ICS Daily Devotions
His House Is Filled with His Glory
2 Chronicles 5:14 (NKJV) so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
Imagine the glory of the Lord filling the temple in the Old Testament! The High Priest in the Old Testament risked dying in God’s presence in the Holy of Holies. We need to remember that nobody was able to enter into the Holy of Holies where the presence of God resided except the High Priest in the Old Testament.
In fact, the High Priest had to ensure that the sacrifice of the animal was completed within the God given law or else he would die in the Holy of Holies. This is the reason why there was a rope tied to his ankle to pull him out of the Holy of Holies because nobody else was able to enter to bring him out.
When the opening Scripture says the house is filled with the glory of God, it is describing His presence. God will inhabit and fill His house with His glory. This can refer to the church today, whereas in the Old Testament, it was referring to the Holy of Holies inside the temple of the Lord.
We need to remember that we are to approach the King of kings and come into His presence in humility. In the era of the New Covenant, we have the privilege of entering His presence freely and boldly, but it is because Christ was the perfect sacrifice. We need to adore and love Him for all that He has done for us.
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God is an omnipresent God. He is everywhere regardless whether we feel it or not because He is God. Nothing is able to limit or confine God. However, there is the manifested presence of God where the Bible talks about the glory in the midst of people. This is a time where the manifested presence or an almost tangible presence of God is in our midst. We know it is the presence of God. It is difficult to describe in words but you just know it is His presence. It is especially true for those who experience it in their private worship. This is the time where we have come to meet with the King.
In the Old Testament, only the High Priest could experience His presence inside the Holy of Holies. We are blessed today as Christians living under the New Covenant that we can enter boldly into God’s presence and experience Him 24/7, and it is through Christ that we can boldly enter into His house and be filled with His presence.
Sermon Series: ICS Worship Culture
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