And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 8:10-11

In addition to rules and laws, God also gave Moses instructions for building a tabernacle, a sacred tent. Once the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, this tent was replaced by a permanent building made of wood and stone. In this sanctuary, God wanted to dwell with His people, though no earthly building could truly contain Him. He deliberately chose to be present with His people. But when His glory filled the sanctuary, Moses and the priests could no longer enter there. Only if they carefully followed God’s precepts regarding sacrifices and ritual purity could they come into God’s presence. The common people were not allowed to enter the temple at all. God’s glory dwelt in the midst of them, but at the same time it was inaccessible. Sin created a distance that could only be bridged with sacrifices that pointed toward a final solution to the problem of human sin, namely that someone else would bear it in our place.

Through the tabernacle, temple and sacrificial service, God showed that He wanted to bridge the gap. Do you also long for the distance between God and you to disappear? Has that already happened?

God’s glory filled the temple after the Ark of the Covenant was brought in and put into place.

What does it mean? The completion of the temple was a major milestone for the people of Israel. Having a permanent place for the Ark of the Covenant and for their worship was confirmation that they were no longer wandering. After all of his hard work, Solomon desired more than anything for God’s presence to dwell in the temple. The peopled cheered in a fitting celebration as the cloud descended. 

How should I respond? This is the culmination of hundreds of years of promises. God, in his ineffable glory, descended upon the newly built temple. As Jerusalem became the center of worship for the Jewish people, we are reminded that even this glorious scene is only a foretaste of God’s good plans. Ultimately, God’s plan was for his presence to dwell in all his people (1 Corinthians 3:16). The glorious, good news of the gospel is that God has made himself available to all his people – unfettered by sacrifice or ritual. No longer would the center of worship be Jerusalem, rather the Spirit of God descends in every place God’s people have gathered. 

What is the glory of God? It is who God is. It is the essence of His nature; the weight of His importance; the radiance of His splendor; the demonstration of His power; the atmosphere of His presence.

Rick Warren