Glory

First off I just want to take this post to show how thankful I am for all of my readers, from those who leave comments, post their thoughts on my facebook or twitter links and even the ones who remain silent. I didn’t really expect to have the opportunity to grow with all of you through this process, but I’m truly, truly grateful for all of it.

You guys keep me studying, keep pushing me forward to come up with something cool to write about, and that in itself is more than enough for me to shout a big thank you to all of you.

I also want to restate that I would not be able to write any of this if it were not for minds and thoughts from people a whole lot smarter than me. I’m grateful to be the guy that ties two ideas from pastors and theologians into one thought and mixes and mingles my own in between. It’s a community of thoughts, and so I don’t want to take all the credit for everything that is written here.

Like this post… or what the rest of this post is going to be about, is heavily inspired by a pastor named Mark Driscoll.

And then of course my constant inspirations of writing style and my own study of God’s word…

But of course, all of the glory goes to God, it’s His word we’re looking at and trying to dig into, it’s His grace that has allowed us to understand and accept, it’s His love that gives us the desire to follow Him.

All the glory to God.

Glory.

Very interesting word.

Sometimes we use that word so… loosely.

Do we truly know what it means to be glorified or to have something glorified, to see glory?

It’s a reflection.

Like a glorified light in the middle of a dark cave.

It’s not necessarily that the light is really all that glorious but the simple fact that it’s surroundings glorify it.

The darkness… the light pierces. It makes it glorified.

The cave walls, probably made from minerals or precious stones… the light refracting, reflecting, and shining 

off of it makes the light seem so glorious.

But what is ‘glory’? It’s one of those words that we know… yet we can’t explain.

Dictionary.com gives us fourteen different definitions for the word under four different types of words (noun, verb, interjection, idiom)

Really?

We say something is glorious when it is dazzling, stands out, or produces something good or pleasing to one of our senses.

Glory.

But what about God’s glory?

Does the Glory of God fall under the same system of explanation? Or does it deserve something higher… do we sometimes use the word ‘glory’ too loosely?

One of the first instances of the Glory of God is when Moses was standing in the presence of God.

A place where we need to take off our shoes.

A place where we can’t look at the dazzling brilliance of it.

Where our faces begin to glow.

Where God speaks.

Maybe that’s why God is called, ‘the light of the world’… by Him we see everything else.

That’s glory?

Dictionary.com doesn’t give those as definitions.

Over 300 times, God’s glory is mentioned within scripture in various ways.

It’s an attribute, an aspect of who God is.

Such a small word takes all of those words, phrases, examples, and ideas just to explain… and even after all of that, we are still left without a precise idea of what it is.

Maybe that’s what the reaction should be.

Maybe that’s what God was getting at.

Glory can’t be explained.

God’s glory is incomprehensible.

So when we say, ‘all glory to God’ we are taking what, in our minds say should be OUR recognition, and giving it to God… just adding more and more recognition, reflection, power, majesty, awesomeness, to God.

The Glory of God was revealed all throughout the Old Testament in ways such as fire and clouds.

Proved in Genesis with fire and brimstone against Sodom and Gomorrah, revealed to Moses through a burning bush, leading God’s people in Exodus, by pillars of cloud and fire, speaking to Job out of a storm cloud, Elijah calling fire from heaven, Isaiah with seeing the throne room and surrounded with fire, destroying the power of fire in the hot furnace with Daniel’s three friends…

It illuminates and hides. It leads, and holds back.

God’s glory is everywhere.

But yet also confined.

The Glory of God is the presence of God… which was filling the tabernacle.

The temple.

A sacred meeting place for God to dwell with His people, Israel.

It housed the Glory of God… but the purpose was to be showing the whole world.

Something like that can’t be contained.

But it was.

The Glory of God was contained.

It was restrained.

Withheld.

Subdued.

Hidden.

But at the same time was bursting forth, through the seams, shouting, screaming, shining, enlightening, and breaking the silence.

What silence?

God’s glory departed from Israel, the temple, and His people after repeated non-repentant idolatrous, rebellious generations, which defaced and abominated the sanctity of God’s house.

God had withheld all of His glory for over 600 years.

God did not reveal himself in glory.

God did not show forth fire from heaven, or clouds, nor was his presence with His people on Earth.

UNTIL…

A baby’s cry.

God’s glory came down to be confined in a different temple… a human body.

Yet it was still contained.

On that same night God’s glory was relinquished… without containment… to the most unlikely of people…

‘And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."' -Luke 2:8-14

A response to the Glory of God… a celebration. We can’t make God glorious, we respond to His glory, giving Him what is already His. These angels start singing Glory to God in the Highest!

Worship is the response to God’s glory revealed.

