Sermon # 25 Leviticus Sermons

Title: The Revelation of God’s Glory

Text: Leviticus 9:22-24

Subject: Christ The Glory of God

Date: Sunday Morning – January 20, 2002

Tape # W-80b

Reading: 2 Chronicles 5:1-7:3

Introduction:

I have a subject this morning that is indescribably bigger than any of us can imagine. It is infinite. Before I begin, I know that I can only scratch the surface. Yet, it is a subject of immense importance. In fact there is nothing in all the world to compare with it. I want to talk to you for a few minutes about the glory of God. Specifically, the title of my message is – The Revelation of God’s Glory.

Many, many years ago, I recall hearing Bro. E. W. Johnson make a statement that had a profound effect on me. He said, “A lost man can see everything a saved man can see, except this – He can’t see the glory of God. We do!”

Produces Faith

You see, it is the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Christ that produces saving faith in Christ. If ever you see the glory of God in the face of Christ, you will be saved, you will believe on the Son of God.

(2 Cor 4:3-7) "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: {4} In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. {5} For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. {6} For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. {7} But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

How I pray that, this day, the Lord God will be pleased to grant us the revelation of his glory in this place (Ps. 63:1-2).

(Psa 63:1-2) "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; {2} To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."

One Place

Commonly, when talking or writing about the glory of God, men tend to make it either a very emotional thing with lot’s of glitter and little or no substance, or a very mystical thing no one can really get hold of. It is neither.

Let me be clear. The words translated “glory,” in both the Old and New Testaments, mean “abundance, wealth, treasure, and honor,” – “dignity, splendor, brightness, and majesty.” When the Scriptures speak of God’s glory, they sometimes refer to the perfection of his nature, his attributes, and his worthiness as the Object of our faith, praise, and worship, -- the greatness, supremacy, and excellence of his eternal Being.

Yet, the revelation of God’s glory is always represented as one. The Scriptures everywhere associate the revelation of God’s glory with the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

· Moses – “Show me thy glory.”

· Manoah and his wife saw the Angel of the Lord do gloriously (Jud. 13).

· Isaiah saw Christ in his glory and spoke of him (Isa. 6; John 12:41).

· The throne of grace is called “the throne of thy glory” (Jer. 14:21). – Here is a great way to plead your cause with the Almighty.

(Jer 14:20-21) "We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. {21} Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us."

Proposition: This is the thing I want you to see. – Christ is the glory of God. – The glory of God is revealed only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the God of Glory appeared to Abraham, it was Christ who appeared to him. And if the God of Glory ever appears to you, if the God of Glory ever makes himself known to you, it will be in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. The glory of God is in him. The glory of God is revealed in him. And he (and he alone) is the glory of God!

The Holy Mount

(2 Pet 1:15-17) "Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. {16} For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. {17} For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Sometimes we are accused of robbing the Father and the Spirit of their glory by giving all glory to Christ. But that is not the case. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit give all glory to the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as our Mediator and Savior. – True faith puts all the honor and glory of salvation on God's beloved Son. There God himself has placed it. It is in his beloved Son that the Father is well pleased; and he is pleased with us in him.

This is the nature of faith. It causes believing sinners both to imitate and obey God. It causes us to be well pleased with Him in whom God is well pleased–the beloved Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Though to the eye of nature Jesus of Nazareth appeared as a mere man, in abject poverty and lowest abasement, as Isaiah puts it, “a tender pl;ant, a root out of dry ground, with neither form nor comeliness that we should desire him.” Yet the Father gives him the highest honor and glory, because he magnified his holy law and made it honorable, thereby satisfying divine justice, and brought everlasting righteousness as our Representative, giving honor and glory to every attribute and perfection of the triune God. So that now, God is just, and the Justifier of sinners who believe on Christ.

Trust Christ

Let us, then, under a sight and sense of your ruined nature, innumerable sins, and horrid apostasies from God, put honor and glory upon the Son of God! With him, with his work and his salvation God is well pleased. It has satisfied heaven for our sins. Let your conscience, therefore, be satisfied with Christ, and glory in him alone.

Look at Peter, the man who wrote these words. He was with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. He saw his Lord's transfiguration and heard these words from the excellent glory. Yet, he denied that he knew the man whom God the Father had honored and glorified before his very eyes, and did so with the oaths of a drunken sailor! Still, there is such an infinite, inexpressible fullness of grace in Christ that his sin was not imputed to him, and could not be, for Christ died for him! Even for Peter, there was immediate, free, full forgiveness through him who is the glory of God! Out of Christ's fullness Peter received grace upon grace, and was recovered from his horrible fall, restored to repentance, and preserved to everlasting salvation!

