Tag: God’s Glory

A Godly Exchange

Posted on by scott

“…emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant…” – Philippians 2:7a

Seeing Clearly

We have spent the last couple of studies looking at the glory of God, discussing the fact that nothing on earth is more “valuable”.  We also looked at the foolishness of exchanging God’s glory when nothing can compare to it.  I wanted to write the prior two studies as a means of putting todays into perspective.  The better grasp we have of the glory of God, the more clearly we will understand the sacrifice Christ made.  The more clearly we understand the sacrifice Christ made, the less likely we will exchange the glory of God.

Glory Concealed

Philippians chapter two gives us Christ’s example of humility.  We are told, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in the human form,  he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:4-8).  In contrast to man, who exchanges the glory of God for an image, the Son of God empties himself and takes on the form of a servant!  In other words, Christ “covered” His glory with flesh and blood.

Jesus did not lay aside His deity, but in a sense He willingly restricted it.  Like a strong man that ties one arm behind his back.  He doesn’t have less strength, he just restricts the strength he has.  So it was when Christ became a man.  He yoked His deity with humanity.  For thirty years his flesh “hid” His glory.  During the last three years of His life, the radiance began to break through more frequently.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, the inner circle was given a glimpse of what the flesh was covering for a season. “And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2).

Why?

Why did Jesus “hide” His glory for a season?  So we could enjoy it for eternity.  Jesus temporarily “exchanged” His glory for servanthood because He loves us.  More importantly, because He loves the Father.  “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  Jesus is jealous for the glory of God.  Jesus knows nothing is more precious.  Therefore, “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.”  Rather than clinging to what was rightfully his with a clenched fist, He emptied Himself with open hands praying, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42b).  A lesson in humility indeed.  “Have this mind among yourselves.”

Our Savior sweat drops of blood.  Our Creator carried a cross.  Our God will be glorified.  Sin has consequences.  Especially for the sinless Savior.  No one was more familiar with sin’s consequences than Jesus.  No one was more familiar with the sacrifice that had to be made to atone for sin than the Lamb of God.  Looking around Heaven for someone to fix man’s dilemma wasn’t an option.  Waiting for mankind to solve their problem wasn’t going to work either.  Man’s only hope was God in the flesh.  Deity yoked with humanity.

Glory Revealed

In the manger, Our Savior was born in “the likeness of men.”  On the cross, He hung in “human form.”  The flesh could only conceal the glory for so long.  Mary covered Jesus’ humanity with “swaddling cloth and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7a).  God revealed Jesus deity by rolling away the stone and raising Him from the grave.  The grave cloths were left behind.  A resurrected Savior doesn’t need burial cloths.  God’s glory never again needs to be covered.  Before His prayer of submission in the garden, Jesus offered up another prayer, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify Me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:4-5).

Rewarding Exchange

Jesus exchanged His glory for servanthood.  He died for our sins.  He glorified the Father by accomplishing the work the Father gave Him to do.  Jesus is now glorified in the presence of the Father with the glory He had with Him before the world existed.  May we learn from the humility of Christ.  May our desire be to glorify the Father on earth by accomplishing the work He has given us to do.  It will often require laying aside our pride and taking on the form of a servant.  For the child of God, it may be the most rewarding exchange.

“I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” – John 17:26

“Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11

A Foolish Exchange

Posted on by scott

 

“They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.” –  Psalm 106:20

Similar Value?

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the word exchange as such, “An occurrence in which people give things of similar value to each other.”  Imagine how you would feel if you opened your safe and discovered an item(s) of great value was missing.  Perhaps a family heirloom.  Perhaps an item of great sentimental value.  Maybe your “love” letters from years ago.  Imagine your disappointment to learn that your child took this item from the safe and traded it at school for a stick of gum or perhaps a frog.  What seemed like a good exchange to your child would be laughable to you (once you stopped crying).  It would certainly be a teachable moment about trading (and stealing).  You wouldn’t want your child to repeat such a foolish exchange.  Nor does God want His children to.  We can forgive a child for a foolish act done out of ignorance, but what excuse do we have as adults to make an even more foolish exchange on a regular basis?

