God's Golden Glory

Biblical words sometimes have religious sounds that sometimes lose their meaning because there is no frame of reference to attach to them which is why I am loving so much the Hebrew perspective that gives revelation and a deeper understanding of these words. It is God's original intent that we would comprehend Him to the fullest. Which makes the visual presentation through ancient Hebrew pictograph so precious. Glory is a familiar Bible word. We read about it in the Bible. We sing about it in songs and hymns. But what does it really mean? I must admit my own interpretation of the word bordered on some very "light" ideas. I sometimes think of the little Halo's in famous religious paintings or simply the glitz and glamor of something. According to Gensenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament by H.W.F. Gesenius. the Hebrew word Kavod translated glory in English means heavy or weighty. Rich and abundant. I saw a series on You Tube recently. In it, they were explaining Hebrew words and thought, and how they are all understood through nature, agriculture, and body function. Things God knew we could see and understand. They shared how the same word used for glory is the same word for liver. One might ask what does a liver have to do with glory? He explains that the liver is the heaviest internal organ of the body and upon further research of my own it is also the largest organ in the body and of intrinsic value to all other body functions. ..."Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;" Psalm 29:1 ..."But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

"The word "ponder" means to weigh. Make ready the balances of judgement. Oh, but where are the scales that can weigh the Lord Christ?" ~ C.H Spurgeon "Weigh the riches of Christ in scales, and his treasure in balances" ~ C.H. Spurgeon

To glorify God would mean that we give Him weight and substance in our estimations of Him. We see Him as the largest and most important, knowing that He is vital and significantly relevant to our existence and functions in this life and the one to come. We give Him our attention as we would something that is extremely valuable. When we live as if He matters greatly to us! How much weight are we giving Him in our lives. How much weight does His Word carry in our thoughts and behavior. How much weight is given to prayer which amounts to our faith in His willingness to hear us and help us. Vines expository dictionary even used the word rich to describe glory. When we think of God do we see Him as being extremely wealthy and weighted down with the wealth of everything we need (not only speaking of material goods). I also was thinking about Bible symbols and how gold in scripture is symbolic of tried and tested faith in the goodness of God and can be a symbol of glory. It is an expression and display of evidence of His weightiness to us. One of golds' most important characteristics is it's density and weight hence the phrase "worth it's weight in gold" I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed,that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also

overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ~ Revelation 3:15-21 The things they esteemed and that weighed the most to them, in the verse above, was their wealth and self-sufficiency and they had no idea that these materials had no weight nor value in His Kingdom. He counsels them to purchase something more substantial, valuable, worthy, and weighty - Gold refined in the fire - How does one purchase gold refined in fire in spiritual terms?

"Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that hath no money; come you, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfies not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isaiah 55:1-3 One person shared their revelation from God with me. It was that we buy gold refined in the fire with our ears. "If anyone hears my voice", "Listen to me", "Incline your Ear", "Hear." So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 In the Garden of Eden. Eve purchased a lie with her ears as she inclined them to the crafty serpent. A transaction was made. She traded her faith by lending her hear and received what she paid for in her heart. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him. Luke 8:18 In other words use it or lose it. Do not deceive yourself by being a hearer of the word only (James 1). Faith is substantiated and evidenced in how we live. It will declare what weight we ascribed to the words He has spoken to us. Gold and faith are both refined and purified by fire.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. I Peter 1:16 When our faith is in the greatness and weightiness of God, when what He says really matters to us in spite of circumstance and trial, when life wants to see what we are really made of and our faith is in Him we will come forth as pure gold. Then our lives will be one of substance and value. People have lived and died for gold. Faith in Him and eternal life with Him is worth more precious than gold. ..."When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10

Source: Wikipedia When a miner is searching for gold he scoops up what he can in a river and swishes the contents around in a pan letting the lighter material fall back into the river while the heavier material (gold) settles to the bottom until it is all that remains there are times when the Lord sifts us as such. He is looking for gold in us. When He comes back after all the sifting, shaking and swishing of this life; will He find faith in us? (Luke 18:8) "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Hebrews 12:25

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christs sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified." I Peter 4:12 Another characteristic of gold is that even though it is one of the heaviest metals it is also the most pliable and versatile metal. It is so soft it can be scratched with a finger nail. You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD." Exodus 28:36 As our faith comes forth as pure gold through test and trial He will inscribe on our lives His holiness. And may we be as pliable and malleable as gold in our faith as we trust him in and with everything. ..."Today, if you will hear His voice 'Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness," Psalm 95:7. Gold is virtually indestructible it has an amazing chemical resistance and is not affected by acids or alkalis. It does not rust like Iron when exposed to water or oxygen. When faith in the Father's love through Jesus our messiah is established through test and trial there is nothing that can destroy it. Nothing can get to it. Faith is an eternal element and not subject to the conditions of the finite world. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19 The Hebrew word picture for Glory is interesting as well. Kavod (glory) begins with the Hebrew letter caph and is a picture of an open hand or a wing. It can symbolize something that covers. This tells us that God's glory is something that welcomes us and covers us. The next letter is a bet and is a picture of house and represents being on the inside. This tells us that glory is experienced on the inside. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:34

The next letter is a vav is a picture of a nail and is symbolic to connecting things. Jesus was nailed to a cross connecting man of the earth with God in heaven. Glory is a result of being connected with the God of heaven. And last but not least is a dalet and is a picture of a door and can indicate a way or a path to something. We know that Jesus is the door and thereby Jesus is the final expression and the only way to experience this glory. Jesus the door John 10:7 invites us into Him and invites Himself to come into us. Revelations 3 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in." Psalm 24:7 The Shekinah glory of God is like a thick cloud. Glory is the weightiness and heaviness of God. He is intrinsically valuable and essential to all functions of a meaningful life. His glory in us is manifested through our faith in Him and substantiated through testing and trial, and gives our lives the substance and value we all crave and look for.