God’s glory has returned, contained in a baby, exploding with angelic praises.

The God of glory has come to reveal himself in glory.

And he does.

“Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"— not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.” –Luke 9:28-36 (ESV)

Jesus reveals his true appearance.

While in communion with the Father.

Glory envelops everything.

And two people show up.

Moses and Elijah.

Why these two people?

Both of these men have had direct experiences with God’s glory.

Both have had mountaintop experiences with God's glory and God's voice.

Moses was buried by God.

Elijah did not die.

Moses with all of the plagues and miracles, seeing God’s back, standing in front of God receiving the law. (Exodus)

The Law.

Elijah the prophet standing on a mountain calling fire down from heaven. (1 Kings 18) And then being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire after holding the position of God’s prophet to Israel. (2 Kings 2)

A prophet.

Jesus is talking to these two men, one who represents the Law, one who represents the Prophets.

And what are they discussing?

I have always skimmed over this when I read… I don’t know why.

It’s just one of those passages where you feel like you have read it so many times, been taught it in Sunday school or in a sermon and you just ‘know it’. That’s how I have felt about many pieces of scripture… but God has been showing me how little I ‘know it’. What these two men, these two figures, Law and Prophets, are discussing, is Jesus’ departure and what he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

The Bible is, up to this point only composed of Law and Prophets… and those writings all point to what the Messiah is going to come and do… what He will accomplish. The Bible has just come alive… like for real.

The word is living and active.

God’s glory revealed.

Moses and Elijah are talking to Jesus about Calvary.

What Jesus is going to accomplish.

Where Jesus is going to go.

Peter speaks up and says, ‘Let’s make tents!’

And I guess he was thinking: Camp Out!

He likes John, he likes James, and hey... these other guys are pretty cool.

There's plenty of light with this glory thing going on. Why not!?

Maybe he wanted to get in on ravens coming to drop food off, like they did for Elijah, Moses striking a stone and making some water, and Jesus multiplying it for the six of them to just chillax on the mountain, away from the crowds.

Heck, they could even order a pizza and roast marshmallows together… 

 

Peter is just one of those characters. And honestly I think he’s a pretty cool guy.

Prophets of old. Jesus in absolute glory.

Heck yes. Let’s have a party.

Whether Peter meant to or not...

There is a theological coincidence to His words as well though.

And theological coincidences do not exist.

Peter says let’s make tents.

And then a cloud comes.

God’s glory is coming to dwell on this mountain.

Peter says tents.

The tabernacle was a tent.

God’s glory engulfed the tent with a cloud.

It’s the Old Testament truly coming alive.

But it’s also a promise of the New Testament, a New Covenant.

No tents are made.

God’s glory will never be confined to a tent anymore.

Because God’s glory is about to come and dwell with mankind again… Jesus is going to accomplish something new.

He’s standing in between the Law and the Prophets, fulfilling them.

This is the glory of God, incarnate to dwell with His people, and reconcile all people to Himself.
Such a holy, glorious God willing to step out of absolute praise and worship where he sat on a throne surrounded in glory, surrounded in holiness, surrounded in awe, and eminence.

And when we see Him face to face we will see him in all of His glory. Our only response will be, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD God Almighty!'

Is that glory?
Something so mighty, brilliant, that the only we can define it is to respond, react, in complete worship and surrender.

Humility.

As we edge closer to Easter, remember the accomplishing act of Jesus…and the journey. The very Lord of the universe humbled himself for our sakes. He continued to live a life of humility. He died a humble death.

What's our reaction to that?

The transfiguration of Jesus, in Luke 9, is what prompted the start towards Jerusalem, this explosion of Jesus' true identity was a key moment towards Good Friday. Jesus wants us to know, to reinforce again and again that He truly is God.

Just a few verses after this experience we read in Luke 9:51-52, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (ESV)

He’s determined after this transfiguration.

The three disciples are determined to keep their mouths shut. God the Father had spoken to them.
They not only encountered Jesus transforming, but they heard the very voice of God. The presence of the Father...Why did all three members of the Trinity get involved in this one event?

Wait... all three?

It is my belief that the Holy Spirit was there... the Holy Spirit was in the engulfing cloud. The Holy Spirit prompted the detail of this event as Luke was writing it, based off of the recollection of Peter, James, and John.

But why were all three involved?

To reinforce God’s glory becoming known… God the Father speaks from the Holy Spirit driven cloud that enveloped them.

This defining moment, many theologians would say was the beginning of the Easter story. Jesus' mission was here. His priorities changed.

Jesus was coming to redeem sinners. Forgiving our sins. Reconciling us towards Himself.

What are the words, the Father chooses to say towards these three disciples?

"This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!"

Words to live by... for all of His disciples.