Bible Study Worksheet on the Glory of God
Table of Contents
Worksheet on the Glory of God
Understanding the Glory of God is critical for the Christian life, as it is one of the primary themes revealed throughout all of scripture. The Glory (or Glories) of God is something by which all things hinge and that our creator points to, or for, His creation.
Why do we seek the Glory of God?
Read 2 Corin 3.15-18
Q1. When someone repents (turns) what is removed from their hearts?
A1. v.15 – The Veil
Q2. When the veil is removed what are believers able to contemplate the Lord?
A2. v.18 – the glory of the Lord
Q3. What happens when a believer begins to contemplate the glory of the Lord?
A3. v.18 – we are being changed or transformed into His image, with increasing Glory
What IS Glory?
What is the Glory of God or what is the meaning of the word glory? The Hebrew word is Kabod; meaning weight, splendor, honor. In Greek the word is Doxa; menaing honor, magnify, dignity.
Read Isaiah 6 1.-4
Q4. What do the angels cry out to one another? And what is the whole Earth filled with?
A4. v.3 – Holy Holy Holy ; The Earth is filled with His glory
We find the angels are focused on the holiness of God, the word for holy is kadosh meaning set apart. God also sets us apart, and makes us holy for himself (Deut 14.2). Meaning that God is so set apart, so different then all creation. He is the I Am, the self existing one.
Why do they say God is so Holy that the Earth is filled with His glory? because it is the glory of the Lord that created being experience to understand how Holy God is. The word for glory, kabod, speaks of weight or value, God’s glory is infinitely valuable, infinitely great!
Q5. – Read Matt 19.26, Heb 1.3, Pr 15.3, Ps 147.5, Isa 45.7, 1 Kings 8.27. What are some attributes of God alone?
A5. – God is All powerful, all knowing, all seeing, sovereign and eternal
How do we Seek the Glory of God
Read Exodus 33.11-15
Q6. How did God speak to Moses?
A6. v. 11 – face to face as a man speaks to his friend.
Would you like God to speak to you in this manner?
Q7. What was Moses request to God if he found favor in His sight, that God would do for him?
A7. v. 13 – teach me your ways, that I may know you and continue to find favor with you.
Q8. What was Moses request concerning who would be with him?
A8. v. 15 – Moses said if it is not You who goes with us, do not even send us at all.
Moses did not even want to go on unless God was with him, this was how much Moses loved the Lord and desired Him alone.
Read Exodus 33. 16-19
Q9. If you where literally standing before the God of the universe and asked for anything you desired, to carry on with your most prized possession or desire (family, material objects, the help on an angel in your life, etc.) what would you choose? Moses desired the presence of God and the Glory of God.
Attributes of God – Who is God?
God reveals who He is throughout His word (2 Tim 3.16), our conscience (Rom 2.14), his nature and attributes are revealed in nature (Rom 1.20), but most importantly God has revealed Himself in His Son (Heb 1.2)!
Read Psalms 24.8 and 1 Corin 2.8 – Who is the Lord of Glory?
Read Isaiah 57.15 – Who inhabits eternity?
Read 1 Kings 8.27, Pr 15.3 – What can contain God? Who is omnipresent? Where are the eyes of the Lord?
Read Isaiah 41.21-24 – Who is omniscient? Who can prophesy and tell of things past present and future?
Read Ps 115.3, Isa 45.7, Heb 1.3 – Who is omnipotent, absolute sovereign over all creation, and hold everything in existence together with His word and power?
Read Psalms 36.5-9 – Describe the attributes in these verses.
Read Isaiah 41.21-24 – who can prophesy and tell of things past present and future?
Read Ex 3.14, Jn 8.58 – Who is the I Am? the self existing one?
When you understand what it is to be God, you an understand that all attempts to be God fail, because no created being could ever compare to the infinite, all sustaining. The beliefs in polytheism or infinite regressions of gods are a complete misunderstand of what God even is. God is the creator which means all existence springs forth from Him alone. He alone is able to perpetuate His own existence and has no beginning which is hard for created things which had beginning to understand. We exist in a universe that requires cause and effect, however God exists outside of this law of creation, for even this law, or cause and effect, was created by Him.
The Greatest Treasure – The Most Glorious Being
This is a central question for every being in creation, even without realizing it. This is the central question to every act performed within the universe, for whose glory do you seek?
For whose glory does God seek? There is a concept in the heart of many believers, this concept or belief that God is very man centered. That I have no problem being God centered if God is going to be man centered. Or, that as long as God is thinking about my best interest, I have no problem doing what God requires of me. This is idolatrous thinking!
