Glory (Exodus 33)

What is God's glory?

(In brackets, my comments)

Exodus 33:16-23

For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

(separate = sanctified. The church is known as 'the called-out' ones; in the world, but not of the world. Why? He goes with us. We are different from non-believers; there is a reservoir of strength and joy within us they know not of.)

So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

('found grace' - how awesome it is when Almighty God is gracious to us. But does He know us by name? Yes, yes and yes! We are inscribed on the palm of his hands)

And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

(THE question. What is God's glory?)

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

(God's glory is His goodness. To what extent? To me, when we sing of God's glory, I'm reminded of the hymn below.)

But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

(Jesus is The Rock. It is God who puts us in Christ. Go to biblegateway, do a phrase search of "in Christ" and "in whom" in the New Testament - awesome! The beautiful portion is, we experience God's goodness and glory because we are in Christ - in the Rock of all ages. We are nothing without Jesus.

And yet, if it is Almighty God who has put us in Christ because of the perfection of His work on the cross - how then can we, by our actions lose our salvation and be out of the Rock? To say so would mean that Jesus did not do a perfect work. For if Christ is not resurrected, we will be still in our sins.)


One of my favourite hymns...

Glory, glory
Glory to the Lamb!

Glory, glory
Glory to the Lamb!

For You are glorious!
and worthy to be praised!
You're the lamb upon the throne

and unto You
we lift our voice in praise!
You're the lamb upon the throne!


Why do we sing glory?

It's His goodness... I see the cross.

Why do we lift our voice in praise?

We can't help it... I see the cross, His goodness and His love for me!

Worthy, worthy to be praise! Hallelujah! Jesus, the lamb of God!