Glory (of God) - What is it?

Introduction

The New King James Version (Psalm 115)

1. Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,But to Your name give glory,Because of Your mercy,Because of Your truth.

English Standard Version (Exodus Chapter 24)

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.16 The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Times have changed. Language has changed. Things that we recognize in writing or in speech mean something else to another generation.

One such term is “LIT” .

Merriam Webster says the following: Lit has been used as slang for over a century, but it used to be slang for "drunk." Now, "lit" has taken on a new slang meaning describing something that is "exciting or excellent."

But even without reading the dictionary, you guys know what “lit” implies in your current generation. By a show of hands, who knows what “lit” means?

Would you mind sharing what it means?

...

You see, the word lit, came from the word “light” in its past or past participle tense. It implies something that has been illuminated with light, or something that has been set on fire.

In the same sense, the Word “glory” has lost most of its meaning. These days, its hardly used outside of religious content. It would be highly unusual if you were to go to someone selling clothes on the side of the street, and ask them, “Which one of these jackets is the most glorified?” No one talks like that.

And this is a problem. Language, whether long ago or in the recent past, carries meaning - it means something when someone says - “This party is ‘lit’”. A hundred years ago, that might have meant - ‘this party is full of drunk people.’

So what exactly does it mean when someone says “But to Your Name give Glory...”?

What is Glory?

Is it something shiny? Is it something that glows in the dark? Is it fame? Is it Power? What is it?

According to one Bible Dictionary (Lexham Bible Dictionary) :

In a secular sense, the Hebrew word for “glory” (כָּבוֹד, kavod) primarily means “weight,” referring to something substantial (e.g., Isa 22:24). In this sense, the term connotes honor and fame as coming from a social status that includes greatness, wealth, or power, and the acknowledgment of others.

Leslie C. Allen, The Lexham Bible Dictionary, 2016.

The word or inference to Glory is mentioned in the bible about 250 times. It is a major theme in the Bible. Yet, when we talk about God’s Glory, we don’t seem to land a meaning - its always here, or there, or nowhere.

Concepts to help us think about Glory

So here are three concepts to utilize when reading the Bible, and when you come across a reference to God’s Glory:

Glory is heavy. It weights heavy on the mind, on memory, and on your eyes and ears and emotions.

Exodus 19 The Israelites were terrified of God when they saw and heard the glorious presence of God

Consider the feeling you have when sitting in the exam hall - lots of anxiety and heavy thoughts about what you can remember for the exam. The exam is important to you - it is Glorious.

You can enjoy the warmth of fire, but no one wants to touch fire - because it burns - so fire to you is Glorious

Glory is important - We protect it. We think about it often.

We put important things in banks, hidden away where no one knows, or protected with a password.

So when we Consider God, is He important? where is he in our hearts and our minds?

Glory is well know - it is famous.

Everyone knows about fire, how dangerous and warm it can be.

Everyone knows how important a bank account is.

The third concept is where we fail the most.

God is not heavy on our minds, neither is He important - so we don’t think about Him often, nor is He famous in our culture. These days, its very unpopular to be a follower of Jesus - people consider you backward and judgmental.

What can we do?

Begin by knowing God for yourself - this gives Him Glory, and the more you see, the more things become clear, and the story of the Bible makes more and more sense. This way, your gratitude, love and worship will be genuine and sincere.

May God bless all of you as you know Him more and more and more.