In my Bible reading yesterday, I read about the glory of God filling the Tabernacle. I wondered what that would have been like to experience first hand. I tried to imagine what that meant, because I don’t think that I see and experience the glory of God in the same way today.
So I went and looked up the word: glory.
From Merriam Webster’s online dictionary:
Definition of glory
1a : praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent : RENOWN
b : worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving
giving glory to God
2a : something that secures praise or renown
the glory of a brilliant career
b : a distinguished quality or asset
The glory of the city is its Gothic cathedral.
3a : a state of great gratification or exaltation
When she's acting she's in her glory.
b : a height of prosperity or achievement
ancient Rome in its glory
4a(1) : great beauty and splendor : MAGNIFICENCE
… the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome.
— E. A. Poe
(2) : something marked by beauty or resplendence
a perfect glory of a day
b : the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven
broadly : ETERNITY
5 : a ring or spot of light: such as
a : AUREOLE
b : a halo appearing around the shadow of an object
I think the Israelites experienced God’s great beauty, splendor, and resplendence as well as his distinguishing qualities in such a way that led them to worshipful praise, honor and thanksgiving.
I am not sure even after thinking about it that I can really grasp what it would be like to experience the glory of God the way the Israelites did.
I think in today’s world, believers know that God is always with them, but we don’t always see it as clearly as described in Exodus. We don’t necessarily experience His glory in our daily lives as the Israelites did as they saw the cloud surrounding the Tabernacle during the day and the pillar of fire at night. How would it change our lives if we mediated on God’s glory, his incredible power, and sought His glory on a daily basis. Would it change how we treat the people around us? Would it change how we viewed the divisions, the hatred, the animosity that surrounds us in the difficult times we are experiencing? In the search for God’s glory and in the search for what God’s view would be, would it change our hearts, words, and actions?
As for me, I am hoping I can put thinking about God’s glory into my daily thoughts about God and my relationship with him.
