God Gold And Glory Meaning

There is an interesting conversation Moses has with God in Exodus 33. Moses asks God to show him His glory. What an amazing request by Moses to see God in his splendor. As fascinating as the request was, even more amazing is that God honored his request and showed him, but only to a degree.

I bring this story to your attending considering information technology makes me wonder – have you e'er stopped and considered what the glory of God is? Have yous ever been bold enough to enquire God, like Moses did, to show me your glory? I mean what is this matter that Moses was desiring?

The glory of God has multiple meanings in Scripture. It could refer to the brandish of his magnificence. It could besides mean praise and honor existence showered upon his great proper noun. Regardless of the understanding that is still merely the tip of the iceberg, there is more to the story.

God's glory has depths and measures that go beyond our comprehension, all the same I desire to endeavor to aid you today. I want to endeavor to unpack for y'all an answer to this question – what is the glory of God?

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What Does Glory Mean?

The give-and-take glory comes from the Latin word "gloria" which means fame or renown. In a secular sense when people speak of glory the term can have ii meanings. In one example, it is the bestowing or showering of high honor or praise on a person, ordinarily for some achievement. For instance, if you lot do well in schoolhouse you may be put on the honor roll or the dean'southward list, these are types of glory.

Looking through some other lens, glory tin likewise exist used to signify magnificence or awesome splendor. This tin can be practical when something of value is restored, nosotros might say the send has been restored to her former glory.

In a biblical context, the definitions don't change much. One of the things the Bible does highlight is the struggle in the heart of men when it comes to seeking glory. In that location are many warnings near the dangers of seeking glory and the praises of others. Hither are 2:

"Beware of the teachers of the law. They similar to walk around in flowing robes and love to exist greeted with respect in the marketplaces and take the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets" (Luke twenty:46).

"Be conscientious not to exercise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you lot do, you will have no advantage from your Begetter in heaven" (Matthew half dozen:1).

With these definitions in mind how exercise we utilize this to our question what is the Glory of God?

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What Is the Glory of God?

When you apply this definition in relationship to God, the two meanings nosotros mentioned before remain. However, there is i more that needs to be added to the mix. Let me give you three examples in Scripture to help clarify.

ane. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:ane).

His magnificence and splendor displayed in the heavens and the earth point to his celebrity, simply from the works of his easily.

ii. "And then whether you consume or drink or any you practise, exercise it all for the celebrity of God" (i Corinthians ten:31).

Laurels and praise are bestowed upon his name because of the things we exercise. In essence, we brand him wait good.

3. "Afterward 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 four:31).

In this way God shows up and his manifest presence invades a identify. It could be in a church building or fifty-fifty your home. The reality and feel of his presence transforms those who are in the midst.

To understand the way in which the term is existence used, y'all simply would have to expect at the context. Let'southward practise that. I desire to evidence you two examples from Scripture where we see the glory of God on display.

Why Is God'due south Glory Then Important?

To sympathise why God's glory is then important allow'south consider information technology from the three definitions of celebrity we established earlier

His wonder – Seeing God'southward celebrity in the heavens and the earth points to how amazing and wonderful he is. We see his power and purple beauty.

His goodness – When nosotros requite God praise information technology reminds u.s. of how good he is and information technology is also a testimony to others of how loving and kind God really is

His desire for personal intimacy – When God's presence shows up, it makes God real and personal. He is no longer just the God who exists in the heavens, but he is the God who comes downwardly wanting to dwell amongst men. He wants to be with you. There is no greater identify then to be in God'southward presence, sensing the warmth of his love and the joy of his spirit.

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Where Practice We See the Glory of God?

In Isaiah 6, the prophet reveals the feel he had in the presence of God. What nosotros meet in his run across is a revelation of God'southward majesty, God'southward holiness, and God's splendor.

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with ii they covered their anxiety, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one some other: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his celebrity.' At the sound 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 amidst a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty'" (Isaiah 6:ane-five).

Isaiah literally experienced all three aspects of God's glory. If yous asked him what the celebrity of God is, I am sure he would point back to this experience.

In the volume of Acts we read the story of Saul's conversion and another example of God'due south glory:

"As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from sky flashed effectually him. He fell to the ground and heard a phonation say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you lot, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 'Now get upwardly and become into the city, and y'all will exist told what yous must do'" (Acts ix:iii-6).

These are both examples of the splendor of God, but also 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 understand nearly the manifest presence of God is that when it shows up, all your pride, ego and bravado merely goes out the window. His celebrity is just too great.

I recollect a time when I was praying at home with my mom and sister. Every bit we were praying the presence of God showed up in a very real, tangible mode. His presence was and then strong that I literally could not stand up – all I could practice was kneel. Even if I wanted to, I had no strength to stand up.

It gave me greater understanding when Paul said in Philippians, "every knee will bow." By the manner I would not say this is the normal everyday experience just it was a small glimpse of the awesome nature of God'southward presence and God'south glory. When God's presence or celebrity shows up in this manner, the reaction will be like Isaiah and Saul. You will see how wonderful, imperial, and holy God is and how sinful and unworthy you lot are. There volition be no room for boasting of any kind.

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What Does It Mean to Take God'due south Celebrity upon Yous?

man smiling hands over heart peace and joy

To call up about the glory of God upon you I desire you to focus on the Holy Spirit within y'all. The amazing affair almost what God did when he saved you lot is he deposited the Spirit of God in your heart. I don't know if we often get this all the time, merely God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit dwells within your heart. This ways God's strength, God'south wisdom, God'south love, God's peace, God's joy all dwell within y'all. As you deepen your walk with God and yield more than to the Holy Spirit, so y'all volition experience more of God's celebrity 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 existence transformed into his epitome with ever-increasing celebrity, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (ii Corinthians 3:17-eighteen).

How Tin can We Catch Glimpses of God'due south Glory Today?

God all the same displays his glory in the heavens and the earth, that hasn't inverse. One of the major displays of God's glory today is the work he does in ordinary people like you and me. In the Quondam Testament after Moses' encounter with God on Mount Sinai, he returned to his people and his face was glowing from beingness in God's presence. His face was glowing so much they put a veil over him to comprehend it.

Today yous and I take access to the very presence of God, but in a improve way than Moses. He experienced the glory of God for a moment and eventually that radiance would go away. We have God'south spirit inside u.s. so that radiance never has to go away. God'due south presence doesn't just come up and become, God's presence is ever with you lot because he dwells within you. Equally you lot surrender more and more than to the Holy Spirit you get more than of the trophy of God's grace and the evidence of God'due south glory within you volition radiate to those around you.

A Hard Question to Answer

We began with what really is a loaded question: what is the glory of God? Information technology is non loaded because it is a trick question, it is loaded because it has so many answers. How practise 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 practise.

I hope yous see that God's glory goes far across fifty-fifty our human comprehension. I fully believe it will take eternity to fully empathize and feel the wonder of God's glory. My last idea is to indicate y'all to sky 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 peachy and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was similar that of a very precious jewel, similar a jasper, clear as crystal. … I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the lord's day or the moon to smoothen on it, for the glory of God gives it low-cal, and the Lamb is its lamp" (Revelation 21:x-11; 22-23).

May we live lives that truly award him and bring the glory to his name that it so richly deserves.