ENTER INTO MORE GLORIOUS LIGHT

Mike Blume
Oct 27, 2004 pm



  Scripture Text:

 
2 Corinthians 3:6-18 KJV
(6)  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
(7)  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
(8)  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
(9)  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
(10)  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
(11)  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
(12)  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
(13)  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
(14)  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
(15)  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
(16)  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
(17)  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
(18)  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.



  Message:


Moses and Jesus are compared and contrasted in these scriptures.
  • Both brought  in a covenant.
  • The old and the new.
  • But Moses administered condemnation from the law, while Christ brought liberty.
  • And using this foundation, let us see how much liberty and a change from law to grace there really is.

Look at some of the similarities between Moses and Jesus.

Moses was born when a massacre was sanctioned by Pharaoh in order to stamp out the Hebrews, while in reality the devil was trying to get rid of Moses.

Exodus 1:16 KJV
(16)  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

Matthew 2:16 KJV
(16)  Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.


Moses was floated away in an ark to Egypt where he lived and grew.

Exodus 2:3-5 KJV
(3)  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
(4)  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
(5)  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

Matthew 2:13-14 KJV
(13)  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
(14)  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

But later in their lives, when the time of giving the covenants took place, so many parallels also exist.
  • But one great difference among them all actually shows the different nature of the two covenants.
  • And it reveals how some people live in the new testament of liberty as though they were beneath the old testament of veiling and condemnation.
  • We really need to see the difference between the covenants.

Numbers 11:16-17 KJV
(16)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
(17)  And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Jesus does the same thing.

Luke 9:1-2 KJV
(1)  Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
(2)  And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Luke 10:1 KJV
(1)  After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Luke 10:17 KJV
(17)  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.


And notice what happens with the seventy that Moses called forth.

Numbers 11:25-29 KJV
(25)  And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
(26)  But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.
(27)  And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
(28)  And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
(29)  And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

The seventy of Moses prophesied in the tabernacle, but two prophesied outside the Tabernacle and were condemned for it, while MOses stood up for them.

Luke 9:49-50 KJV
(49)  And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
(50)  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

As the 70 prophesied, and 2 did so outside the GROUP and were condemned, one was casting out devils outside the group of the  70, and was condemned.
  • Moses and Jesus both stood up for the accused.

But something is very different between Moses days and Jesus.

Exodus 24:1 KJV
(1)  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

Moses, a group of 70 and THREE PEOPLE go up to the mountain of God.

Luke 9:28 KJV
(28)  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

The 70 are mentioned in the next chapter in Luke.

Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu are similar to the group of Jesus, Peter, James and John.
  • And they all go up into a mountain.

Exodus 24:9-11 KJV
(9)  Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:  (10)  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. (11)  And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Exodus 24:12 KJV
(12)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Moses goes up further.

Exodus 24:16-18 KJV
(16)  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
(17)  And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
(18)  And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

JESUS:

Luke 9:28-31 KJV
(28)  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
(29)  And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
(30)  And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
(31)  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Luke 9:34-35 KJV
(34)  While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
(35)  And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

Moses enters into a cloud all alone.
  • Like walking past the veil into the most holy place.
  • But Jesus and the three were enveloped by the cloud.
  • The glory cloud covers them all.

There is a major difference in the old and new covenants.
  • We can all experience God's Spirit.

This clergy/laity distinction is not noted in scripture.
  • It was an Old Testament tenet, but even then it was not God's original plan.
  • God originally planned for all tribes to be priests.
  • The firstborn from each family would be a priest.
  • No families were exempt.

But WE ALL are priests now.

Revelation 1:5-6 KJV
(5)  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
(6)  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

And watch the seventy in each case:

Exodus 24:9-11 KJV
(9)  Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
(10)  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
(11)  And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Luke 10:7-8 KJV
(7)  And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
(8)  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

Notice the stress upon eating and drinking.
  • The seventy experienced sightings of God, and yet were not killed.
  • How much of God He let them see is a matter of question, because we read no man saw God and lived.
  • Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience.
  • It seemed to be for the purpose of providing ample opportunity for witnesses to know that Moses was simply not going up into the Mountain and lying about a claim of seeing God.
  • These witnesses saw a supernatural event, proving Moses really was going to meet with God.

They ATE AND DRANK in the presence of God.

Sapphire stone all over the expanse.
  • Some say they saw the heavens figured in the colour of the pavement of sapphires... stars and sky, as the best sapphire is said to have gold flecks in it's sky blue colour.

Like the body of Heaven in its clearness.. no clouds, while clouds represent wrath and God came in clouds when He came in wrath.

But Christ's seventy do not go into a heavenly place beyond the reach of the others to eat and drink.
  • Similar to the three with Christ who all entered the glory cloud with Him, whereas only Moses entered in Exodus, these 70 eat and drink in plain old people's homes.
  • While the elders of Moses were in heavenly places limited away from the rest of the people of Israel, these 70 are eating and drinking in common homes.

Luke 10:7-9 KJV
(7)  And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
(8)  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
(9)  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

The difference is that the Kingdom of God is come nigh to PEOPLE!
  • It's not an exclusive club of super spiritual elders alone!
  • It's in common houses these 70 elders eat and drink!
  • THE KINGDOM COMES TO PEOPLE!
  • THEY DO NOT GO TO THE KINGDOM!
  • IT COMES TO THEM!

