The World and Idols: The Weight of Glory

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2Co 4:17-18  

The Shadows of Glory

God made man in his image and glory. Indeed everything God created reflects his glory. ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork’ (Ps 19:1). His glory is visible in the mane of a lion and in the petal of a flower.

A child is born not only with an appetite for food but also for glory. A child is an attention seeker. He struts like a king while she sways like a queen. God put her or him here for a purpose, they declare boldly in silence or in tears. And who will dare stop him or her?

Our craving for glory is what sealed Eve’s fate (and ours) before we saw the last of Eden. But no sooner had we seen outside than we started to dream about how to reach heaven. We wanted a name, to be known, and to be famous here. Hadn’t Satan promised that we would be like gods? He is still promising that. 

In childhood we struggled to give this glory form, either in the toys we created, or from the dreams we dreamt at night.

But suddenly we died. And some loudly wondered what was the whole purpose of life – if this was the end?

No less a mortal than Solomon the King (the man who lived in glory all his life than anyone else - 700 wives plus 300 concubines) was rattled endlessly by this question. In the end Solomon spoke not only for himself but for the whole humanity when he moaned: ‘Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit’ (Ecc 2:17).

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Rom 8:20 

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecc 3:11  

The Glory of the Wilderness and the Glory of the City

In the wilderness God was ever visible even though they lived in tents. His glory dropped on them like rain.

But then the Promised Land came. They settled down, planted vineyards, built houses, drank, and forgot God. Besides they embraced the customs and gods of the Canaan. In short they did everything God had warned them not to do. Is anyone listening?

By the Rivers of Babylon

So in anger God exiled them all to Babylon. And it was while there that they found their God again. They tried to sing, but their words dissolved in their mouths. How could they sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? (Ps 137).

Being exiled makes the desire for home great. ‘For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding’ (1Ch 29:15). 

Disobedience and Lust  

Essentially our coming short of the glory of God is due to our disobedience. We want a quick glory but we can’t have it because we love darkness than light. We are children of wrath and where wrath pervades there is a very fragile life (‘From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?’ ‘And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul’).

Man (human kind) develops best (rising early and breaking barriers) only under God’s leading. Once a man is imbued with that spiritual vigour there is usually no glory a man cannot attain to. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.’

Are you living in a shack in Kibera and you are despising the day of small things? Go to the church and repent. When you come back you will find God went ahead of you and has prepared for you a feast.

Are you in Karen and feeling empty? Go to a slum and lose yourself in their lives. You will find yourself then. Even more you will find your God there. Afterwards go home and you will find God waiting for you at the banqueting table.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Co 3:18  

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. Joh 6:50  

Idols, the Love of Money, and the Glory of Shame

It is no coincidence that wherever the love of money is there will also be many idols there (see ‘the young rich ruler’). For riches, when they come in plenty, they nearly always make God irrelevant. It was while in the Promised Land that Israel prospered. And the next thing is that their idols multiplied.

Pleasure is not evil per se (And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God giveth thee). It is only when pleasure becomes the sole purpose of life that it becomes idolatry.

And people slide easily into a Gomorrah and Sodom state when there is a glut of pleasure and idleness.

What is our state of the nation? Do we hate corruption? Do we elect only the upright and God fearing leaders? Do we give God his due in praise and tithes? Do we worship our sportsmen and political leaders?

In conclusion king Solomon had these sober words for all of us: ‘Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil’ (Ecc 12:13-14).

And Augustine confessed: ‘Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.’    

The perfect glory is not here yet. What we see through a glass darkly is nothing but a shadow. But the real glory is coming soon. Will you be in it?

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. 1Pe 4:3 

Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god. Psa 16:4a 

Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Jer 2:11 

As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. Hos 4:7  

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. Rom 1:23-25