the priests and the people sinned against God, His glory departed from the temple. Ichabod – the glory is gone. When Solomon dedicated the temple, God’s glory once again came to dwell with His people. And once again their sins drove God’s glory away. The next time the glory of God came to earth was in the person of Jesus Christ. Mary’s virgin womb was a Holy of Hokies where the glory of God dwelt in the person of God’s son. And what did they do? They nailed Him to the cross! Now God dwells in His people. We are to radiate His glory. I love how the OT points to Jesus! Hugs and blessings for a good weekend. ❤️
I loved today’s devotional so much. This is my first time reading this part of Exodus, and it’s opening my eyes to so much! And oh my goodness— I literally yelled “Yes!” when God descended into the tent giving the people reassurance that He would be with them. What a moment. So thankful for this devotional and all the work that goes into creating these lessons.
CRISTINA HIGGINS- praying for you, her family, your DIL and grandson… praying she (all of you) will experience His unexplainable peace despite the circumstances, and thanking Him for promising to be near to the broken hearted and crushed in spirit. Praying you will all receive His gifts of beauty in trade for the pain and ashes. That, in time, you may all have a spirit of celebration for what is to come and the reuniting that will be enjoyed… ❤️
At the close of Exodus, the tabernacle was complete and the glory of the Lord filled it (Exodus 40:34). God came and lived among the people. In the wilderness. He comes to them in the burden of the not yet. His heart keeps loving and His shoulders keep carrying. He keeps guiding. And so we keep going, with Him. The Promised Land is ahead. So I respond in my faith with action. With obedience. Following God is a call to action not comfort. And yet He comforts me. He does give me peace. His presence came in a cloud. In a man. In fire. In light of who He is, He made Himself small so we could see and experience Him. He is bigger than any hard thing we experience. Bigger than any storm we see in the skies. The clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3). Yet He comes to us small and intimately. The Creator of all things loves us. He gives us power in our weakness (Isaiah 40:29). As we travel through the wilderness to our Promised Land, He is with us. He continually renews our strength as we wait upon Him. (Isaiah 40:31). We shall run and not grow weary. Ever. Unto always with Him. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
Good Morning She’s! May I ask for prayer today as I make a 2 hour trip south of here to celebrate a life? My DIL’s father died of cancer this week, he was a wonderful man and we will all miss him. The past two years have not been good for my DIL; she lost her husband (my son) to cancer and now her father. The blessing she gained was her son who’s 4 years old. Please pray for peace and grace for this family and a safe trip down and back for me. Thank you all so much and have a wonderful weekend!
I have absolutely adored studying through Exodus. The most important points for me have been 1) God comes to us from a place of mercy. He is a god of grace, mercy, and kindness and desires to save his people. 2) I will praise my creator for his goodness. I pray that I will follow the will of God wherever it leads and that my life will center around him.
I am so bummed to finish Exodus with SRT but… my husband is starting to preach through Exodus in September The Lord is good. I can’t wait to learn more.
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I have loved this study on Exodus! Never having done a study on Exodus before it really opened my eyes and has made my dependence on Him even deeper. Thank you SRT for all you do to keep us as women in the word everyday. Amen and Amen!
I love that idea of constant, daily instruction from God. Even if it was in the form of a cloud. Their movement and livelihood all depended on what God led them to do – stay or move on. Perhaps he was preparing in the hearts of His people a natural reliance on Him and a need to know where He is leading. Now, we just have to look inside.
@MARIANNE REUTER
Yes! Thank you for this reminder.
What a wonderful way to start a new year! A new year is always filled with so much hope and promise as we look forward to a new beginning. When we entrust our lives into Jesus’s care, we are given a new life. God calls us His new creation. We are now God’s tabernacle. He has anointed us with His Holy Spirit and consecrated us for His use. God dwells within us. We are His royal priests, His holy people. His presence in our lives should be visible to those who watch us.
How am I positioning myself to be filled with God’s glory? How are others able to see God’s glory and work in my life? How have others been called to follow God because they see God’s glorious presence in my life?
After a year of only seeing God’s glory from a distance (on the top of Mt. Sinai), God came to “dwell” among them. Now He dwells in His people by His Spirit. May that blessing never be taken fir granted.
THEBESTISYETTOCOME – praying for your court date today. May you find favor with the judge. Peace to your heart today
ASHLEIGH H – praying that the Lord gives you peace while you wait.
It‘s interesting that the people of Israel didn’t know beforehand when they should leave or whether they should stay for another night.
Each morning their first action would have been to look to the tent of meeting to see whether the cloud still rested or whether it was time to move on.
Isn‘t this what we should do morning after morning as well? Asking the Lord what His plan for the day is? I often wish I could look further and know what lies ahead. But God wants me to trust Him day for day anew.
It‘s interesting that the people of Israel didn’t know beforehand when they should leave or whether they should stay for another night.
Each morning their first action would have been to look to the tent of meeting to see whether the cloud still rested or whether it was time to move on.
It‘s interesting that the people of Israel didn’t know beforehand when they should leave or whether they should stay for another night.