Are you getting excited to exchange Bible study madness for a smooth efficient method? Good Bible study is like any other scientific quest in the search of truth. This doesn't mean boredom; golden nuggets are what we are after. It will mean work, but the joy of discovery will keep us energized and moving along. After all, we are dealing with DIVINE REVELATION! That in itself should get anybody's juices flowing.
This is a review of The Joy of Discovery with plenty of exercises along the way. Feel free to study along and improve your study skills. Be sure to leave any questions or comments in the comments section below to enrich our learning. To go to the start of this series click here.
As a Bible student, if you hope to become a discoverer, you need to develop an _________ and _________ procedure in your study. ↑
You will find that while one process leads into another, the procedure will be like a _________ in which you come back to previous processes. ↑
Click on the "The Joy of Discovery" tag below to see all the posts in this series. To go to the start of this series click here. To access some online study tools like Dictionaries, Concordances, and Commentaries try www.studylight.org
One of the wonders of this cursed earth is the history it contains. I wonder what it was like to have seen what Moses saw. God hiding him in a cave so He could pass by to show him His glory, to hear the explanation why He had to do it that way, and then to actually witness this happening! Well, if I understand this section correctly then that glory is around us today. How do you take the lid off it to let it shine? Read on to find out.
As seen at eternityvoice.files.wordpress.com
This is a review of John MacArthur’s book Keys To Spiritual Growth with comments and study questions along the way. Feel free to study along and answer the questions or ask your own in the comments section below to enrich our learning. To go to the start of this series click here.
Previously…
THE MASTER PURPOSE – THE GLORY OF GOD
God’s Intrinsic Glory
And now…
Magnifying God’s Glory Before Others
You might ask, “If God’s glory cannot be added to or increased in any way, why do we speak of ‘bringing glory to God’?” How can one give God glory, if God’s glory is absolute and intrinsic?
Actually, when we speak of glorifying God, we’re talking about magnifying God’s glory before the world. We can, of course, add nothing to the glory that is His very essence, but we can reflect and amplify God’s glory to others.
That was Paul’s point in Titus 2:10, where he wrote that Christians should seek to “…adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.”[1] That verse is not speaking of adding anything to God’s attributes. By living a holy life, we affect the testimony about God in the world. We don’t adorn God; we adorn the doctrine, or teaching, about God, by allowing people to see His glory reflected in the way we live.[2] Jesus told His disciples to live so that people can “…see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). So while we cannot add anything to God’s intrinsic glory, our lives can reflect His glory and magnify it in other people’s comprehension. That’s how we bring glory to God.
We can also give God glory through spoken testimony. In 1 Chronicles 16:24, David says, “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.”[3] When we declare the great things God has done in our lives, He is glorified.
We also give God glory when we praise Him. David said of God, “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11). After making that declaration, David summed up: “Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:13). David recognized that God possessed intrinsic glory and that He ought to be praised because of it.
The New Testament also speaks of praising God for His glory. Paul does so in 1 Timothy 1:17: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” At the end of his epistle, Paul praises God for being the One “who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen” (1 Timothy 6:16).
Jude echoes that same theme: “To the only God our Savior…be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 25). And in Revelation we find great hosts of people proclaiming God’s glory (5:13). The New Testament commands us to lead lives that glorify God. Paul prayed “…Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body… “(Philippians 1:20). He desired to exalt Christ in the eyes of the world. He exhorted the Corinthians to “…glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20). In other words, use your body in such a way as to give glory to God. Finally, Paul gave this all-inclusive command in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Everything we do, even something as mundane as eating and drinking, is to be done to glorify God.
God’s Glory Through the Ages
God’s plan for the ages involves successive manifestations of His glory.[4] History is the unfolding of God’s glory in the past. Prophecy foretells the future revelation of its fullness. And the church is the arena where God has chosen uniquely to display His glory in the present.
Creation.
The created universe silently witnesses to the glory of its Creator. The psalmist writes, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). Isaiah informs us “the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Even the animal world glorifies its Creator (Isaiah 43:20).
Did you ever wonder why God created the universe? Colossians 1:16 gives the answer: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him.” The universe was created to bring glory to God.
Everything in the universe, from the smallest subatomic particles to the biggest stars, gives Him glory, with two exceptions – fallen angels and fallen men.[5] Since the purpose of everything is to give God glory, that which doesn’t is cast from His presence. Hence, fallen angels and unredeemed men will spend eternity away from the presence of God. Although God takes no pleasure in such punishment (Ezekiel 33:11), it nevertheless brings Him glory by revealing His holiness.