O may the Son of God our Savior look our (yours and mine) hearts into godly sorrow and holy love, that we may say, "This is my beloved Savior, in whom I am well pleased."

To that end, I want to direct your attention once more to Leviticus 9, and show you the revelation of God’s glory. Oh, may God the Holy Spirit be pleased, by the word of the gospel, to reveal in our hearts this day “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!” I pray that each of us will leave here today, saying with John, “And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father – full of grace and truth!”

God’s Promise

When Aaron and his sons were consecrated as God’s priests, as the ceremonial sacrifices began, the Lord God made a promise, a promise directly connected with the priesthood, the sacrifices, the altar, and the holy place (a promise directly connected with that which these things portrayed). It was the very same promise given in the preaching of the gospel today. You will find it in Leviticus 9:6.

(Lev 9:6) "And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you."

Quite literally, this verse should be translated – “And Moses said, This, the thing which the Lord commanded that you should do, do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you!”

In other words, “Believe and you shall see the glory of God!” – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is the thing God has commanded. And, believing, you shall be saved, you shall see the glory of God in the face of his dear Son.

That command and promise was given early in the morning, as the day of sacrifice and worship began. Now, skip down to verses 22-24, and you will see the promise fulfilled at the end of the day.

(Lev 9:22-24) "And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. (23) And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. (24) And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces."

In all these things, the Lord God was giving Israel a picture of redemption. He was telling his people how he would accomplish his salvation and make his glory known in all the earth.

Divisions: Now, as I wrap this message up, I want to show you three things Aaron did as a type of Christ, and show you the fulfillment of the type by Christ himself.

1. Aaron came down.

2. Aaron went in.

3. Aaron came out again.

I. First, Aaron came down.

Aaron came down from the place of sacrifice, and lifted up his hands, hands that were that day made wet with blood, and blessed the people for whom sacrifice had been made.

Turn with me to Luke 24, and let’s see if we can find the fulfillment of this.

(Luke 24:50-53) "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. (51) And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. (52) And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: (53) And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen."

The Lord Jesus Christ, our great Savior, came down! We cannot imagine how far down he came!

(2 Cor 8:9) "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

(Phil 2:5-7) "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"

The Son of God entered into this world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, that the blessing of God might be upon us forever. – It is written, “Now, once, in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26). And that which he came here to do, the Son of God has done!

(Gal 3:13-14) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: {14} That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

II. Second, Aaron went in!

We are specifically told that Aaron and Moses went into the tabernacle together. They went out of the outer court, away from the altar of the burnt offering, into the holy place. There, in the holy place, stood the altar of incense, the table of showbread, and the golden lamp stand.

A. Moses, representing the holy law of God, went in with Aaron, and turned over to him all things pertaining to the worship and service of God.

What a great picture this is! Aaron represents our Savior. Moses was saying…

· If you would come to God, Christ is the way.

· If you would worship God, Christ is the way.

· If you would find forgiveness, Christ is the way.

· If you would be accepted of God, Christ is the way.

B. Moses went with Aaron, taking him as it were, into the holy place to make intercession for his people Israel, to make intercession on the grounds of the sacrifice offered.

Aaron went into the tabernacle, into the holy place, praying for the people, praying, I am confident, for one specific thing. – He went in to pray that God would fulfill his promise and reveal his glory, -- that the Lord God would send his Son to his people and save them. – That is exactly what the Lord Jesus is doing today. Look at Hebrews 9:24.

(Heb 9:11-12) "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

(Heb 9:24) "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:"

(1 John 2:1-2) "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: {2} And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

III. Third, Aaron came out again.

Notice again, Moses (the law) is still with him. Late in the evening of the 8^th day, Aaron and Moses came out and blessed the people. Soon, very soon, our great Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall come again. And when he comes, then we shall fully see the glory of God revealed to wandering worlds in the salvation of sinners by Christ.

(Heb 9:26-28) "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (28) So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

Soon, everybody is going to see the glory of God in the saving of his people by Christ, our Substitute.

(Eph 2:7) "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

(Rev 1:7) "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

But this is a twofold picture. It pictures both our Lord’s second coming at the end of the world and his coming to sinners in the exercise and operation of his saving grace. – As the fire came out from the presence of the Lord consumed the sacrifice here, so the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost as cloven tongues of fire, manifestly declaring God’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice. – That is exactly what happens when God saves a sinner (John 16:8-11).

