Glory Everywhere

The Glory Overhead

Imagine how amazing it would be to wake up in the morning as a child living near the sanctuary in the Israelite camp in the wilderness! You open your eyes to a faint glow of God’s blazing nightlight overhead—the cloud of glory warming the vast camp amid the chill of the desert night. You crawl out of your tent and smile at the daily blanket of white covering the ground, a faithful reminder that God will provide for all your needs. Snatching a basket from inside your tent, you begin gathering manna, grateful you’re no longer a slave facing a long day of backbreaking labor in the Egyptian sun.

Ever since the Red Sea crossing, you don’t live in fear of cruel taskmasters beating or killing you or your loved ones anymore. You pause to gaze up at the cloud of glory, remembering the awe you felt as that cloud formed a blazing barricade protecting you from Pharaoh’s army. Your heart beats faster again as you remember the mighty roar of the water coming down on the murderous army chasing you. The glittering chariots and swords were swallowed up without spilling a single drop of Israelite blood! Taking one more grateful glance up at the glowing cloud overhead, you silently praise God for this new beginning.

If ever you are afraid, confused, or overwhelmed with despair, you turn toward the sanctuary to be comforted by seeing the glory shining from there.

At that moment a sunbeam peeks over the nearby mountains, and you hear the distant ram’s horn trumpet blast. It’s time for the morning sacrifice at the sanctuary! You lift your face again to pray, asking God to forgive any sins you might have committed since the evening sacrifice last night. You think back over the past few hours, remembering that you complained about something and didn’t obey immediately when your parents told you it was time for bed. You ask God to wash those sins and any others you don’t remember from your heart. Then you breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that even though you so often make mistakes, you are covered by God’s grace! At that moment, by faith you know that the blood of the morning sacrifice pointing to a coming Messiah covers your sins and washes your heart white as snow.

The Glory in the Most Holy Place

Your family decides to take a walk to visit the sanctuary at the time of the evening sacrifice today. You’re excited—the sanctuary is your favorite place! Day and night the lingering smoke from the altar of incense in the holy place permeates the air near the sanctuary tent. As you approach you breathe deeply, enjoying the scent of the sanctuary’s special sweet-smelling incense. Knowing that its unique blend of fragrant essential oils represents your prayers rising day and night before the throne of God in heaven, you close your eyes, feeling your shoulders relax in the peaceful assurance of salvation.

During daylight hours there’s also an ever-present smell of burnt offerings near the sanctuary. People line up bringing lambs to the courtyard outside the sanctuary, ready to sacrifice them. Your heart beats faster at the sobering reminder that if you deliberately choose to commit a known sin such as lying or stealing, the morning and evening sacrifice will not cover it, and you will have to come with your parents to kill an innocent animal.

As you get closer to the sanctuary, you can see the white linen curtains surrounding it fluttering gently in the breeze. These curtains separate the courtyard—where the sacrifices are made—from the large empty area surrounding the sanctuary at the center of the huge Israelite encampment. You smile as you picture the beauty of the colorful red, blue, and purple curtains with glittering gold angels woven into them. Though no one is allowed inside except the priests, you know how beautiful it is inside!

Your family is walking toward the opening in the curtains at the front of the courtyard, but you break away to run eagerly to your favorite area. You make your way to the sandy ground outside the white linen curtains, near the most holy place at the back of the sanctuary. Even from this distance you feel a deep sense of awe. The sun is about to set, making the blazing glory from inside the most holy place shine even brighter against the gathering darkness. Despite the layered cloth walls and the heavy leather outer covering over the sanctuary tent, the incredible glow is easily visible.

The same God who was present in the light blazing from the most holy place is still God with us.

You drop to your knees outside the linen curtain, knowing what is just inside the sanctuary. The blazing light shining from inside casts an orange glow on the sand around you. You pray silently to the powerful God of love you know is present right beside you now. The ark of the covenant rests there inside the most holy place. Two golden angels symbolically cover its mercy seat with their wings, faces bowed toward the white glow there between them—God with us. If ever you are afraid, confused, or overwhelmed with despair, you turn toward the sanctuary to be comforted by seeing the glory shining from there. Your fears always ease as your eyes remind you of the truth. God is with us.

The Glory in Your Heart

The ram’s horn trumpet sounds from inside the sanctuary curtain, signifying that the priests are about to sacrifice a lamb to cover the sins of the camp today. Every morning and evening this ritual reminds you and everyone else in the camp that repentant hearts are covered by grace. You feel constant assurance that as you repent of your sins regularly and trust His promises, He cleanses your heart of sin. You breathe deeply again of the now-strong scent of the incense burning only a few feet away from you on the altar of incense inside the holy place. From here you can even faintly smell the olive oil burning in the beautiful, glittering seven-branched candlestick there.

Yes, the morning and evening sacrifice remind you every day that you are a sinner, making mistakes and needing the blood of the Lamb to cover them. But what a comfort it is to remember that in the midst of everything, God is with you!

The Glory Continues

Of course, we can’t see the light glowing from the sanctuary now—we can only imagine it. But God wants to teach us the same lessons from the sanctuary. As we confess our sins and trust His promises, He wants us to enjoy the same peaceful assurance that He washes our hearts white as snow. The same God who was present in the light blazing from the most holy place is still God with us.