The Garden of Eden.
In the Garden of Eden, God manifested His glory to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:8 tells us that they heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day. But this same verse also tells us that, in an effort to escape responsibility for their sin, they attempted to hide from the presence of the Lord. So it is evident that God came to them not only through a voice but in some visible manifestation of His glory, possibly a brilliant shining light (Exodus 13:2 1; Acts 9:3-6).
What a fantastic privilege Adam and Eve enjoyed, to see God’s glory manifested daily! How long they continued to enjoy that sight, no one knows. But the day came when they rebelled against God. Their sin rendered them unfit to be in the same place where His glory was. So God cast them out of the Garden. He punctuated their expulsion by stationing cherubim (angelic ‘ beings whose task is guarding the holiness of God) at the Garden entrance, to prevent them from returning to the Garden. A flaming sword turned every direction to cut off access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). The principle revealed in that account holds true today. Sinful, fallen men cannot stand in God’s presence.
Adam and Eve lived the rest of their lives with that sword blocking any hope they might have had of reentering the Garden. It cut them off from further face-to-face communion with God. The sword spoke of judgment – a judgment of death for sin. Someone had to pay that awful, eternal penalty so that the human race could once again have communion with God.
On whom did the judgment fall?
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice, and because of that, those who place their faith in Him can regain fellowship and communion with God.
Moses.
God next chose to manifest His glory to Moses. Moses was a very humble man (Numbers 12:3) with a modest view of his own capabilities. When God called Moses to be His prophet and to lead His people, Moses tried to get out of it, arguing that he was not an eloquent speaker (Exodus 4:10). The Lord replied, “Who has made man’s mouth? …Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (Exodus 4: 11, 12). But Moses still objected, until finally, the Lord assigned Aaron to be his spokesman. In spite of Moses’ hesitancy, God used him to reveal His glory to Israel (Exodus 33 and 34).
Moses assumed his role of leader of God’s people. Israel left Egypt and traveled to Mount Sinai under Moses’ leadership. God directed their path and miraculously preserved them from the Egyptian army, from the waters of the Red Sea, and from thirst and starvation. It was one of the most dramatic and remarkable displays of divine power the world has ever witnessed.
But while Moses was on Mount Sinai, receiving the Law from the hand of God, the people of Israel fell into gross sin (Exodus 32). Moses reminded the Lord that He had commissioned him to lead Israel to the promised land. Then he prayed, “…If I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee…” (Exodus 33:13).[6] Moses knew he couldn’t make it on his own. God assured Moses that His presence would go with him (Exodus 32:14).
But Moses still wasn’t satisfied and asked for a vision of God: “Show me Thy glory!” (Exodus 32:18). Would God do it? How Moses must have strained to hear the reply: “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you…” (Exodus 32:19).
The word “goodness” there refers to the essence of God’s glorious attributes, characterized by grace and mercy. The sum of God’s attributes is so glorious that it is fatal for humans to look at! To stare unprotected at the full manifestation of God’s glory would have meant instant death. God accordingly told Moses:
“You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live…. Behold there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take my hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” Exodus 33:20-23
Does God have a face, a hand? Of course not. God is a spirit without physical form (John 4:24). Yet He often uses words referring to the body to allow us to understand in some measure what He is like. So when God speaks of His face or hand, He is accommodating Himself to our terminology.
Once precautions had been taken to protect Moses, God made good on His promise:
The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin….” Exodus 34:5-7
Unlike many today who speak rather flippantly of their alleged encounters with God, Moses “made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship” (Exodus 34:8).
Questions & Notes
Magnifying God’s glory to others was Paul’s point in Titus 2:10, where he wrote that Christians should seek to “_________ the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.” ↑
We don’t _________ God; we _________ the doctrine, or teaching, about God, by allowing people to see His glory reflected in the way we live. ↑
In 1 Chronicles 16:24, David says, “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful _________ among all the peoples.” ↑
God’s plan for the ages involves _________ _________ of His glory. ↑
Everything in the universe, from the smallest subatomic particles to the biggest stars, gives Him glory, with two exceptions – _________ _________ and _________ _________. ↑
Moses said, “If I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know _________ _________ , that I may know Thee.” ↑
Click on the "Keys To Spiritual Growth" tag below to see all the posts in this series. To go to the start of this series click here. For a great way to move through the Bible in short devotionals add the Grace to You App to your phone and find them under the "Read" tab of the app.
