Exodus 40:32-38 The baptism of the Spirit upon each believer is key to the revival of Christendom
Exodus 40:32-38 The baptism of the Spirit upon each believer is key to the revival of Christendom
When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.
Background
Ever since God’s presence came upon the tabernacle, Israel began to operate in divine power and wisdom. Through the presence of God, they conquered enemies many times bigger than they were. However, Israel’s prosperity did not endure. Even as they welcomed God’s presence into the tabernacle, they would not welcome Him into their hearts. It is paramount that every believer seek the Spirit’s baptism and be diligent to sanctify their soul through the Spirit. Today’s devotion teaches us: The baptism of the Spirit upon each believer is key to the revival of Christendom.
Observation
After the tabernacle has been carefully set up, the Lord inaugurated the tabernacle with His personal presence. Here, God’s promise to dwell among the people (“I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God,” Exodus 29:45) was fulfilled. When God’s glory filled the tabernacle, it was so overwhelming such that Moses was unable to enter it.
The cloud that guided the people, that came and went, now dwelt permanently in their midst to lead them in their journey. The ever-present cloud by day and fire by night served as a clear and tangible sign of God’s ever-present protection over them. The cloud also served as an unambiguous signal of God’s direction to the nation.
Truth
We must develop our inner senses to perceive the eternal and glorious thing of heaven.
Throughout Israel’s journey, God’s presence was evidenced by cloud and fire in their midst. God provided clear and unambiguous guidance through the position and movement of the cloud. And the fire became a ring of protection around them. As Moses and the priests ministered before the tabernacle, God communicated with the people unambiguously through His tangible presence. Why does God manifest Himself in a form that we can see, hear and feel? Because it is God’s desire to fellowship with us, to guide us by His personal presence. As we hunger and seek His face, He will make Himself known through our inner senses. Isaiah the prophet said,
Your Teacher will no longer hide Himself — with your own eyes you will see Him. And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”… – Isaiah 30:20b-21
Is God’s presence evident in the church today as in the days of Moses? Are His directives made known clearly and unambiguously? Do believers experience God’s power at work among them on a daily basis? As a matter of fact, the church today do not experience God’s presence in ways Moses did. Despite the Holy Spirit being in our midst, the church has regressed into intellectualism supposing the truth is mainly derived from pure reason. Regrettably, many christians, even the faithful ones. believe that God guides predominantly through reason. And because they are so used to using their outer senses, their inner senses have become dull to the spiritual cloud and fire in their midst. Because they cannot see, they resort to their rational to convince themselves about things concerning God while having little time to engage Him intimately.
Today, God endeavours to show us His presence by appealing to our inner senses. In Moses’s days, God appealed to the people’s outer senses through smoke and lightning at the mountain and through Moses’s face. In the days of the gospels, God showed His presence through the Man, Jesus. In the age of the Holy Spirit, God reveals His presence through our inner senses. The fire, the din and the shaking on the Day of Pentecost were felt by the believers through their inner senses. We know that the things seen, heard and felt by our outer senses are passing away. And only the eternal things, that which are seen by our inner sight will endure. Hence, we must always try to see through our inner sight. The apostle Paul said,
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. – Ephesians 1:18-19a.
The eyes of your heart is your inner sight. When they become enlightened, they are open to witness the eternal and glorious things reserved for the saints. One who is baptised in the Spirit can command his inner sight and senses to be open to commune with God. In the Old Testament, a man’s inner sight was opened at the prayer of Elisha, the prophet. When Elisha declared, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see”, his servant started to see the angelic forces and the chariots of fire surrounding their city (see 2 Kings 6:17-20). In the same way, our inner senses can be opened by our will and determination by declaring, “I command my inner sight to be opened so I can see God and the angels”. In the book of Acts, the Spirit directed Paul on his missionary journeys using his inner sight (see Acts 16:9).
The baptism of the Spirit upon each believer is key to the revival of Christendom.
No doubt, God’s presence had made a huge contribution to Israel’s success. Through God’s presence, they navigated dangerous territories in the wilderness, crossed River Jordan and conquered the land in seven years. However, God’s presence within the Tabernacle did not cause Israel’s prosperity to endure for they were later overrun by their enemies.
In 1 Samuel 4, Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant to battle thinking the divine presence could help them win the war. On that fateful day, God’s presence was lifted from them, the Ark of the Covenant was captured and Israel lost 30,000 men. Although Israel welcomed God’s presence into the tabernacle, they would not welcome God into their hearts. Similarly, many churchgoers today depend on the prayers of their church leaders, but will not seek God for themselves. They suppose by the fanfare of their church’s weekly services and the perceived anointing upon their church, God will continue to fight their battles. Hence, they cannot experience the abundant life that God has intended for them.
In the Old Covenant, God’s power and wisdom was manifested through the leader of the nation. But in the New Covenant, God’s power and wisdom is manifested through individuals who are baptised by the Spirit. Indeed, God’s presence will continue to operate through the church in unprecedented ways. However, each member must learn to walk in the Spirit, otherwise, God’s presence in the church will not endure. Therefore, every believer must seek the Spirit’s baptism and be diligent to sanctify their soul through the Spirit. Indeed, the baptism of the Spirit upon each believer is key to the revival of Christendom.
Application
Ask God to open your inner senses so that you may see the light, hear His thoughts and feel His tangible presence. In this way, you will know His will clearly and deeply. I urge you to declare, “I demand the inner sight of my Spirit to be open!” Come away from the busyness of life often to seek God’s face. In so doing, you cause your inner senses to be sensitised and trained towards the things in heaven.
Do not keep drawing strength from the church. But seek to grow and put back what you have drawn by helping others. Always seek to increase the corporate manifestation of love, wisdom and power in the church. The magnitude of God’s presence in the church is not determined by the size of its membership. But by the magnitude and the unity of its spirit. Jesus changed the world not by a multitude of capable and resourceful people. But by the twelve who gave their lives unreservedly to the cause.
Dear Lord, open my eyes to see you, open my ears to hear you, open my senses to feel you. I command my heart to be filled with God’s love and truth. I demand the mighty Spirit in me to come forth in everything I say and do. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.