His Work and His Glory Is to Have to Live With Him Again
There is an interesting conversation Moses has with God in Exodus 33. Moses asks God to show him His celebrity. What an amazing request by Moses to meet God in his splendor. As fascinating as the asking was, even more than amazing is that God honored his request and showed him, but merely to a degree.
I bring this story to your attention considering it makes me wonder – have you ever stopped and considered what the glory of God is? Take you always been assuming enough to ask God, like Moses did, to bear witness me your celebrity? I mean what is this thing that Moses was desiring?
The celebrity of God has multiple meanings in Scripture. It could refer to the brandish of his magnificence. It could also hateful praise and honor existence showered upon his great proper noun. Regardless of the agreement that is even so just the tip of the iceberg, at that place is more to the story.
God's glory has depths and measures that go beyond our comprehension, yet I desire to try to help you today. I want to attempt to unpack for you an reply to this question – what is the celebrity of God?
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What Does Glory Mean?
The word glory comes from the Latin discussion "gloria" which means fame or renown. In a secular sense when people speak of glory the term can have two meanings. In one case, information technology is the bestowing or showering of high honor or praise on a person, commonly for some achievement. For example, if you exercise well in school you may be put on the honour gyre or the dean's list, these are types of glory.
Looking through some other lens, glory tin too be used to signify magnificence or awesome splendor. This can be applied when something of value is restored, we might say the send has been restored to her erstwhile glory.
In a biblical context, the definitions don't change much. One of the things the Bible does highlight is the struggle in the centre of men when it comes to seeking glory. There are many warnings about the dangers of seeking glory and the praises of others. Hither are ii:
"Beware of the teachers of the police. They like to walk effectually in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets" (Luke xx:46).
"Be conscientious not to practice your righteousness in front of others to exist seen past them. If you do, y'all will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew vi:1).
With these definitions in mind how do we employ this to our question what is the Glory of God?
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What Is the Celebrity of God?
When you apply this definition in relationship to God, the ii meanings nosotros mentioned before remain. All the same, in that location is i more that needs to exist added to the mix. Let me requite y'all three examples in Scripture to help clarify.
1. "The heavens declare the celebrity of God; the skies proclaim the piece of work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1).
His magnificence and splendor displayed in the heavens and the earth point to his celebrity, simply from the works of his hands.
2. "So whether you swallow or potable or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Honor and praise are bestowed upon his name because of the things we do. In essence, we brand him look good.
iii. "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31).
In this way God shows up and his manifest presence invades a place. It could be in a church building or fifty-fifty your home. The reality and experience of his presence transforms those who are in the midst.
To understand the manner in which the term is being used, you only would have to look at the context. Let'southward do that. I desire to show you lot 2 examples from Scripture where we run across the glory of God on display.
Why Is God's Celebrity So Important?
To empathize why God's glory is and so important let'south consider information technology from the three definitions of celebrity we established before
His wonder – Seeing God'due south glory in the heavens and the world points to how astonishing and wonderful he is. Nosotros see his power and regal beauty.
His goodness – When nosotros give God praise it reminds us of how good he is and it is likewise a testimony to others of how loving and kind God really is
His want for personal intimacy – When God'southward presence shows upward, it makes God real and personal. He is no longer just the God who exists in the heavens, merely he is the God who comes downwardly wanting to dwell among men. He wants to be with you. In that location is no greater identify then to be in God's presence, sensing the warmth of his beloved and the joy of his spirit.
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Where Practise We See the Glory of God?
In Isaiah vi, the prophet reveals the experience he had in the presence of God. What we see in his run across is a revelation of God's majesty, God's holiness, and God'due south splendor.
"In the year that Male monarch Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. To a higher place him were seraphim, each with half-dozen wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flight. And they were calling to one some other: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole world is total of his glory.' At the audio of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes accept seen the Rex, the Lord Omnipotent'" (Isaiah half-dozen:ane-5).
Isaiah literally experienced all three aspects of God's glory. If yous asked him what the glory of God is, I am sure he would point back to this feel.
In the book of Acts we read the story of Saul'south conversion and another example of God's glory:
"As he neared Damascus on his journey, of a sudden a light from heaven flashed around him. He roughshod to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you lot, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you lot are persecuting,' he replied. 'At present get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must exercise'" (Acts 9:3-vi).
These are both examples of the splendor of God, simply besides examples of God manifesting his presence. In both cases God used the revealing of his celebrity to bring some form of revelation to these men. What I find interesting is the responses of both men; they were humbled. One of the things to sympathise about the manifest presence of God is that when it shows up, all your pride, ego and bravado simply goes out the window. His glory is merely too great.
I remember a time when I was praying at dwelling house with my mom and sister. As nosotros were praying the presence of God showed upwards in a very real, tangible manner. His presence was so stiff that I literally could not stand up – all I could exercise was kneel. Even if I wanted to, I had no strength to stand.
It gave me greater understanding when Paul said in Philippians, "every knee will bow." By the way I would not say this is the normal everyday experience just it was a small glimpse of the awesome nature of God's presence and God'southward glory. When God's presence or celebrity shows upward in this fashion, the reaction volition be like Isaiah and Saul. Yous will see how wonderful, majestic, and holy God is and how sinful and unworthy you lot are. At that place will be no room for boasting of any kind.
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What Does It Mean to Have God'south Glory upon You?
To think about the glory of God upon yous I want y'all to focus on the Holy Spirit inside you. The astonishing matter about what God did when he saved yous is he deposited the Spirit of God in your heart. I don't know if nosotros oft go this all the time, simply God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit dwells within your heart. This ways God's forcefulness, God's wisdom, God's love, God'due south peace, God's joy all dwell within you lot. As you lot deepen your walk with God and yield more than to the Holy Spirit, then y'all will feel more of God's glory flowing in your life.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplatethe Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17-eighteen).
How Can Nosotros Catch Glimpses of God's Celebrity Today?
God still displays his glory in the heavens and the earth, that hasn't changed. One of the major displays of God'due south celebrity today is the piece of work he does in ordinary people like you and me. In the Old Attestation later Moses' encounter with God on Mount Sinai, he returned to his people and his face up was glowing from being in God'southward presence. His face was glowing so much they put a veil over him to cover information technology.
Today you and I have access to the very presence of God, but in a amend way than Moses. He experienced the celebrity of God for a moment and eventually that radiance would go away. We have God's spirit within us then that radiance never has to go away. God'south presence doesn't simply come up and get, God's presence is e'er with yous because he dwells within yous. As y'all surrender more than and more to the Holy Spirit you become more of the trophy of God's grace and the evidence of God's glory within y'all will radiate to those around you.
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A Hard Question to Answer
We began with what really is a loaded question: what is the celebrity of God? Information technology is not loaded because information technology is a trick question, it is loaded because it has so many answers. How do you take the one who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, holy, glorious, and try to wrap all that glory into an answer? Information technology is hard to do.
I promise yous see that God's glory goes far across even our homo comprehension. I fully believe information technology will take eternity to fully sympathize and experience the wonder of God's glory. My last thought is to point y'all to heaven and our eternal home. Here is a glimpse of the reality of the glory of God.
"And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mount great and loftier, and showed me the Holy Metropolis, Jerusalem, coming downwards out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, articulate every bit crystal. … I did not run into a temple in the city, considering the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the lord's day or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp" (Revelation 21:x-11; 22-23).
May we live lives that truly honour him and bring the glory to his name that it and so richly deserves.
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Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/can-we-grasp-the-glory-of-god.html
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