Word of Encouragement (10/10/2024)
Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. (1 Chron. 16:23-27)
Having affirmed that splendor and majesty are before God, David says, “...strength and joy are in his place.” In some manuscripts, strength is missing. But it is easy to see that strength goes together with splendor and majesty. What stands out is the juxtaposition of strength (as representing splendor and majesty) and joy.
This shows that God is not just a God of glory but also joy. The two do not necessarily belong to the same category, but we can see how they are closely related. A person who is devoid of joy cannot be said to be full of glory, can he? Because God is joy, there is joy in His place. Joy fills His being; joy exudes from Him and fills His presence with joy. Here, David is not merely talking about God being full of joy in Himself; he is also speaking of our access to that joy.
How is that possible? Being in the presence of splendor and majesty (and strength) does not necessarily produce joy. Imagine a poor person being invited to a party for the rich and famous. He might be dazzled by the display of luxury, but would he not feel painfully self-conscious and uncomfortable there? Think of witnessing the march of a Roman legion, displaying all its splendor and might. You would be full of pride and confidence if you were a Roman. But you would be terrified if you were an enemy. A sinner cannot have joy in the presence of divine splendor and majesty. Terror will shake him to his core. God’s presence will be unbearable to him.
How great will be the joy of those, who belong to God as His people! If the God of matchless splendor, majesty, and strength is for them, not against them, what greater joy can they find? What shall they fear if such a God should will everything for their good, not for their evil? He will turn whatever evil others mean against us to turn for our good. The more we see God’s splendor, majesty, and power, the greater will be our joy. We, who believe in Jesus Christ, no longer need to be terrified of God’s glory as children of wrath. Rather, we can rejoice in God’s glory because we are His beloved children! All this is because He removed our guilt and washed away our sin through His life, death, and resurrection as our Redeemer!
Does God have to show us a vision like Isaiah’s in Isa. 6? That would be nice, but it is not necessary. What we need is not new visions of God’s glory but deeper meditation on the Word of God, which speaks of His glory—the glory of His power as well as the glory of His grace in Jesus Christ. Would you take some time to meditate on God’s splendor, majesty, and strength? As you do so, may the Lord fill you with joy inexpressible!