A. "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people."

· Christ will come again and bless us with all the fullness of salvation, salvation obtained by the blood of his own sacrifice, our sin offering and our peace offering.

· When Christ comes today, he comes to bless, to bless guilty sinners with the full authority of God’s holy law!

B. “And the glory of the Lord appeared!”

· Christ, who is the Glory of God, appeared -- (Manoah and His wife – Judges 13).

· A pledge of our Lord’s incarnation and the accomplishment of redemption by him.

· A declaration that redemption and grace through Christ reveals the glory of God.

(Psa 21:5) "His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him."

(Psa 85:9-13) "Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. {10} Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. {11} Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. {12} Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. {13} Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps."

(Prov 16:6) "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil."

· A declaration that God’s gracious and glorious presence with his people comes in consequence of, because of the propitiatory sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Mercy-Seat.

· Sinners have acceptance with and fellowship with the holy Lord God, only by the blood of Christ.

(Eph 2:18) "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."

(Eph 3:12) "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."

(1 John 1:3) "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

C. When the glory of the Lord appeared, fire came out from the Lord and consumed the sacrifice. – “Our God is a consuming fire!”

· Abel’s Sacrifice (Gen. 4:4)

· Solomon’s Sacrifice (2 Chro. 7:1)

· Elijah’s Sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38)

· God will either consume you, or a sacrifice in your stead in his holy wrath (Ezek. 18:20).

· Satisfaction Made!

D. When the people saw this, they shouted and fell on their faces.

When the glory of God is revealed in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, when the blessings of grace are bestowed upon sinners through the power and grace of God, when God himself comes to us and makes himself known to us, our hearts are flooded with joy and praise!

(Psa 4:6-7) "There be many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. {7} Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased."

(Psa 103:1-4) "A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. {2} Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: {3} Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; {4} Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;"

· The revelation of Christ in the sinner’s heart has two profound, lasting effects. It causes us both to shout for joy and fall on our faces in humiliation, reverence, and godly fear (Isa. 6:1-8).

· And when the glory of God is revealed in the last great day, it will have the same effect.

When Aaron, left the altar went into the holy place, Moses stood with him, and as representative of Jehovah, handed over to his care all the vessels of the sanctuary and committing the ordering of all to him. -- Even so, the Lord Jesus in his ascension, when he left the place where he had made the sacrifice, was given dominion over all things for the salvation of his people (John 17:4; Rev. 1:1; Ps. 68:18; Eph.4:8). He was given authority and power as our God-man Mediator, as the Captain of our salvation now made perfect (Heb. 2:10), authority and power to administer all the affairs of the sanctuary. It was in reference to this that he said, as he was entering in, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18).

See him yonder. There he is, seated on his throne in the holy place, managing all the interests of his people, managing all the affairs of the universe for us! -- Preparing many mansions for us! The Father has committed all things to his hands, for us!

But he is coming out again! His coming out again will be like Aaron’s. He is coming out again to bless the people anew. Try to picture the scene before us in Leviticus 9.

The people stayed in the tabernacle courtyard all day, expecting the reappearance of Aaron and Moses, expecting to see the glory of the Lord. Why shouldn’t they? They had done what God commanded./ They came to him with the blood he required, in the way he required, looking to him for mercy. Now, they expected him to do what he promised. What could be more reasonable?

So, today, we stand before God as believing sinners, look to Christ alone for all our salvation, in glorious hope and expectation. Our eyes and hearts are fixed on the altar, looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us unto himself! Yes, we are looking for and expecting the second coming of the Son of God in al the splendorous glory of Father, which is his own!

“The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” of Israel that day. Some of the bright fire of that glory shot down on the altar and consumed the pieces of the sacrifice, giving one final, grand and glorious display of divine satisfaction. – What a sight that must have been!

In all this I see a clear picture of Christ’s second coming, “to those that look for him.” His glory will thus appear. In the evening of the world’s day Christ shall come out again. The lamb of God will give one final, indisputable display of the fact that God the Father is well-pleased with him and with all his people in him! He will appear “Without sin, unto salvation.” The sin consumed by the fire of God’s holy wrath, forever put away, forever gone, there is nothing left for us but the completion of our joy and the experience of the fullness of it in heavenly glory and perfection!

What a shout of ecstasy shall burst from us then! Yet how deeply awed and reverent we shall be! Forgiveness produces holy awe, even now wherever it is known. The people shout and fall prostrate before him. To Christ every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father! Oh, what a day that shall be!

(Rev 19:1-6) "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. (4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. (6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

Amen!