Preschool
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).
The Glory of the Lord
Memory Verses
Primary
For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).
Junior
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).
Background Scripture: Ezekiel 1, 10
Lesson Scripture: Ezekiel 1:1, 4, 26–28; Exodus 33:18–23; 34:6–8
Introduction
What is the glory of God? God’s glory is exemplified in the many attributes of his character and is displayed by his excellence of being. God is complete in Himself and has need of nothing, nor can He be deprived of anything. He is the Fount of all life and the Creator of all matter. Nothing is able to pass his notice, and nothing is too hard for Him. He has set all the boundaries beyond which none of creation can go. He alone is worthy of glory and praise.
Key Verse
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all (1 Chron. 29:11).
Lesson Scripture
Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
Studying the Lesson
Ezekiel was a priest of Israel who went into captivity in Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. While in this captivity, God chose him to be a prophet to the exiled Israelites. Other prophets had foretold this captivity as a consequence of their sin and backslidden condition, especially in the matter of idolatry. God got Ezekiel’s attention through dramatic visions as told in our lesson scripture. These visions of God’s glory and majesty and power were God’s way of preparing Ezekiel to present his message and were not for his personal gratification or entertainment. God loved his people and desired the best for them, and He wanted to speak to them.
Moses also was a prophet to Israel long before Ezekiel’s time. Moses oversaw the establishment of the children of Israel as a nation of God’s chosen people. He was given a very difficult task, for the people he was leading did not know God in a personal way. God taught Moses, and as his relationship with God deepened, God was very gracious to him and to the people. He showed Moses as much of his glory as Moses was able to bear and still live. This encounter affirmed Moses’s belief in God. When God showed his own glory in Moses’s face, the people also feared and believed.
Practical Truths for Today
Some people have made great contributions to humanity through inventions or discoveries that have brought about real progress for mankind. Others have performed deeds whose excellence has brought them great fame and fortune. Because of their achievements, they are accorded a place in history that others never acquire. Without these achievements, the circle of people affected by their lives would have remained comparatively small. We first become aware of these gifted persons as an individual through their achievements, and then secondly we are able to recognize how they excelled in a certain area of life. This is how men win glory for themselves; nevertheless, it demonstrates in a way how God receives glory to Himself.
The things God has made and done point to his existence. When God’s existence is recognized by faith, the recognition of his excellency—in all things—takes shape. God will constantly reveal some aspect of his glory to those who look for Him. He is the God of light. We see the natural world by the light of the sun which He has made, another evidence of his glory. We may take it for granted and seldom think of thanking and praising Him for it. The sun is too bright to be safely viewed by the naked eye and provides more than adequate light for all we do while it shines down upon us. The brightness of the sun is glorious, even if we don’t think of it. Science can give us a description of light, but its effects are not dependent on our knowledge or understanding of it.
We may glory in our own successes or in the success of some person, group, team, or philosophy. Fame and fortune appear to be glorious, but God gave us the senses by which we can experience his creation which is much more glorious. We may be moved by the beautiful colors of a sunset, a bird, a field of flowers, or many other scenes that appear before our eyes. Beautiful chords of music contain glory when our hearts and minds are given to seek God’s will. He reveals Himself to us through such things. In natural life, there are many things that may stir our emotions and inspire our hearts. By opening our hearts, some of these little experiences and feelings invite us to worship.
The unseen spirit world lies beyond the natural world and is not experienced solely by the natural senses but by the spirit in man. In the spiritual realm, God’s Spirit glorifies the existence of man like the light of the sun energizes the natural world.
God has created all things for his pleasure. Thus, all his creation is meant for his glory. Satan became envious of God’s power and glory and because of this was cast out of heaven. Mankind, yielding to satanic suggestion, has chosen to follow his path, denying God his glory and place as ruler of all. By choosing rather to create his own destiny in life and yielding to sin and its destructiveness, the fall of man was a great victory for Satan and appeared as an utter defeat for God. But God revealed his glory in the love that sent his Son Jesus to suffer so that sin and death could be defeated and mankind could be redeemed. This redemption is the most glorious achievement the world will ever know. As its work is accomplished in the heart and life of a Christian, it becomes visible in the natural world. It may be scorned by the skeptic or ridiculed by the unbeliever, but the seeking soul will recognize it.
The glory of God dwelling in the transformed heart of a Christian presents a powerful appeal to men’s souls. At the same time, God’s absolute power and authority present a lethal threat to the flesh and the will of man. This conflict can become so intense that physical, emotional, or mental health can be endangered. This conflict can be resolved only through repentance and surrender of the will to God the Father. When this takes place, the glory of God is truly experienced. His presence and glory are seen and felt in all aspects of life. The glory of eternal life is the deepest longing of every soul. May this be the experience of all.
Questions
- In Romans 1:25, we read about worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator. Discuss this verse in the light of today’s lesson.
- What keeps us from seeing God’s glory?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).