Jealous God

El Qanna.  In Exodus chapter 20 verse 4, God tells the Israelites they are not to make idols.  In verse 5, he continues by telling the Israelites they are not to worship or bow down to idols because He is El Qanna.  A jealous God.  God is jealous for His reputation.  He is jealous for His name.  Exodus 34:14 says, “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  God alone is to be worshiped.  He alone is worthy.  In Psalm 106 from which today’s passage comes, the Psalmist asks the question, “Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all His praise” (verse 2)?   Despite the fact that God miraculously delivered the Israelites from Egypt and parted the Red Sea for them to cross on dry ground, the Israelites “forgot God’s works” (verse 13) and then “forgot God, their Savior” (verse 21).  It is difficult to utter the mighty deeds of the LORD if we are forgetful them.  It is easy to make a bad exchange if we are ignorant of worth.  We need to hold in higher esteem the glory of God.

Worthless Idols

When held as slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were introduced to Apis, an idol in the form of a bull.  When Moses and Aaron arrived, the Israelites were “introduced” to Yahweh.  It was His power that performed the miracles.  It was His power that parted the Red Sea.  It was His hand that wrote the Ten Commandments.  The Pillar of Fire, the manna, and the quail, all were of God.  Apis, however,  was powerless.  Yet when Moses spends time with God on a mountain, the Israelites “resurrect” Apis.  In our self-righteousness, we ask, how?  In our self-centeredness, we do the same thing.  Like the foolish child we take what belongs to God and give it to Apis.  Not an ox to feed our family.  Not an ox to pull a plow.  The image of an ox that eats grass.  What a foolish exchange.  We might be further ahead with a stick of gum or a frog.

Costly Ignorance

Yesterday we looked at the relationship between the glory of God and His works.  In His works, God manifests His character.  Today’s text shows us the danger of forgetting God’s works.  Forgetting His works can lead to forgetting Him.  Forgetting God results in a foolish exchange.  Ignorance may be an excuse for a child, but not for us.  We have the Living Word.  We have the indwelling Spirit.  We have access to the Throne.  We have a testimony.  We have no excuse to “forget” the works of God.  We have no justification to “forget” God.  I believe the best way to avoid making a bad exchange like the Israelites did is to practice what the Psalmist asks rhetorically in verse 2, “Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all His praise?”  A child of God can.  A child of God must.

Wise Investments

Nothing is more “valuable” than the glory of God.  God is jealous for His name and we should be too.  We need to spend time in the Word getting to know God more intimately.  We need to spend time in prayer and being still before God.  We need to be sensitive to the moving of the Spirit and not quench Him.  We need to fellowship with other Believers and sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron.  We need to be more eternally focused and not allow the world to draw us back to Apis.  We need to utter the mighty works of God, beginning with the cross.  We need to declare His praise.

Some day we will be gathered in Heaven.  The streets will be pure gold.  The foundations will be precious jewels.  We will be surrounded by a wall of jasper.  As valuable as these things may be, they will seem worthless compared to the glory of God, whose presence will outshine them all.  If the building materials of heaven cannot compare to the glory of God, certainly nothing on earth can.  If there is nothing of similar value, why are we so quick to exchange it?

Don’t be foolish.  Don’t steal from God.  Don’t exchange His glory for the image of an ox.  Instead of imitating the Israelites, may we have the passion of Moses.

“Please show me your glory.” – Exodus 33:18

The LORD’s Shining Face

Posted on by scott

“The LORD make His face to shine upon you.” – Numbers 6:25

Morning Sun

One of my favorite things to do is an early morning run.  I enjoy being on the road as the sun is waking up.  I like to see the sun breaking the horizon in all of her splendor as the veil of night is withdrawn.  I like to feel her first rays kissing my cheeks.  Her radiance not only warms my face, it also warms my soul.  I don’t want to read about or hear about a sunrise, I want to experience it.  I want to be engulfed in her glory.  So it was with Moses and God.  Moses wanted more of God.  He wanted to more fully experience God.  He made the bold request, “Please show me your glory'” (Exodus 33:18).

