17th Week in Ord. Time, Thursday – 3rd August 2023 – Exodus 40,16-21.34-38; Mt 13,47-53
Guidance of the Glory of God
The book of Exodus opens with Moses seeing God’s glory in the burning bush, and it closes with the glory of God descending into the camp and filling the tabernacle. The presence of the glory of God in the camp of Israel was not luxury, it was a necessity. It identified Israel as the people of God and set them apart from the other nations. Other nations had sacred buildings, but they were empty. The tabernacle of Israel was blessed with the presence of the glory of God. The Lord’s presence is manifested in the cloud which hovers over the Holy Place. From now on, at every stage of Israelites journey, whenever the cloud lifted from the dwelling, they could resume their march. They never moved as long as the cloud hovered over the dwelling. And during the day, Yahweh’s cloud stayed over the dwelling. At night fire could be seen in the cloud. The glory of God dwelling in this manner, in Israelites journey reveals a clear message: as he had promised, Yahweh was with his people.
