Every time you walk into your work place, office, school,
college or village, there is a certain group of people who are just staring at
you, waiting for you to pass. Every time that happens you get more and more
hesitant to pass that particular spot. Till the discomfort is so big, you do
not even want to pass or enter that place any longer.
You are now somewhat relieved that you decided to avoid it.
But should you have decided so? Or is there another option worth trying? Desire
His Glory shining from your face like in times past!
Where and when did that glory start and can we still possess
that or only certain people? Will that help us now to face uncomfortable
situations?
Let’s look at the beautiful book, “the Bible”
Remember what I wrote a few weeks back on the “one Word 365”
Since I started to focus more on my word ‘Glory’, it started
to pop up in different places. In my own word studies where I had not noticed
it before, people would say it, pray it, or I would just spot that word
somewhere not related to my studies.
Is that Word important to God? Yes! It appears 402 times in
the Bible. In the OT 225 times. In the NT 177 times. Jesus Himself mentions it
36 times.
The word Glory can be mentioned in relation to men an as
well as to God. There are different words in Hebrew for Glory and therefore
different meanings. The meaning in the Old Testamentmost often Kabod) was glory, honour,
abundance, riches, splendour, dignity reputation reverence. In the New
Testament the Word Doxa is frequently used which means: a good opinion
concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory. In regards to the moon,
sun and stars: splendour, brightness magnificence. In what belongs to God:
excellence, pre-eminence, dignity, grace majesty: the kingly majesty which
belongs to him as supreme ruler. In regards to Christ: majesty in the sense of
the absolute perfection of the deity. A thing belonging to Christ the kingly
majesty of the Messiah, the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of
Christ; the majesty, a most glorious condition, most exalted stateand - of that condition with God the Father
in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth.
In relation to us now: the glorious condition of blessedness into which is
appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour’s
return from heaven but also something that can be seen on our face.
To put it in relatable terms: The Glory of God manifested to
us, is His presence in a tangible form.
When was this Glory of God first seen and was it seen? It
became visible on the earth when Moses had courageously led about 500,000
enslaved Hebrew out of Egypt through the red sea (on dry ground) when they
passed it - with two walls of water on each side; the walls of water collapsed
as soon as they reached the other side and the Egyptians started to come after
them on their chariots and horses. The Israelites made it to the other side
with a straight pillar of cloud protecting them on their back which was God’s
tangible presence. This strange cloud became a pillar of fire at night to
protect them and guided them and lasted for 40 years in their desert time.The Egyptians all drowned in the middle of
that dry path when those walls of water came crashing down on them except for
their ruler, the Pharaoh at that time.
Once in the desert, Moses was called on a mountain to meet
God face to face to get the blueprint of how to lead the Hebrew Children and
when He came down; his face was covered with God’s glory to where he had to
wear a veil to cover that bright shine on His face. (Exodus 34:29) God
commanded Moses and the people to build a temple and ark where in a special
protected place the Glory would be manifested on a distinct designed ark (theHaltar).
Next we see it on Jesus face after His water and Holy Spirit
baptism (John 1:14) which happened at the same time. Before that He was just
seen as the carpenter’s son, the son of Mary and Joseph, growing up in Nazareth
with his brothers and sisters. Just an ordinary Hebrew. Although stories of how
he was born and Joseph possibly not being the “real father” were doing around.
I am sure He stood out as a boy growing up but no one really understood what
made Him unusual and superior. Then when Jesus was a grown man, God manifested
Himself as did the Holy Spirit when John Baptized Jesus in the Jordan river
along with many repentant Hebrews that day. (And so the Living Expression (the
Word) became a man and lived among us! And we gazed upon the splendour of his
glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with
tender mercy and truth! (John 1:14)
John singled Jesus out and said: Jesus should be one
baptizing him (John) and that he was not even worthy to tie Jesus sandals. As
He left him, John said: There He goes, the Lamb of God.
The next time we see it manifested on the faces of the
disciples after Pentecost after a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. People
thought they were drunk. But it was God’s Glory that shone from their faces and
spoke through them.
Then we see it on a faithful bold disciple, doing signs and
wonders, when the Pharisees (priests of that day) stoned him to death because
they could not stand his bold witness. His name was Stephen. He was on his
knees praying and telling the Father to forgive them. His face shone with God’s
glory. Every member of the supreme council focused his gaze on Stephen, for
right in front of their eyes, while being falsely accused, his face glowed as
though he had the face of an angel! (Acts 6:15)
Throughout the ages up till this time there have been
different accounts of the glory being seen on people. And today it is a promise
that it will be seen on our faces too.
Will you be one of them? Will His glory be seen on your
face? If so those who searching for God, will be running to you for answers,
healing, deliverance. Those who seem to be your enemy will shrink back as they
will not be able to stand that shine and glory on your face. And you boldly
walk up to the ones you previously passed.
It is possible.
Next week I will let you know how you too can have that
glory on your face!
