Exodus Series: The Glory Goes With You

August 10th, 2025/Seventh Day Adventist

Intro:
Have you ever felt like you were just waiting for the next big moment with God?

Like you’ve seen Him move in the past… you’ve got stories of answered prayers and miracles… but lately, you’re wondering, “What’s next? Where’s God now?”

I get that. I’ve had seasons where I’ve seen God show up in undeniable ways, and then, it felt like nothing was happening. And I found myself asking, “Was that it? Was that the high point? Or is there something more?”

And I think that’s something all of us can relate to, because deep down, we want God to do something great for us, but we don’t always realize He’s trying to do something great in us.

That’s where we find God’s people in Exodus. When we started this series, we met them in Egypt, slaves with nothing but a promise. We saw God move through plagues, split seas, rain down bread, bring water from a rock. Epic moments! But here’s the thing, deliverance was never the end goal.

God wasn’t just getting them out of Egypt.

He wanted to get Egypt out of them.

He wanted to dwell with them. He wanted to be their God, and for them to be His people. And believe it or not, the most important moment in this whole journey wasn’t the Red Sea, or Mount Sinai, it was the moment God moved into a tent.

Transition:

Before we go any further, I want us to jump to the end of the story and then we’ll work our way back to unpack it together.

Passage: Exodus 40:34-38

The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey.

If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.

Pray:

What we just read happened at the very end of the book. But last Sunday, we were in Exodus 19, standing at the base of Mount Sinai.
Between chapter 19 and chapter 40, there’s a lot we haven’t covered yet, some of it beautiful, some of it heartbreaking, all of it important to understand why this moment in chapter 40 is so powerful.

So here’s what I want to do, I want to take us from that scene in chapter 19 and walk us all the way to chapter 40, highlighting the key moments along the way… and some incredible details you might have missed.

Background: (Chapters 19–40)

When Moses led the people out of Egypt, Mount Sinai wasn’t just a random stop. Back in Exodus 3, when God first called Moses from the burning bush, He told him, “When you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” This was always the plan. Sinai was a meeting place, a place where heaven would touch earth, where God would reveal Himself and call His people into covenant relationship.

At Sinai, God gives the Ten Commandments, not as a ladder to climb to Him, but as the covenant terms for life with Him. The people agree, saying, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” That’s covenant language, like a wedding vow between God and His people.

The first time Moses goes up the mountain, God speaks the Ten Commandments. Then Moses comes down, writes the Book of the Covenant, reads it aloud, and the people confirm their commitment. After that, God calls him back up and writes the Ten Commandments on stone tablets with His own finger. Those tablets were meant to be placed inside the ark as the core of the covenant.

But while Moses is meeting with God, Israel is melting gold into a calf and calling it their deliverer. And Aaron, the very man who will soon be anointed high priest, is leading the charge. If you’re wondering, “How in the world does Aaron still get to be high priest after that?” The answer is one word: mercy. God’s covenant mercy is bigger than their sin.

From chapters 25–31, God gives detailed blueprints for the tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where His presence will dwell among them. If you read it closely, the design of the tabernacle is filled with echoes of Eden:

• The entrance faced east, just like Eden’s.
• The lampstand was shaped like a tree, pointing back to the tree of life.
• Cherubim were woven into the curtain, guarding the way into God’s presence, just as they guarded Eden.
• Gold, onyx, and precious stones appear, the same materials mentioned in Genesis 2.

It’s as if God is saying, “I’m bringing you back to the place where we walked together, but for now, it will be a tent in the middle of your camp.”

From chapters 35–39, the people actually build everything exactly as God commanded, and that’s no small thing. After their failure with the golden calf, this is an act of repentance and restoration. And by the time we get to chapter 40, the tabernacle is complete, the priests are anointed, and every detail is ready.

And then the moment we’ve been waiting for since Exodus 3, God moves in. His glory fills the tabernacle. His presence now rests with His people. And from that moment forward, they will follow His lead through the wilderness.

Title: The Glory Goes With You

Big Idea: Sinai wasn’t the destination; you are.

I want us to see three big truths from this moment, truths that don’t just belong to Israel’s story, but to ours.

Before we dive into chapter 40, I want to give you a brief definition of the word “Glory”. When the Bible talks about God’s glory, it’s talking about the visible, tangible expression of who God is, His beauty, His power, His holiness, His weightiness. In Hebrew, the word is kavod, which literally means ‘weight’ or ‘heaviness.’ It’s the sense that when God shows up, His presence is so real, so powerful, it tips the scales of the room. In Greek, the word is doxa, meaning ‘splendor’ or ‘brightness.’ So God’s glory is both the blinding brilliance of His presence and the soul-deep reality that He is here. It’s what happens when the God of heaven makes Himself known on earth.

Here’s an even shorter version for you to write down…

Glory is the visible, tangible expression of God’s presence and power.

