When God Speaks, He Glorifies Himself It is important for us to understand a very basic premise as we set out on this journey of studies. God`s main purpose in everything he does is to show who he is and what he can do. We have such a great mysterious view of God, and that is partially true in some cases, but there is so much we know about him through what he has done since the creation of the world. There is no mystery of his purpose to save man (any more, Eph. 3). His full willingness to transform us is laid out in His Word. The beauty that He is is seen in the creation of the sunrise, mountains, forests, jungles, deserts, tundra. Intelligence beyond compare in the plant life, animal life, human life, self-sustaining biomes of the world, eco-systems, circulatory, nervous, respiratory, reproductive systems. Immense power in the oceans, skies, land, rains, floods, winds, and fires. We have no excuse to say, I have no idea who God is! just the same as those Paul writes about in the first chapter of Romans verses 18-25. If we make any claim to know nothing of God (and I mean even taking into consideration the love he has for us) we are as foolish and ignorant as those wretched people Paul describes as having a debased, unnatural mindset. God intended for us to know who he is. He never disguised himself intentionally, only that we may not be so overwhelmed by his presence that it is fatal to us. Some may say why hasn`t he shown himself to us? That is a complete misunderstanding of what God has done for us. He came in the person of Christ to show us his love, understanding, peace, patience, compassion, anger, judgment, sorrow, hate of sin, tenderness, meekness, strength, sacrifice, power, humility, deity, devotion, and anything else I just missed. Besides that, as I said above, his creation screams his name! When God was creating the world after every portion of his creation He looked upon it and said that it was good. God didn`t just creation something that was okay, he wanted to make sure what he created for us to see and enjoy and live in was GOOD! Then when it came to our creation we know that God said, Let us make man in our image. In no way did God slack on putting a piece of himself into us. He wanted us to know he exists so he gave us his image. God has given ample signs from the beginning for us to know he is here. Humankind has always worshipped something, whether deities, spirits, or his own ego there has always been an understanding of worshipping something. God wanted to make sure we knew to look for him. Some may accuse God of not being there or being unfair in his not revealing himself to us. But I can give you several answers to this issue. As stated above, God`s presence is so intense that seeing God face to face can be lethal to our mortal, human flesh. Moses was God`s leader and spokesperson to the Israelites. When Moses would go into the tent of meeting to speak to the presence of God he had to wear a veil over his face after leaving due to the fact that his face radiated the glory of God, which frightened the people. When Moses asks God if he may see God`s full glory God replies, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live. But to fulfill Moses request in his time of need God devised a plan. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen (Exo 33:20-23). Another example of the power of God would be many of the prophets. When Isaiah was given his call he is shown the throne room of God and all he can see is the hem of God`s robe. His response to this sight? Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts! (Isa. 6:5). In case you didn`t know the term woe is not good. It is described as a sense of misery, sorrow, despair, and distress. This from seeing the end of God`s robe. In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel receives a vision prophesying the Medo-Persian and Grecian Empires. When the vision and interpretation are complete Daniel closes his recording with this statement (keep in mind that he never actually saw God, only God`s message and messenger (the angel Gabriel)), And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the kings business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it (Dan 8:27). There were other times when consciousness almost fled from him during his visions. And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up (Dan 8:18). Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees (Dan 10:9-10). John spends much of the Revelation weeping, terrified, or so overwhelmed he must be reminded to write what he is seeing. To say that it is not fair that God does not reveal himself would not be true. It is for our own good that he does not speak to us in the fullness of his presence. To understand the full statement I am making about God glorifying himself we need to understand glorify. It basically means to shine the light on. To give the most importance and notice. Therefore, when I say that when God speaks he glorifies himself, I mean he is bringing more attention to himself, he is making it known that he is the ruler of all. So what does God say when he glorifies himself? As we already talked about he made a creation that glorifies himself. That came from him speaking. He made a people from his speech that praise and worship him. Still, there is something else that happened at the beginning, though, that has led to his glorification. John 1:1ff, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 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. Hebrews 1:1-4, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. When Jesus came, he not only showed us the personality of God, but he was showing us the glory, importance, omniscience of God. He brought with him the radiance of God, the right for people to become a part of a divine family who respects and upholds our Father. Jesus simply coming to this earth, was God speaking out his Word among us. In John 12 as the time was approaching for the Passover supper and the time for Jesus to be crucified he made a statement about his purpose. And Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified...Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, An angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not mine(John 12:23-30). Jesus knew his purpose is to glorify God. He was ready to complete what he had set out to do. He asked God to complete it himself. And so that the people in the crowd may know who is in charge God said I have completed it, I have glorified myself (in you) and I am about to do it again. Then when Jesus was hung on the cross and cried out it is finished, surrounded by the tearing of the temple veil, the resurrection of the faithful, and the terror of the people, he glorified God again. When he rose from the ground three days later, conquering death and sin he once again glorified God showing the world what God can do when he SPEAKS. But it doesn`t stop there. Philippians 2 gives us a short retelling of the story of the power of the breath of God in Jesus, then gives us another purpose. 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 God the Father (vv. 9-11). God sent Jesus, his word, that he himself may be glorified, in Jesus` life, in his death, in his resurrection, and in his triumph over all. When God spoke, a creation was formed that unveils his nature. When God spoke, people were made who had a piece of God in them that longed to know him. When God spoke, he saved us from facing the terror of seeing him. When God spoke, his radiance came to walk on this earth. When God spoke a man died to show the truth of his love. When God spoke that man raised from the dead to show the truth of his great power. When God spoke, he proved to all creation who was in charge. When God spoke he said, HERE I AM!
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 21:38:03 +0000
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