No one is any more special and due privileges than anyone else.
  • The biggest tithe payer, and the first member, or the whatever you can think of that might set you up above other members is NOT to be distinguished in the church of God.

THE KINGDOM COMES TO THE COMMON HOUSE.

But note one requirement.

Luke 10:5-12 KJV
(5)  And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
(6)  And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
(7)  And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
(8)  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
(9)  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(10)  But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
(11)  Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(12)  But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

Only the houses that are OPEN HEARTED will receive the kingdom.
  • These 70 would prepare the way for Jesus who would come later.
  • JESUS WOULD COME TO THEM.

Jesus comes to people!

And this is Jesus, who although He climbed a mountain like Moses did, with a certain three others, and entered the CLOUD OF GLORY, this same Moses was there on Jesus' mountain, and Jesus face shone like the Sun and it was not to be veiled!
  • And Elijah and Moses who both appeared were set on a lower level than Jesus, after Peter tried rendering them equal with a tabernacle for each of them, when the Father spoke out of the cloud and told them to HEAR JESUS, and Moses and Elijah were gone!

Jesus was GREATER THAN MOSES or ELIJAH.
  • And yet HE COMES TO US!
  • It's so much more glorious, but it is ironic that segregationalism occurred in Moses'; lesser experiences, while universal opportunity is given in Christ's greater glory!

How much greater is Christ's ministry?

2 Corinthians 3:9-11 KJV
(9)  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
(10)  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
(11)  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.


And this experience of MOses in the cloud is then explained as follows:

Exodus 24:18 KJV
(18)  And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Moses went up into the cloud and stayed there forty days and nights.

Jesus ascended up into Heaven the day He resurrected.
  • He told Mary not to touch Him since he had not resurrected.
  • But a week later he tell THomas to touch HIm.
  • He came down again.
  • And instead of staying in the cloud so segregated away from everyone, for 40 days, we read:

Acts 1:3 KJV
(3)  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

He was SEEN OF THEM FORTY DAYS!
  • Not hidden like Moses, although Jesus' ministry was FAR GREATER!

And after the forty days, we read:

Israel could not wait any longer, and backslid and worshipped a golden calf.

Exodus 32:16 KJV
(16)  And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

Exodus 32:17 KJV
(17)  And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

Exodus 32:15 KJV
(15)  And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

Moses went DOWN.

Exodus 32:19 KJV
(19)  And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

Exodus 32:26-28 KJV
(26)  Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
(27)  And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
(28)  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

3000 DIED!!!

God was enraged.

But after 40 days with Christ...

Acts 1:1-3 KJV
(1)  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
(2)  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
(3)  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Jesus was TAKEN UP.

And 120 were filled with the Holy Ghost and the NOISE was not like that of idolatry and false worship, but praises to God in other tongues!

ANd instead of three thousand dying...

Acts 2:41 KJV
(41)  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

3000 were BAPTIZED and filled with the Holy Ghost!

The laws were written in their hearts!

The same chapter that says Christ's ministry is far more glorious and unveiled than Moses', we read....

2 Corinthians 3:3 KJV
(3)  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
                   
And a very special thought is mentioned in Hebrews which contrasts how DIFFERENT law of Moses on stone tablets is from CHrist's law in our hearts.

Hebrews 8:7-13 KJV
(7)  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
(8)  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
(9)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
(10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
(11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
(12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
(13)  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

According to that, they could not keep the law, even before they got it on stone, because it was written on stone and not on their hearts.

BUT IT IS WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS NOW.
  • SO WE CAN KEEP IT.
  • And it's why 3000 went to greater life, rather than 3000 going backwards and dying in Moses' day!

But my key point is that there is no limits upon certain groups while others are allowed into this thing.
  • THE KINGDOM COMES TO YOUR HOUSE... not you blocked away from it, while others have to go atop a mountain.
  • Yes, the mountain was in Christ's day, too.
  • But the KINGDOM CAME DOWN.
  • And everyone of us are to enter this priesthood.

But I am noticing that although we are showing these truths forth, some are still caught up in the traditional carry over from the old testament mentality of clergy and laity distinctions/
  • They still will not launch out and TRY GOD for themselves.
  • They still sit back and act like a lower class of God's people.
  • Although God's kingdom has none of these class distinctions like legalists and old testament keepers suggest exists, it's still in the minds of too many of God's people.
  • And a church that preaches the truth of it all and how the new covenant is vastly different, can still have it's members retain that old tradition, and never move forward like God wants them to.

Church, we need to go to God in prayer about these truths and seek His will to be done, promising HIm that through His strength you will reach out into the kingdom as He wills you to, and minister as a priest.

Only Moses' face shone in the old, and it was veiled.

But Jesus' face shines forth glory...

2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV
(18)  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV
(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.

And we are changed into the same image.

How could that glory be greater and yet we could look upon it and be able to stand it, when Moses' was lesser and the people could not stand it?
  • It is because Moses was CONDEMNATION, while Christ's glory is LIBERTY!
Your hand might be the hand that God uses to heal someone of a FANTASTIC MIRACLE in this church!
  • But you have to be aware of this new concept  in the kingdom of God.
Enter into the MORE GLORIOUS LIGHT of New Covenant ministry of Spirit!