Look for the Light and the Glory: Crowning Joy

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it.  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the Testimony that I shall give thee. Exodus 25:8-9, 11, 21 ASV

It had the golden altar of incense and the ark (chest) of the covenant, covered over with wrought gold. This [ark] contained a golden jar which held the manna and the rod of Aaron that sprouted and the [two stone] slabs of the covenant [bearing the Ten Commandments]. [Exod. 16:32-34; 30:1-6; Num. 17:8-10.] Hebrews 9:4 AMPC

Then the sanctuary of God in heaven was thrown open, and the Ark of His Covenant was seen standing inside in His sanctuary; and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings (blasts, mutterings), peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a terrific hailstorm. [I Kings 8:1-6.]  Revelation 11:19 AMPC

And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and Tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.]  John 1:14 AMPC

He who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the Testimony [possesses this divine attestation] Within himself. He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence (the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son.  1 John 5:10 AMPC

When His lamp shone above and upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness; When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me, Because I delivered the poor who cried, the fatherless and him who had none to help him.  The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me or clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a turban or a diadem or a crown! I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor and needy; the cause of him I did not know I searched out. And I broke the jaws or the big teeth of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth. My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed], and my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand.   Job 29:3, 5-5, 12-17, 20 AMPC

And they dressed Him in [a] purple [robe], and, weaving together a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him. And they began to salute Him, Hail (greetings, good health to You, long life to You), King of the Jews! And they struck His head with a staff made of a [bamboo-like] reed and spat on Him and kept bowing their knees in homage to Him. [Isa. 50:6.]  Mark 15:17

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits– Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]! [Isa. 40:31.] As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.  Psalm 103:2, 4-5, 13-14 AMPC

But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior, Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself.  Philippians 3:20-21 AMPC

And the king said to him (Haman), What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?  Let royal apparel be brought which the king has worn and the horse which the king has ridden, and a royal crown be set on his head.  And let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes. Let him array the man whom the king delights to honor and conduct him on horseback through the open square of the city, and proclaim before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.  Esther 6:6, 8-9 AMPC

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.  James 1:12 AMPC

And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced. The Jews had light [a dawn of new hope] and gladness and joy and honor.  Esther 8:15-16 AMPC

And they made the long and sleeved tunics woven of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, And the turban, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the breeches of fine twined linen, and they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold and wrote upon it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet, holy to the Lord. [Exod. 28:36.] They tied to it a lace of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord commanded Moses. Thus, all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites had done. And Moses inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. And Moses blessed them.  Exodus 39:27-28, 30-32, 43 AMPC

And so we too,

Prompted by faith (like) Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world’s unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith). [Gen. 6:13-22.]  Hebrews 11:7 AMPC

[As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day–and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return).  2 Timothy 4:8 AMPC