The Glory of God in the Old and New Testament
This is the second camp thematic msg. click on the verses for links to the chapter of the Bible. :)------------------------------
The Old Testament
Exodus 33:21-23
Moses is one who is interested to know the glory of God. (How many Christians are interested nowadays?) Even though God has said that anyone who sees Him in His full glory will never stay alive, God condescended to the request of Moses and allowed him to see a small part of His glory.
Yes, our Lord is so merciful and He who is so high above often condescend to us-ward. Coming down in human form – Christ Jesus – is God’s greatest condescension. The Sinless died for the sinful, and Worthy for the unworthy.
Rev. Sin gave an anecdote of a little girl who, after hearing the story of Noah, raised to her aunt that she has never seen a rainbow before. The aunt, a member in Rev. Sin’s church, told her that she could pray and ask God to let her see. Even the aunt herself, after telling the niece that, doubted whether God will do that (in our words, it’s something too small for God to mind). But God did! God granted the little girl’s request; it rained on that day, and the girl saw a rainbow! Our God is such a gloriously merciful God, who hears us and answers our prayer according to His will – and He is willing even to condescend Himself!
Ezekiel 10:17, 18
Ezekiel 11:23-25
The glory of God departed because the children of Israel no longer care about the glory of God. They went into idolatry and worshipped idols of the gods of the other people around them.
God cannot tolerate a challenge to His glory. In fact, the heavy punishment was not death – it was to send them into captive for 70 years! Rev. Sin said that after this 70 years, even till now, Israel no longer dare to have idols. They may backslide as a Jew or whatever, but they no longer have idols.
Daniel 4:30-34
King Nebuchadnezzer wanted to rob God of His glory. To all the riches which He had acquired, he had attributed these to his own power. We know that God only prospered him, king of Babylon, so that the Israelites would be captured by him.
In this Bible passage, we see that God cut off the king’s words, and pronounced his kingdom away from him. After that, the king became mad and left the palace to live with the animals. Then finally after 7 years when he lifted his eyes to heaven (verse 34), that God gave him back his understanding, and he king praised God and acknowledge God.
Isaiah 6
In verse 1, it is recorded that when king Uzziah died, Isaiah looked up to the heavenly King. Sometimes only when something less worthy is taken away, that we would lift our eyes to God. Here Rev. Sin asked, “who are you looking at today?” Is it God? See Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.”
“Rise up oh men of God, have done with lesser things” – hymn “Rise Up oh Men of God
Indeed, who should not look at things lesser than God. Wealth, health, academic, luxury – all these are nothing compared to God.
Recorded in Isaiah 6:5 is also the reaction one will have when one experience the glory of God. Too many writings and claims nowadays, especially from liberal churches, claim all sorts of reaction other than humility. Things like God embracing them, talking to them, giving them visions, etc. But when one sees the glory of God, it will become obvious to us that we are sinful creatures – saved only through Christ which we do not deserve at all! It’s like a dirty rag beside something so bleached and so white, it will seem even dirtier and every dirt is amplified!
Therefore, in the Old Testament, the glory of God is to do with that of humbling people. We are humbled when we see the glory of God.
The New Testament
Ephesians 1:18-23
Ephesians 3:16-21
In the New Testament, the glory of God has to do with knowing God – knowing who He is, and His power and greatness. Christ is also glorified through the gospel – when we tell of His great love and sacrifice for sinners, and through the church of His elect.
Colossians 3:22-24
And the application to us, to glorify God, is this: “And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” (verse 23). Do everything for the Lord! It is not to our parents, or to our own reputation, but unto the Lord!
Colossians 1:18
This verse shows why we should do all things for the Lord. Because “he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.”