God's Protective Covering

Behind the text of Romans 9:4 lies one of the most incredible miracles of the Bible. “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.” I want to single out one of the above possessions that belonged to Israel - the glory. This possession that belonged to Israel was something very special - a glory which all Jews understood. When Paul spoke here of “the glory”, these Jews would have immediately recognized the meaning and would have remembered how their forefathers had turned their backs on God in unbelief. The glory was a visible thing. It came upon Israel from the beginning of its march as a nation and stayed with them for many centuries until it was taken from them in judgment. One day in the future, however, it shall be theirs again.

This cloud, this shekinah, this “glory”, is the matter that is spoken of here in Romans as one of the precious possessions of Israel. The moment God’s people departed Egypt this protective covering was over them. We read “The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people” (Exodus 13:21,22). There is every evidence that this cloud spread out over the people like a covering canopy in order to protect them and to provide shelter for them. The stem of the cloud came down upon the tabernacle, and the cloud billowed out to form the protective covering for the people.

Guidance by the Cloud

“ On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and it appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. It remained that way continuously: the cloud would cover it, appearing like fire at night. Whenever the cloud was lifted up above the tent, the Israelites would set out; at the place where the cloud stopped, there the Israelites camped. At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at the Lord’s command they camped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they camped. Even when the cloud stayed over the tabernacle many days, the Israelites carried out the Lord’s requirement and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days. They would camp at the Lord’s command and set out at the Lord’s command. Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning; when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out. Or if it remained a day and a night, they moved out when the cloud lifted. Whether it was two days, a month, or longer, the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle. But when it was lifted, they set out. They camped at the Lord’s command, and they set out at the Lord’s command. They carried out the Lord’s requirement according to His command through Moses” (Numbers 9:15-23).

In Psalms 105:39 David tells us, “He spread a cloud as a covering and gave a fire to light up the night.” But have our minds really comprehended the meaning? The picture is an astounding one. We know from the book of numbers that there were 603, 550 men of arms, over twenty years of age. The total population cannot have been less than two and a half or three million people. The cloud, the “glory” would have been spread out over a considerable space to cover this vast group of people that traveled for forty years without food and water except that which was provided by God. The stem of the cloud of glory was down on the cover of the ark where the blood was applied. This place was called the mercy seat, the place of propitiation, or the place of atonement. This fact was given to Moses after Aaron’s two sons had been struck dead for approaching this place of glory - “ The Lord said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.” (Lev. 16:2)

Filling the House of God

When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory was present and filled the house. “When the priests came out of the holy place….with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the Lord: the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud” (2 Chron. 5:11,13). However, in the days of Ezekiel the glory of God was removed from Israel. Because of the iniquity of the people the Lord took the symbol of glory and removed it to heaven (see Ezekiel ch. 10 & 11).

Christ, Our Glory

I want you to understand how great the historical glory of God and the glory cloud was for one reason. With us, it is no visible cloud. By faith we know that glory in Christ, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness’—He has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:6,7).

Think on that!

Rick