Focus: The God Of Glory (Pt.1)

Text: Act.7:2

"The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham…"

One thing that marks God out as God is His glory. Glory is God manifesting Himself - letting His glory out. Glory is God shining out and through. It is God displaying His brilliance, brightness and splendor. Glory is opposed to mediocrity and shame. Glory is simply God being Himself. It is the Godness of God.

The Word says, "But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams…"(Isa.33:21). He is the glorious YHVH - the God who is God all by Himself, the self-existent and self-sufficient God. He needed no one to be God or to complete Him. There's nothing He ever wants to be that He's not already. The psalmist sings, "I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works" (Ps.145:5). It's like saying that His glory is glorious. In other words, His glory cannot be fully expressed in words. You can't see His glory and remain the same, because it's radically mind-shattering and life-altering. 

*His glorious Name

Moses says, "Fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD" (Dt.28:58). Whenever you encounter the glory of God, you would have no choice but to fear Him - be in awe of Him. David declares, "Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name" (1Chron.29:13). God is glorious, and His name too! Nehemiah says, "Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise" (Neh.9:5). You can't ever praise or bless Him enough. Bless Him from time to eternity and from earth to heaven, He is above all the blessings we try to heap on Him. No praises or blessings come anywhere near to what He is.

*His glorious Holiness

Moses sings, "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Ex.15:11). God is glorious in holiness. Right where Isaiah saw the glory of God, he heard the seraphim shouting, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa.6:3). You see it - His holiness and His glory are linked together.

*His glorious Power

Moses sings to the Lord, and says, "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy" (Ex.15:6). God's power is glorious when displayed, employed or demonstrated. Isaiah tells us, "That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?" (Isa.63:12). Arm speaks of power. God's arm is glorious, and He showed it by redeeming Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh and Egypt.

*His glorious Kingdom

The psalmist says, "To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom" (Ps.145:12). Look at that - the glorious majesty of His kingdom! His kingdom is glorious and majestic.

*His glorious Work

The psalmist announces that "His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever" (Ps.113:3). His work carries honor and glory. You can see God's glory in all He does. Glory marks His work out. His acts are mighty and mind-blowing. Luke tells us that "all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him…" (Lk.13:17). Christ still does glorious things.

*His glorious Voice

Isaiah prophesied that "the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard…" (Isa.30:30). The voice of the Lord is glorious. It thunders in space and shatters all obstacles. When He speaks, His glory manifests. He has glorious voice, glorious arm, glorious name, glorious holiness, glorious power, and glorious works.

In closing, let me tell you that as human beings, glory is not only something we obtain from God but also a position we attain to. It is not only something given by or received from God but also something earned or achieved. In Hebrew the words 'glory' and 'liver' stem from the same root. To have glory means to have liver. Where I came from, when we look at someone as lacking the capacity to do a thing or meet a challenge, we say to him, 'You don't have the liver to do that.' So glory speaks of capacity to get something accomplished, and glory is the accomplishment of a thing. 

Isaiah says, "As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to MAKE thyself a glorious name" (Isa.63:14). Even God made for Himself a glorious name by setting Israel free from a bondage that had lasted for 400 years. No one gets glory by doing nothing. 

Glory is greatness achieved and attained. We go from potential glory to accomplished glory, and from resident glory to resplendent glory.

Our God is stupendously glorious! Have you seen His glory yet? Let us, like Moses, pray, "Show me your glory." It is the glory we behold that we can hold, and it is the glory we see that we can show. Amen!!!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter