Expecting the Glory

And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD,

"For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever,"
the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. -2 Chronicles 5:11-14

I noticed this passage earlier today. This was a dedication of the temple built by King Solomon in Israel. Up until this point God gave them instructions on the orders and rules of how worship should go. After all, God is a God of order right? But something quite unexpected happened. While they celebrated extravagantly the goodness and his enduring love for them, the whole temple was so filled by a cloud that the priests could NOT perform the duties because they were so overwhelmed by the glory of God. The Bible says that they "could not stand to minister". So in other words, they fell down.

I can make this a case for being "slain in the Spirit" although I really don't like the term. I'd rather call it "gettin' rocked by the glory of God." But anyways, that's beside my point...

A glory encounter with God was what these worshippers had. I'm pretty sure these Israelites knew how to do their sacrifices. The rules for worship was already given to them hundreds of years in the Book Of Exodus. But all these rituals and sacrifices mean nothing unless God shows up.

We can go week after week, Sunday after Sunday, doing the same things. We can go to church, sing songs, listen to a message, and go home. But somewhere lost amidst all this is a genuine encounter with God. We have replaced His manifest presence with a mere program. We can pretty much predict what happens in our services. The result? We leave our places of worship the same way we came in- unchanged, unmoved, and still unbelieving in the power of God.

Consider these words from the famous scholar/Bible expositor, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

Possibly one of the most devastating things that can happen to us as Christians
is that we cease to expect anything to happen. I am not sure but that this is
not one of our greatest troubles today. We come to our services and they are
orderly, they are nice ‒ we come, we go ‒ and sometimes they are timed almost to
the minute, and there it is. But that is not Christianity, my friend. Where is
the Lord of glory? Where is the one sitting by the well? Are we expecting him?
Do we anticipate this? Are we open to it? Are we aware that we are ever facing
this glorious possibility of having the greatest surprise of our life?

Now, my friend, you must get rid of that attitude; you must get rid of
it once and for ever. That is ‘religion’, it is not Christianity. This is
Christianity: the Lord appears! Suddenly, in the midst of the drudgery and the
routine and the sameness and the dullness and the drabness, unexpectedly,
surprisingly, he meets with you and he says something to you that changes the
whole of your life and your outlook and lifts you to a level that you had never
conceived could be possible for you.

May we truly come with expectant hearts for God to move in our worship services and corporate gatherings. The manifest presence of God is not only meant for private devotions but together as the Body of Christ. Don't settle for anything less than what God has to offer you. Yes, we seek God and not the manifestations but as we truly seek God, He will make Himself manifest. Let's allow the King of Glory and welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our churches! LISTEN and OBEY the Spirit's prompting. May we all have a genuine encounter with the Lord of glory in our lives. Amen.

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory! -Psalm 24:7-10 (emphasis mine)