The Weight of Glory
Recommended Reading: Exodus 33 | Acts 14:8-18
Ever heard of the word kavod? It means glory in ancient Hebrew. This glory can refer to giving honor and praise to anyone — God, people, or idols. It also means weight or heavy.
We know sin is heavy, but how many times have you thought about the weight of glory?
God’s glory refers to His manifest presence — something seen and/or felt. We see it tangibly through the burning bush, the cloud by day, and on the Day of Pentecost where fire fell over their heads. In Exodus 24:17 it says,
“Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. -Exodus 24:17
God’s glory is also felt or sensed in other moments. The glory of God rested upon and filled the Tent of Meeting where Moses prayed, Habakkuk 2:14 speaks of “…an awareness of the glory of the Lord.”, and 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks of an inward change in those that follow Christ.
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18
All of this shapes our view of God’s character, power, beauty, and splendor. It’s all His glory, and we should all yearn to encounter His glory.
We are meant to dwell in it (Exodus 33:7-11), but not to make the mistake of thinking we can possess or wield it.
"I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols." -Isaiah 42:8
We may not give God glory in the sense of adding to His glorious presence, but we do give God glory as in offerings of praise, adoration, honor, and worship.
But what happens if we do try to steal, take credit for, or shift glory away from God, and onto ourselves? What happens if we decide to hoard the “glory”?
In Acts 12, Herod stole great glory that belonged to God and immediately died.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas were so worried about people giving them glory that belonged to God, they ran into the crowds ripping their clothes, crying, “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you."
They wanted no part of bearing the weight of glory.
Now, God probably won’t strike you dead like Herod, but you are on a slippery slope to spiritual decay the more you hold the glory.
There’s a couple reasons God doesn’t share His glory.
1. Glory belongs to Him; He alone is worthy. Plain and simple, God deserves all glory.
2. He knows that glory crushes us. We are not capable of carrying such immense weight. Remember how kavod/glory also means weight or heavy?
In Exodus 33, Moses asks to see God’s glory but it was too great to bear. God only allowed Moses to see Him from the back.
Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. -Exodus 33:18-22
So, what’s your attitude towards glory? Do you crave the praise of others? Do you like to think you are the reason things are successful? Do you give the credit and glory to God for all the things and achievements in your life?
Hearts that wish to be in the glory and splendor of God simply because they love His presence are hearts God loves. Hearts that wish to steal the credit of what God has done are hearts God despises (Acts 12:21-23)
Mankind chases glory, falls, fails, and breaks under its immense weight. Many leaders, influencers, and even pastors have moral failures. They gladly receive and welcome man’s praises, and it crushes them.
We love to possess glory because it pets that selfish, prideful beast in us all. We crave the adoration of man because we think it fills us up. It definitely feels good to be praised, but in reality, it weighs us down.
It’s a deeply buried thing that longs for the approval and recognition of others, wickedly thirsting for attention and praise. But the more glory we steal, the harder it is to manage without massive failure.
It's not that God doesn't want us to be held in high esteem by others or that we are not to be commended, but we should always give glory straight to God through thanking Him and praising Him for being the source of all good in our lives.
Hoarding glory elevates our flesh while crushing our spirit. Heaping glory on God crushes the flesh and elevates our spirits.
We can’t steward what only God can handle. When glory is given to us, we should immediately give it up to Him.
As you go about your day, ponder this: We weren't created to hoard glory, we were created to give it.
If we would function as we were created to, as worshipers, we would live free of the burden that stealing glory puts on us. We can’t handle the weight.
You don't want the glory; It's not worth it.