Main Points:

1. God’s Glory Follows God’s Order

   1. Text: Exodus 40:1–16
   2. God gives Moses specific instructions before the glory comes
      1. God doesn’t just say, “Set up the tent however you want.” He gives a precise sequence: place the ark, hang the veil, set up the table, arrange the bread, light the lamps, place the altar, wash, anoint, consecrate. In this chapter, God’s presence comes after God’s plan is followed.
      2. Why it matters: Some of us are frustrated because we want God to show up in power… but our lives are out of alignment with His design. God’s not holding back to punish you, He’s waiting so His presence won’t crush you.
      3. Illust: When we did our Easter service last year, our team was here at 6am, tuning guitars, testing sound, arranging chairs, and placing Bibles. By the time people walked in, it looked effortless. But that wasn’t magic, it was order before glory. The house was prepared, and the Spirit moved.
      4. Monday handle: Where is God asking you to bring order so His glory can fill it? Maybe it’s your schedule. Maybe it’s your finances. Maybe it’s your thought life. Before you pray, “God, fill me,” ask, “God, is my life in order?”
      5. Maybe you pray, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” - Psalm 139:23-24
   3. Moses obeyed exactly as God commanded
      1. Verse 16 says, “Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him.” No improvising. No shortcuts. Full obedience.
      2. Why it matters: Partial obedience is still disobedience. This is something that we say to our children all of the time. Can you imagine if our son takes the trash halfway to the trashcan, it’s still disobedience. We can’t expect God’s fullness if we only follow the parts we like.
      3. Illust: It’s like baking bread, you can’t just throw in random ingredients because you feel like it, or because you’re following your intuition. If you skip the yeast, it’s not going to rise. You can’t ignore the instructions and expect the same outcome.
      4. Monday handle: Is there an area where you’re obeying God halfway? Obedience is our response to God. Access to Him is by Christ alone. Stop editing God’s instructions. Start trusting them.
   4. Completion matters
      1. It wasn’t until everything was done that the glory came (v. 33–34).
      2. Why it matters: Some of us quit before the breakthrough. We pray, we start well, we see some progress, but we stop short. God’s glory often comes on the other side of completion. Following through with the last thing that he told you to do. Following through when you aren’t seeing the results that you hoped for.
      3. App: We’re in the middle of 21 days of prayer and fasting. This is not our moment to shrink back, but to lean in. To stay the course. To have a deeper hunger for the things of God!
      4. Monday handle: Don’t stop short of what God told you to do. Finish it. That’s often when you’ll see Him fill it.
   5. And here’s the moment, the last peg is driven in, the last curtain hung… and then it happens. A cloud rolls in and the glory of the Lord fills the tent. But it doesn’t just arrive quietly. It’s so thick, so weighty, even Moses can’t step inside. And that’s where we’re headed next…

2. God’s Glory Changes The Atmosphere

   1. Text: Exodus 40:34–35
   2. When God’s glory shows up, nothing stays the same. The entire atmosphere shifts. In fact, it got so real in Exodus 40 that Moses, the man who stood face-to-face with God on Mount Sinai, couldn’t even enter the tent.
   3. The glory filled the tabernacle so completely that even Moses couldn’t enter
      1. Verse 34 says, “The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Then verse 35: “Moses could not enter…”
      2. Even the leader God chose, the one who saw His miracles in Egypt, walked through the Red Sea, and received the Ten Commandments, had to step back.
      3. Why it matters: God’s presence is not casual. You don’t treat glory like it’s just another part of the service. It’s weighty. It’s holy. It’s not something you control, it controls the room.
      4. Monday handle: Don’t rush past moments when you sense God’s presence. Pause. Honor Him. Make space. What if this week you treated your commute, your lunch break, your kitchen counter like a holy place where the atmosphere can shift?
   4. The cloud was both a covering and a sign of God’s nearness
      1. The cloud represented God’s tangible presence, the same cloud that led them by day since they left Egypt now rested over the tent.
      2. Why it matters: God doesn’t just lead from a distance, He rests right in the middle of His people. The cloud wasn’t random weather; it was a declaration: “I’m here, and I’m staying.”
      3. Illust: It’s like a friend who doesn’t just text you encouragement, they show up, sit on your couch, and say, “I’m not leaving until you’re okay.”
      4. Monday handle: Remember this week: God’s presence isn’t just in the mountaintop moments, He’s right there in the middle of your Tuesday stress and your Thursday meetings.
   5. Glory disrupts business as usual
      1. The text only tells us Moses could not enter. I picture the routine stopping. No one setting up chairs, no one trimming lamps, all eyes on the cloud.
      2. Why it matters: We often want God to move without messing with our schedule. But real revival interrupts your plans.
      3. Illust: It’s like when you’re cooking dinner and your smoke alarm goes off, you can’t just keep stirring the pasta; you’ve got to drop everything and deal with it. God’s glory demands attention.
      4. Monday handle: What would it look like if you let God interrupt your week? If you stopped mid-email because you sensed Him speak? If you let Him re-route your agenda to make space for someone who needs His love?
   6. The cloud didn’t just fill the tabernacle and stay still, it was on the move. And here’s the thing: Israel didn’t move unless the cloud moved. That’s our next stop…

