The Journey Towards Glory

Wilson Lim
May 7
10 min read

Updated: May 8

Have you ever wondered why the Bible refers so much to God’s glory? What is the significance of God’s glory? What is the implication to us, the church? In the book of Exodus, we find that a large portion of the book is devoted to the building of God’s tabernacle. In fact, the building of the tabernacle reflects God’s intention to build His people, His Church. It gives us glimpses of what God has in mind for us, His people.

Exodus 40:33–38 (NIV) 33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

We find in Exodus 40:33-38, at the very end of Exodus, that the glory of God came and dwelled in the tabernacle. The word “glory” in Hebrew is kabod. It speaks of the majestic manifestation of His presence and being. What is the significance of this for us today? We will unpack 4 key aspects about moving towards God’s glory.

A VESSEL PREPARED FOR GLORY

Exodus 40:33 (NIV) Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

Moses had been preparing the tabernacle to ensure that it was ready to every specification for God to come with His glory. Every part of the tabernacle. Every intricate design, every element of the tabernacle is intended for God to come in His glory.

God’s design for the tabernacle reflects God’s design for His Church.

The spiritual truth is that the tabernacle is a type of God’s church. God’s design for the tabernacle reflects God’s design for His Church. It has implications for every believer because all of us are part of God’s church. The tabernacle reveals the truth that…

God wants to prepare us for His glory

The tabernacle was God’s design. Every glorious detail was God specified. The design, dimensions, materials, colours, function, etc. Everything prescribed to receive His glory.

In the same way, from the very beginning God designed us to be vessels of His glory, that we should reflect and contain His glory. As Scriptures state in Genesis 1:26 (NIV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, …”

God designed us to be vessels of glory, but we became vessels of gory.

Mankind was meant to multiply forth and fill the whole earth with God’s glory. But Adam and Eve mucked up and we have been filling it with sin ever since. Man became filled with violence, strife, hatred, murder. God designed us to be vessels of glory, but we became vessels of gory.

Through Jesus, God is redeeming us back to God’s original objective. To be vessels of His glory!

But God was not thwarted, as He had His plan of redemption ready. Jesus is the centre of the master plan. Through Jesus, God is redeeming us back to God’s original objective. To be vessels of His glory! God desires every believer and every church in the Body of Christ to be prepared for His glory to dwell within fully. 2 Corinthians 6:16 (NIV) … For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

In every genuine believer, the spirit of God is already with you. But His glory? That is another matter. For God’s glory will not dwell anywhere. We have to be prepared by God for God. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever–increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

God is transforming us progressively. God’s glory will be revealed in us more and more the further we are purified. That is God’s desire, his heartbeat. But we must also understand this.

We have to prepare ourselves for His glory.

The tabernacle was built by human hands according to divine instructions. God wanted man to participate in the making of the tabernacle. In the same way, we are responsible also to prepare ourselves. Not according to human instructions but divine. We are participants in preparing the vessels of glory.

God wants to prepare us for glory. But we have to cooperate with God.

God wants to prepare us for glory. But we have to cooperate with God. We are to work hand in hand with God. We have our part in preparing for God’s glory. 2 Timothy 2:20 - 21 (NIV) 20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

We should clear out things from our lives that are ignoble. Are we filling our lives with things that are not eternal? Are we filling our lives with everything else but the glory of God! Facebook, TikTok, Fortnite, CNN, Netflix? All but the glory of God! What do we need to do?

Connect to God for glory

We need to walk in right relationship with God. Communicating with, committing to and cooperating with God for Him to purify us.

We must be connected to God. We need to walk in right relationship with God. Communicating with, committing to and cooperating with God for Him to purify us. Hence, we should focus on our relationship with God and the disciplines we will need such as devotions and prayer. Besides connecting, we must avail ourselves to God to work on us. So that He may:

Purify and mature us for glory

God is working on us. To bring us to purity and maturity, that we may be more Christlike. Like a master craftsman, God is lovingly, skilfully, patiently, deftly shaping us. Firmly, surely, sometimes seemingly rough yet always carefully chipping away at us, carving, honing, sanding to shape His glory in us. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

God’s glory will be in worked in us more when we realise there has to be less of ourselves.

When God is finished it will be a great work of art. But we must cooperate with Him. Ultimately, God’s glory will be in worked in us more when we realise there has to be less of ourselves. Less of our selfish, self-centred, sinful self. But more of God holy character in our lives. John 3:30 (KJV) He must increase, but I must decrease.

A RESIDENCE FILLED WITH GLORY

Exodus 40:34–35 (NIV) 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Once the entire tabernacle was completed precisely to God’s specifications, God came and filled the tabernacle with His presence. So intense was God’s glory that even Moses, who had a glimpse of God’s glory before, could not enter in. Notice it refers to the cloud. It is the glory cloud, a manifestation of the presence of God. In Scriptures we often find God’s glory connected with the cloud.