God’s Glory

God is holy.  God is light.  The sun in all her splendor can not compare to Him.  Moses could not see God in all of His glory and live, so God “veiled” His glory and gave Moses a glimpse.  Moses was placed on a rock, and as God passed by Moses could look at His back, but not His face lest he die.  When Moses met with God on Mount Sinai, God was enshrouded with a thick cloud.  Yet, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai his face was shining.   Moses had been in the presence of God (though limited) and God’s glory was now reflected on the face of Moses.  Even this reflection of the glory of God was awe inspiring.  The Israelites were afraid.  They were intimidated.  Now it was Moses who had to veil his face because even a reflection of God’s glory is so intense.   Man would have a better chance surviving on the surface of the sun than standing in the unveiled presence of our Holy God.  Yet God wants to make His face shine upon us.

In Psalm 67 verse one the Psalmist prays, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us.”  In Psalm 4 verses six and seven, David prays, “There are many who say, ‘Who will show us some good?  Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!’  You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”  God, show us your glory in a special way.  God, show us your approval.  God, bless us with your smile.  May your glory kiss our cheeks.  May your smile touch our souls.  We don’t just want to read or hear about you.  We want to experience you.  “The LORD make His face to shine upon you.”  There is no greater honor.

My Beloved Son

“Please show me your glory.”  Some fifteen hundred years after Moses’ request to see the glory of God, it was granted.  Jesus took Peter, James, and John high up on a mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them.  “His face shone like the sun”.  Moses, along with Elijah, were there to see and speak with Jesus in all of His glory.  Once again, God spoke out of a cloud, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”  In Jesus, God makes His face to shine upon us.  He shows us His glory. He shows us His approval.  He smiles upon us.  In Jesus, we experience God in all of His fullness.

When God shines His face upon us He shows us His mercy.  He fulfills an inner longing.  He meets a deep need.  We are relational beings.  We crave attention.  We need affection.  To be loved is a fundamental necessity.  Watch a couple with a newborn baby. They tenderly embrace it.  They affectionately nurture it.  When they look at the offspring God has blessed them with their eyes twinkle and their faces shine.  The smiles on their faces look permanent.  But they are not.  Time will turn them upside down.  Trials will bring frowns.  Disobedience will bring discipline.  Disillusionment will bring discouragement.  But behind the visage of the parents, the child still anticipates and craves the shining.  The twinkle in the eyes.  The approval of a smile.  So much is expressed in the face of a person.  Words are not needed to convey mood, emotions or sometimes even thoughts.  We want to know that they still love us despite our inadequacies and the fact that perhaps the infant they held didn’t meet their expectations.

Adopted & Loved

Israel was that adopted baby.  The apple of God’s eyes.  God lavished His love on them.  He showed them His mercy.  And so it is with His church.  God has adopted us into His family.  He lavishes His love on us.  He has shown us His mercy.  Despite our weaknesses, He makes His face shine upon us.  Every day the Sun of Righteousness kisses our cheeks.  His radiance warms our faces and touches our souls.  We don’t even need to tie on our running shoes to enjoy the experience.  In Christ, God will make His face shine upon us wherever we are at all times.  If we think the faces of parents shine in the presence of a newborn, how much more so the Bridegroom upon seeing His Bride on their wedding day.

“In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man runs its course with joy.  Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” – Psalm 19:4b-6

Christ has made His circuit from Heaven to earth and back to Heaven again.  Through the man of sorrows who was acquainted with grief, God made His face shine upon us.  When we needed a Savior, God did not turn His back on us.  With His back to the cross He let us see His glory.  With blood on His brow and a tear in His eye, God smiled upon us.  There is no greater honor.

“The Lord make His face to shine upon you.”