The book of Exodus concludes on a splendid note today as the glory of the Lord comes and fills the completed tabernacle.
"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:34) This is the proof the Lord is pleased with the work of the Israelites. They have made the tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly as the Lord instructed. The people want the Lord to dwell among them. They want Him to go with them into the promised land and they want Him to be with them for all the generations to come. Therefore, the Lord is pleased to dwell among them.
Following their shocking fall into idolatry, the people responded appropriately to being confronted with their sin. They did what the Apostle James says a person should do when he has fallen into sin: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:7-10) They repented of their sin and grieved the distance their sin had placed between them and God. Now they've drawn near to Him and in faithful response He is drawing near to them. The Lord is a gentleman and does not force Himself in where He is not wanted, but the Israelites are clearly demonstrating their desire to have Him dwell among them in a new and more personal way. He demonstrates His presence with them by appearing to them as a thick cloud that settles down on and fills the tabernacle.
The presence of the Lord is so overwhelming and all-encompassing that for a short period of time the tent cannot be entered; it can only be observed reverently. "Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:35) The same thing happened about 430 years later at the dedication of the temple King Solomon built for the Lord at Jerusalem. The priests placed the Ark of the Covenant behind the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the main sanctuary and then, "The cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple." (1 Kings 8:10-11)
What is this cloud and what did it look like? I think its physical appearance was much like a large, thick cloud in the sky. In the original Hebrew the word used for "cloud" literally means "the thunder cloud" or "the cloud mass". I believe it was a large, smoky looking mass so thick no one could see into it. The rabbis later named this type of manifestation of the Lord's presence the "shekinah glory". The word "shekinah" means "dwelling" or "one who dwells". The thick cloud represents the divine presence of God on earth.
You'll recall earlier in Exodus the Lord told Moses no one could see His face and survive the encounter. Moses longed to see the Lord's face because he believed it would strengthen him for all the years to come while he led the people in the wilderness, and the Lord let him see a glimpse of Him from the back as He passed by, but if the Lord did not veil Himself in the thick cloud here in Exodus 40 I think all the people would have fallen dead. The mortal human body simply cannot withstand a face-to-face meeting with Almighty God. It is for their protection that He wraps Himself in the cloud.
But when the Word of God (God the Son) became flesh and dwelt among mankind, He was the embodiment of the shekinah glory. And because He took on our image, we are able to behold Him just as we are---in our weak human flesh. And because He took on our image we who have placed our faith in Him will someday take on His image. (1 Corinthians 15:50-55, Philippians 3:21, 1 John 3:2) Then, when we stand before the throne of God someday in bodies like Christ's, I believe we will be able to behold the face of God the Father.
The Lord demonstrates not only His presence with the Israelites by the cloud, but He also guides their journey with the cloud. "In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out---until the day it lifted. 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." (Exodus 40:36-38)
The Lord wants to guide us in the right ways. If left to our own devices we'll go astray, which is why the wise King Solomon advises us to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways submit to Him, and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) The Lord is directing Israel's path with the cloud that signifies His presence. He's teaching them to trust Him, to lean not on their own understanding but to submit to His wise guidance. If they'd rushed headlong into the promised land and if they'd begun to start taking it over in the wrong ways and at the wrong times, disaster would have followed. The Lord knows the situation in Canaan and He knows every circumstance that lies ahead of the Israelites. It's best to trust Him to direct their journey every step of the way. It's best for you and I to trust the Lord and let Him direct our journey every step of the way through this world.
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