The Glory of God

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

A recurring theme in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is the glory of God. The NLT Study Bible states that ‘God’s glory is the manifestation of his person, his power and his majesty’. Throughout the Bible, we witness countless examples. Let’s look at some of these.

For a period of about two years, the land of Egypt was ravaged by plagues sent by God. In Exodus 7:17 we read of God saying to Pharaoh, “I will show you that I am the Lord”. The Egyptians had more ‘gods’ than any society at that time yet, as God targeted a different deity with each successive plague, one by one, the most important ‘gods’ were shown to be powerless. 

One example of this is when the Nile was turned into blood. The Egyptians worshiped several Gods connected to the river. So, when the river turned to blood, it would have seemed to the Egyptians as though the Nile gods had been killed. God revealed his glory. None were able to stand before his mighty person, power and majesty.

​Some centuries later, King Solomon built a temple where God could dwell. At the dedication of the Temple, we read:

When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord.” (1 Kings 8:10-11)

His power and majesty were on display that day.

Centuries later a day came, when Jesus was invited to a wedding celebration in Cana, Galilee. In this famous story, we read of Jesus turning water into wine.  In John 2:11 we read “This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” His disciples became aware of his person, his power and his majesty. Thousands of others would discover this same truth in the ensuing three years, and countless others in the two millennia that have followed since his death and resurrection, which is perhaps the ultimate display of his glory. 

​However, there is another thought that is linked to this and it is the thought that we, the followers of Jesus Christ can bring glory to Him. But how do we this? We do this as we speak and act in such a way that demonstrates that we acknowledge who God is. 1 Peter 2:12 instructs us to:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Isn’t it a beautiful thought that there is something we can do to bring our Saviour glory? We do this when we choose to do the right thing. We bring glory to God when when we say ‘not my will, but yours be done’. We do it when we joyfully choose the path less trodden because it is the one that leads us to Christ. Let’s remember this as we go about our daily lives this week with all the challenges and opportunities we will have to bring God glory.

“It is a great privilege to do anything for the King.” C. H. Spurgeon

Pauline Anderson