Glory

Glory is an overused word. People will say they are doing all kinds of things for “glory.” The result is that when most people hear the word these days, they think of everything from athletic fields to post cards, but likely don’t think of its most important meaning. It literally means “weight” in Hebrew (kabod) and has a connotation that is extraordinarily important to our understanding of the Gospel and our spiritual lives. 

When the Bible speaks of God’s glory, it is telling us that nothing in this life should carry more weight. His joy and presence in our lives should be more substantive and should matter more than anything else. Our search for glory is, in essence, our search for meaning and purpose. The greatest fear people have in life is not the fear of death or pain, but the fear that their lives won’t matter and is a result of the way God has created us. The result is that we search for those things that give our life meaning. If we try to find meaning in anything other than God, then we are seeking our own glory and not His. This is the essence of our sin, and the Bible teaches that it is the biggest struggle we have. 

Our Bible study this week, found in 1 and 2 Samuel, is a graphic example of man’s struggle with an understanding of the glory of God. In this story, the Ark of the Lord was a physical manifestation and representation of God’s glory. It was not a religious artifact as much as it was a transcendent embodiment of His presence. As such, it was both spectacular and unbelievably dangerous. The same can be said of our search for His glory. It is the most important pursuit in our lives, and its destructive power in us is impossible to comprehend.  

1 Samuel 5:1; 2 Samuel 6:1-15

After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the Ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the Ark. They set the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the Ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the Ark of God.

Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the Ark of the Lord ever come to me?” He was not willing to take the Ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the Ark of God.” So David went to bring up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the Ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

Summary of Text: David brings the Ark of the Lord back to Israel.

Memory Verse: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Monday:  Read the passage.  If the ark of the Lord represents the glory of God, what does this tell us about His glory? How is it powerful? How is it dangerous? Why do people long for God’s glory? 

Tuesday:  Read the passage. In what ways is the ark a problem? How is it true that God’s glory is both essential to us and dangerous for us? How do people try to find glory in the wrong ways today? How does our search for His glory often lead us to religious works? In what ways do religious works destroy us?

Wednesday:   Read the passage again. Memorize the memory verse. How does David get it right by his celebration of the coming of the ark? In what ways do we find life and purpose and joy by celebrating His glory?

Thursday:  Read and memorize the memory verse. In what ways do we behold the glory of God in what we find in Christ? How does Christ lead us to His glory? The ark of the Lord is an illustration to us of the chasm between God and man. In the temple there had to be a sacrifice in order to come into His presence. In what ways does this point us to the truth that only Christ’s sacrifice brings us to His glory?

Friday:  Read the passage again. How does the ark of the Lord point us to Jesus? How is His glory satisfied in Christ’s work?

Saturday:  Read the passage. Read Exodus 33:19-21. How does this passage relate to the one we’ve studied this week?     

Sunday:  Make today a day of rest and worship. Pray for the right attitude and an open heart and mind today.  Come to church.