Light as the Glory of God

How many of you have been in a situation where a topic of conversation gets brought up and everyone knows about it but you, and you’re too nervous to say you don’t know what’s happening? We end up just acting like we know what it is hoping that we don’t get asked something directly.

We also do this in our spiritual walk. There are many Christian terms or phrases we hear each Sunday and Wednesday night that are important yet we have no clue what they actually mean. Tonight, as we continue to look at our theme of light through the Bible, we are going to encounter one of those phrases.

Main Idea

Light is the glory of God that fills his holy places.

What is God’s Glory? (Isa. 6:3)

Explanation

Isaiah 6:1–3 ESV

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Illustration

Sun/Rays

Light as the Glory of God in the OT (Ex. 3:1-6, 19:18, 40:34-38; 2 Chronicles 7:1, Ps. 50:2)

Explanation

Genesis 3:24 ESV

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Exodus 3:1–6 ESV

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 19:18 ESV

Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

Exodus 40:34–38 ESV

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

2 Chronicles 7:1 ESV

As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Psalm 50:2 ESV

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.

Illustration

Lightbulb/Electricity

Light as the Glory of God in the NT (Jn. 1:14, 2:19, Acts 2:1-4, 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19-20)

Explanation

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 2:19 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 ESV

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Illustration

Tabernacle/Temple

Conclusion

Main Idea

Light is the glory of God that fills his holy places.

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