3. God’s Presence Leads The Way

   1. Text: Exodus 40:36–38
   2. Israel didn’t have Google Maps, Waze, or even a compass, they had a cloud. And the rule was simple: If the cloud moved, they moved. If it stayed, they stayed.
   3. God set the pace for His people
      1. Verse 36 says, “In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out.”
      2. This means their travel schedule wasn’t based on comfort, convenience, or personal preference, it was based on God’s timing.
      3. Why it matters: Obedience isn’t just about where you go, it’s also about when you go. Timing matters in the Kingdom.
      4. Illust: Ever tried to merge onto the freeway too early or too late? You either get honked at or slammed on your brakes. Perfect timing makes all the difference.
      5. Monday handle: Maybe you need to not only ask, “Is this the right direction?” but also, “Is this the right time?” This week, slow down enough to pray before you move.
      6. God’s pace is as important as God’s place.
   4. God’s presence was their security in every season
      1. Verse 38 says, “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.”
      2. The same presence that led them also protected them, whether in the heat of day or the dark of night.
      3. Why it matters: God’s leadership doesn’t leave you exposed. If He’s leading you, He’s covering you.
      4. Illust: It’s like walking through a dark and sketchy alley with Ps Matthew, who’s also your best friend. You walk differently when you know you’re covered.
      5. Monday handle: Face this week knowing that *God’s presence is both your GPS and your bodyguard.* That means you can move forward without fear.
      6. If God’s presence leads you, God’s presence covers you.
   5. The people moved in unity because they followed the same presence
      1. The cloud didn’t lead each family in different directions, it led the whole nation together.
      2. Why it matters: The text doesn't mention unity, so here's how I'd apply it. When God’s people follow His presence, division can fade. The focus isn’t on personal agendas but on His direction.
      3. Illust: Think of a marching band at halftime, when everyone follows the same drum major, the formations are beautiful. But if even one person goes rogue, the whole picture gets messy.
      4. Monday handle: This week, instead of asking, “What do I want?” ask, “Where is God moving in our family, our team, our church?” Move in step with His presence together.
      5. Unity follows presence.

Closing: Exodus 40 is not just the end of a story. It’s a preview of our story. The glory of God filling the tabernacle wasn’t a one-time event in the wilderness. It was God declaring, “I will dwell with My people.”

Under the old covenant, God’s presence was powerful… but also off-limits. A curtain kept people out. Only one man, one day a year, could step into that holy space.

Then John tells us, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us,” and that word “dwelling” literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus is God’s glory wrapped in skin: walking among His people. Not behind a curtain… but in the dirt, at our tables, in our mess.

And I don’t just mean a messy kitchen or a messy garage. I’m talking about the kind of mess you try to keep people from seeing. The arguments you had on the way to church. The bitterness you’ve been nursing toward a friend or family member. The shame that still follows you from something you did years ago. The secret habit you’ve prayed would break but still feels like it has chains on you. The anxiety that keeps you up at night. The grief you don’t know how to process.

That’s where He shows up. Not just in your highlight reel, but in the moments you wish you could edit out. He sits at your table when the bills are piling up. He walks into the room when you’re scrolling in loneliness. He steps into the middle of your doubt, your disappointment, your discouragement, and He says, “I’m here.”

If Exodus 40 is about God moving into the tent, the Gospels are about God moving into the neighborhood. And then… Pentecost. The Spirit of God doesn’t just fill a room, He fills people. Now the temple isn’t a tent. It’s not a building. It’s not a service. Paul says, “You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

That means the same glory that descended on the tabernacle in Exodus 40 is the same glory that lives in you if you are in Christ. Not visiting you. Not just around you. In you.

Why is this good news? Because you don’t have to travel to Sinai to meet with God, you carry Sinai with you.

You don’t have to wait for a priest to intercede, you have a High Priest who tore the curtain from top to bottom.

You don’t have to wonder if God wants to be close, the cross is proof He’ll move heaven and earth to get to you.

And if the old covenant ended with glory filling a tent, the new covenant ends with glory filling the earth. Until that day, we live as walking, talking, living, breathing tabernacles, carriers of His presence, wherever we go.

So here’s the question, if God’s glory fills your life… what’s going to move when you leave this place today? Who’s going to be changed because His presence is in you? What wilderness is about to be filled with hope because the glory of God walks into it in you?

This is not just Israel’s story, it’s your story. It’s not just the end of Exodus, it’s the beginning of your next step.

The glory has come. The glory has filled the house. Now… take the glory with you.

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free

Conclusion:

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, let me share something Jesus said in Matthew 10:32: “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” So, I’m going to ask: if you prayed that prayer for the first time, would you lift your hand and let us know? This is a moment to celebrate, not just here, but in heaven.