While the cloud reveals God’s glorious presence, it functions to veil God’s glorious presence. Because God’s glory is full of pure light. So pure and holy, no man can look at it. So, the cloud serves to shroud this glorious light. Even with this cloud, man can feel the tangible presence of God. At times, God’s shrouded presence is already so great that people will collapse. Imagine when the cloud lifts to reveal God’s full glory.

God wants to fill His people, His Church with His tangible glory continually and fully.

God wants to fill His people, His Church with His tangible glory continually and fully. But we are not fully ready. Not yet! We have to be prepared first, as mentioned earlier. Not just individual believers, but the church as a whole. The church has to be purified and matured in Christ. Ephesians 2:21 (NIV) In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

So how do we see God’s glory manifest in our church? We have to grow together in God, as a community. We need to commit to one another, to body life. To being connected together, helping one another to grow in God. Note that the tabernacle and all the articles inside the Tent of Meeting were covered in gold, signifying purity. Only when all the articles were ready did God come!

The Devil has deceived many believers to be unchurched believers, to be uncommitted believers. They float from one church to another. They are not committed to any local church. They are not connected in a life group. Not doing life together, God’s way. Such unconnected, uncommitted believers will struggle to grow towards glory. They become easy picking for the Devil.

God’s design for every believer is to be fully connected to a good local church. Where they can grow through the fellowship, support, teaching, even through the friction together. Our vision should be to see a glorious church develop. A church where we help one another in our journey together with God towards glory. A church full of people from all walks of life, all cultures and nations. A church full of people who are imperfect yet committed to grow together, despite our failings and weaknesses. Growing together in purity and into Christ-likeness. Together we will be filled with God’s glory! And not just filled with God’s glory occasionally, but a people reflecting God’s glory and carrying it even into the marketplace!

A PEOPLE LED BY GLORY

Exodus 40:36–37 (NIV) 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted.

God's Presence comes that He might lead us into His purposes.

The glory of God did not just dwell amongst them but led them. The Israelites were obedient to the glory of God that led them from place to place. Wherever the cloud of fire and smoke, the cloud of glory went – the people obeyed and went. They were obedient to God’s leadership. In other words, the glory of God, the presence of God is not just for us to enjoy or to get excited about. God's Presence comes that He might lead us into His purposes.

The important principle is to seek God, not the manifestation. Don’t seek the gift and miss the Giver. If we truly seek God, then we will be obedient unto God. The key is to understand the principle of obedience to God’s leadership. The people of God, the Church of Jesus Christ – must be obedient to God. God delights in such obedience, as expressed in 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV) “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

How can we fully obey unless we understand God’s purposes? That is why we encourage everyone to study God’s Word. Put time aside, enrol in your church study classes. In Hope Church our desire is to help every believer be instructed in the things of God and equip unto every good work. That way we can obey God effectively. When God says run, we can run. When God says organise, we can organise well. When God says teach, we can teach faithfully. When God says evangelise, we can evangelise effectively, When God says shepherd, we can shepherd others lovingly. When God says prophesy, we can prophesy reliably.

A SHINING LIGHT OF GLORY

Exodus 40:38 (NIV) So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

When the glory of God is in a church, it will cause the church to become influential because of its impact.

The column of God’s glory that revealed itself in smoke in the day and light at night was like a focus point that was visible to all. Anyone who approached the Israelite camp would immediately see the pillar of cloud. When the glory of God is in a church, it will cause the church to become influential because of its impact.

In 1969, Jack Hayford became the pastor of a tiny church of 18 people. During the early days of the church, it grew to a small congregation of 100. One day in 1971 as he was leaving the church sanctuary, he experienced the glory of God. It was as if a light glorious mist hung in the atmosphere, and it was just for a moment. Things began to happen to the church and people just started coming! The “Church On The Way” grew to over 10,000 people over the decades of his ministry.

When God’s glory fills the church and as the church obediently moves in God’s purposes, there will be healing in lives, there will be nourishment for the soul, there will be power to cast out demons, power to heal the sick. There will be righteousness and purity. There will be godliness. Micah 4:1-2 (NIV) 1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Imagine when the church’s influence is such that even the people of the world will stream to it. In search of answers, solutions, the peace, the joy, the grace and power of God. I believe that God desires His churches to be amongst those influential in the Kingdom and in the world. When the church does the will of God effectively, it gives glory to God. John 15:8 (NIV) This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

God’s glory will shine throughout the land. Shall we move towards glory by God’s grace?

CONCLUSION

God intends for us to be vessel of His glory. To be filled with His glory and be led by Him. To be shining with His glory. Do you want the more of the glory of God? Do you want to move towards the glory of God?