Why? because God primarily seeks His own glory and His glory is to be put first before all things. Anything else that does not hold this view is idolatrous, lets examine:
read Isaiah 42.8
Q. To whom does God give His glory?
A. To none other
Read 1 Corinthians 15.39-43
Q. Who gives glory to God’s creation?
A. God gives honor and glory to His creation, but it is not His glory.
Read Jeremiah 10.6, Exodus 20.3-6, Rev 4.11
Q. Who is worth of all honor, glory and praise in the universe?
A. God alone
No Other God – God puts His Glory First
Many people are ok with putting God first because they believe He puts them first. They believe as long as I give to God, He will give me what I’m looking for.
Read Psalms 37.4-5 – What will God give you if you delight yourself in Him?
Look back at Q.9 what did you answer? Will God give anyone anything they desire? Ps 37 says it is those who delight themselves in the Lord, not in the world or created things, but in the eternal God of all creation, then you will receive what you desire, and what could you desire that would be greater then Him!? Anything else is an idol.
If God put man first He would be an idolater, and in truth, and this would deprave all creation if the most glorious being was not put in proper position in the universe. The most glorious being should not put any created thing above or before His own glory, because He is the most beautiful, precious and glorious being in existence.
Q. Why is it wrong for a man to desire to be the center of any other beings thought or desires?
A. It would be idolatry, because God is to be the first before all others in the lives of all beings.
Read Genesis 15.1, Phil 1.21
Q. What is the greatest treasure and the thing to be desired above all else in the universe?
A. God
Q. The Apostle Paul viewed death as what?
A. gain, because then he got to be with Jesus!
To live is Christ and die is gain! If you have surrender everything to Jesus then there is nothing that can compare to gaining Him, for He is above everything else in your life. This is why it make sense that Jesus tells us that unless we hate family for His sake we are not worth of Him, the God who gave us all that we have (Luke 14.26).
Reverence for God
Reverence, honor, respect is the attitude someone has for something they desire, worship or count as being worthy. To give your affection, your love or attention to something because you desire it, is to admit that thing, whatever it is, is worthy of what you choose to give to it. In the old testament this is how people worshipped idols, moving God to jealously, was in their offering and sacrifices Deut 32.21.
Job knew that even secretly trusting in possessions or giving honor to the hosts of Heaven was to give a reverence to the creation that was supposed to be given to the Creator (Job 31.24-28).
What does God require more then sacrifice? Read Hosea 6.6
God Wants You to Take Joy in His Glory
Read Matt 5.16, Eph 2.10
Q. What is our purpose? What is our purpose in life, in works, in being a Christian? What is the purpose of ministry, or of a family or a business? What is the purpose of doing good works?
A. To glorify our Heavenly Father
This is the purpose by which we where created, the purpose of a man, is to do good works. What are good works? The works that glorify God, by following His ways and desire to please Him.
Now does this mean our lives are only a service of duty, just slaves to performance? Is this how God desires us to live? No, the Lord delights in a cheerful giver, not someone who gives out of compulsion (2 Corin 9.7). This is why God delights in obedience form the heart, not sacrifice (1 Sam 15.22).
Read Matt 11.28-30 – Is God’s work hard?
Read 1 John 5.3 – Are God’s commandments a burden?
Imagine a time you gave a gift to someone you love, for no other reason then the fact you wanted to show them how much you care. Did you expect anything in return, no, you gave because it was pleasing to your own heart to give to them.
God’s ways are simply the right way things are supposed to be done. Its the way that a man goes to experience the most productive and fruitful meaning of life.
Read John 10.10 – Why did Jesus come?
Read 1 John 5.14 – What kind of heart or prayers does God respond to?
Read Rom 12.1-2 – how do we please God, or do what He desires?
Is the abundant, or most satisfying life, what you desire or what God desires for you? When we give up our own selfish desires and become completely obedience to God seeking His glory in all things, we experience Gods best in our lives because we experience things the way they where originally created to be. When we give up or give over everything to God, He will work in us (Phil 2.13) to live in us (Rom 8.10) and you get to be a part of the greatest experience in the universe.
God Works All Things Together for my Good
This is where we see the connection between God’s glory and my existence, is to understand what God delights in. Going back to purpose, why He created us. He delights in His creation (Ps 104.31) that willfully chooses His ways and seek to bring pleasure to their Heavenly Father.
We find on verse like Rom 8.28 how that God works all things together for those that love Him, the direct connection and unification between God working and those that seek Him. God’s glory and those that seek God to be glorified. Again in Heb 11.6 – Without faith it is impossible to please God, for those that come to Him must believe that He is and a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.