When the glory of God is mentioned, one naturally thinks of such a display as is presented to us in the mount of transfiguration, where "His face did shine as the sun," and "His raiment was white and glistering"; or of that at Paul's conversion when, "At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun;" or of the glories displayed in nature at sunrise or sunset when the gorgeous beauties of light are reflected in the heavens. Such displays have unquestionable value, but is there not a deeper and fuller apprehension of the glory of God to be laid hold of in Scripture?
If we read the 104th Psalm (and please read it) we must be impressed with the fulness of provision God, as Creator, has made for all His creatures. Is. 6:3 (margin) confirms this:-"Holy, holy, holy, Jehovah of hosts, His glory is the fulness of the whole earth!" He, as Creator, has "covered Himself with light as with a garment," "for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." This "fulness of the whole earth" is the Light, the manifestation of the true God, the One who meets all need. The worldly-wise, "like the beasts that perish," see only this earth and its products, refusing Him who says, "He spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it" (Is. 42:5). The light of creation being refused by such, it is little to be wondered at that the Light veiled in flesh, "covered as with a garment," should also be refused. "But if our gospel be veiled, it is veiled to them that are lost"-"nevertheless where it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away" (2 Cor. 3:16-18; 4:3-6).
Then what does such an one behold?
He beholds "the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." This only begotten and well-beloved Son of God was given that "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish"; this is the measure of the value God sets upon our living souls, and witnessed to, concerning those that receive Him, in the words of that Son, "Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me."
Ponder such love from the Almighty God toward those who but accept the gift of that love! And it is all told in the face of Jesus Christ! The face is the index of all within. This is the One who heals the sick; who makes the lame to walk, the blind to see and the deaf to hear; who gives power to a withered arm, who raises the dead and restores to a fellowship and communion which sin and death had destroyed. This is the One who says, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father"- God, who is Love. Then yielding Himself unto the hour and power of darkness, "that through death He should destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil," He suffers the perfection of ignominy and humiliation at man's hand and the wrath of a holy, righteous God against sin, that sinners might be delivered from that wrath and be brought into God's family as SONS- sons who know the heart of God, sons who are made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ-Christ, in whom "all the fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell."
What wealth, what riches for the heart, made known to us by the Spirit of God! The triune God ministering to sinners that but own their moral poverty and need! What provision for eternal life! All that God is and all that God has-the universe-for such as but accept the gift of His love! Giving! Giving!! Giving!!! Out of His all-sufficiency! "Not as the world giveth, give I unto you"-the world reserves, God gives without reserve. Such is the Glory of God as told out in the unveiled face of Jesus Christ. J. E. H. Stimson