176. Spirit of Glory.

'The Spirit of truth who proceeds (goes out, come out) from the Father' (John 15:26 ) is the one who manifests the glory of God. So when the Lord 'came down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people' (Exodus 19:11), it was the Spirit of Glory who descended on Mount Sinai. 'To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.' (Exodus 24:17) Even from a distance it had frightened them. (Exodus 19: 16,20:18) They were forbidden even from touching the mountain where the Glory of God had descended! 'The Lord said to Moses, "Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death." (19:12) God would not allow anyone to touch his glory or even the priests to come near it unless they were consecrated! (19: 22) But when Moses placed in the ark of the covenant, the two stone tablets with the ten commandments inscribed on them by the finger of God, the Glory of God that had descended earlier on Mount Sinai, now came and filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34) The glory that the Isarelites had seen only from a distance was now right in their midst, in the centre of their camp ! They were indeed closer to God than before or God was getting closer to them! However, God never intended his glory to dwell in an ark in their midst but wanted to dwell in them. Ever since the Spirit of Glory left Adam, God had been waiting to put his Spirit back into the hearts of men, because they were originally designed to be the temple of his Spirit. 'Dont you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16) But before the Spirit of Glory could indwell in men, God had to 'put his law on their minds and write it on their hearts' (Jeremiah 31:33), just as he had inscribed his law on the stone tablets that were placed in the ark. So Jesus painstakingly (with great care and thoroughness) taught his disciples and gave them the word the Father gave him and they believed him.(John 17:8) Now it was time for the glory to be manifested. "The time has come. Glorify your Son that you Son may glorify you." (Vs 1) The Spirit always seems to manifest the Glory of God whenever and wherever God's word is proclaimed or upheld, as it happened on Mount Sinai where the law was given and then when the two stone tablets with ten commandments inscribed on them, were placed in the Ark of the covenant. And it happened again on the day of Pentecost, when the 'Jews from every nation under heaven' had gathered to commemorate the day when the Glory of God had descended on Mount Sinai. On that very day, the Spirit of Glory once again descended, not on a mountain but on a group of a hundred and twenty disciples who had gathered in Jerusalem, as instructed by the Lord. They were the ones who believed in him and his words were etched on the tablets of their hearts. The Spirit of Glory was no longer dwelling in an ark but was dwelling in their bodies. Then his 'Presence' was only with them in their camp, but now his 'Presence' is in us, just as Jesus said it would be! "You know him for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:17) Hallelujah! The Spirit of Glory dwelling in us is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Therefore, we endure everything for his name's sake! 'If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.' (1 Peter 4:14) Amen.