If you have your Bibles turn with me to the book of Ezekiel and I want to pick up where we left off on Sunday. We left off on verse 18 on Sunday. We were talking about the four cherubim that were surrounding the throne of God and give a description of them and some of the things that were involved with them.
I just wanted to to emphasize a couple things that I didn’t clarify on the last message. That is it says in the scripture that these four cherubim had four faces and they were a lion, an ox, an eagle and a man. I just want to clarify that if you look at what those symbolize, the lion symbolizes majesty, the ox power, and the eagle swiftness, and man God’s wisdom. That he created man in his image and oftentimes what happens is people become enamored with the characteristics instead of becoming enamored with God.
These cherubim, their job was to point to the throne of God. We saw there was the wheels. That these cherubim were on and they were all in the four corners of this platform or throne. That God was going to come down to sit upon this. As you look at this and you see that the focus they were pointing to the glory of God. Oftentimes we want to focus on the characteristics of God at the expense of his glory and don’t look to him but we want to possess things of his character. Without really walking with him, knowing him or giving him the glory.
This evening I want us to look at the next few verses through and then I want to look at the glory of God this evening. So let’s begin at verse 19.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. hen those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Ezekiel 1:19-21
It’s as if this is almost a chariot like arrangement that God has got under this platform where his throne is coming to rest and now we’re going to get a little picture of God’s throne and His glory.
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. Ezekiel 1:22-25
We hear these creatures as they’re moving and you go back to the book of Revelation. It talks about when the Lord speaks there’s a noise of rushing waters and the noise. This great noise about the throne of God and then all of a sudden these creatures there’s dropped their wings and their silence and then we see what and why. It says:
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. Ezekiel 1:26-28
Let’s just bow in prayer. Father I pray that you just help us to understand your glory and help us understand that it’s almost impossible to comprehend and even envision the description that Ezekiel is giving as he (6:16) sees your throne and you seated upon it and the glory that goes forth from you. Lord as we look at this this evening Lord I pray that you just help us to understand the significance of your glory and the importance of understanding to worship and praise you because you are the Lord and worthy of our praise. Speak to us tonight through your spirit and Father may you help us to understand this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
One of the problems that we have in the church today is oftentimes people do not look at the glory of God and do not understand the importance of knowing who God is and how powerful and wonderful and beautiful and excellent he is and the glory that he possesses.
I was reading in a book that David Hocking had written. I want to show you some things about the glory of God out of that book this evening. I want to show you that God’s glory just isn’t given in this one little passage as Ezekiel is seeing, but it’s throughout all of scripture. It’s important that we understand it and that we begin to look at various aspects of God’s creation. Various aspects of who God is and see his glory. David Hocking writes in here that one prominent features of the book of Ezekiel is the phrase the glory of God.
We read in Ezekiel 1:28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
It is our view that the one being pictured is the Messiah of Israel. I believe it is as well because of some of the things in the descriptions that were given and specifically when it talks about when he sees him there’s an appearance of fire. We’re going to see in other references that are given throughout scripture this is also a description given of the glory of the Lord and when he is seen in all of his glory. In Ezekiel 8:1-4 we read The glory of God of Israel:
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. Then I beheld and lo a likeness as of the appearance of fire from the appearance of his loins downward and from his loins even upward.
Let’s pause here this is the same thing that he saw in when he saw this vision this fire that encompassed around the Lord. Now one of the things that you need to understand when you see fire and the Lord it’s dealing with the fact that he’s holy and righteous and he judges that which is unholy and unrighteous.
If you go to the book of Revelation when God is coming to judge there’s fire that comes from his eyes there’s fire that goes before him because it marks his holiness and righteousness and is coming to deal with that which is unrighteous In looking at the circumstances that Ezekiel is dealing with he is dealing with the nation of Judah that has been led away into captivity.
He’s with them and remember as we studied on Sunday Nebuchadnezzar placed a small place away from the city of Babylon itself where the Jewish many of the Jewish people were placed and Ezekiel became really the priest to the many of these people. In this place as he was of the priesthood and he’s with the elders in his house in this place when this occurs when he sees this second vision in chapter 8. is described and it goes on and he says:
Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. 3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. Ezekiel 8:2-3
What is he speaking of there well if you remember the Lord was jealous of his wife and it wasn’t jealousy like human jealousy. It’s a jealousy that he desires to have his people back. He desires that his people would worship him and he’s sitting there. Remember the the sin of Judah was that they embraced all the other gods and turned their back on the Lord and didn’t obey his word. They came to worship in the temple but they really didn’t comprehend nor understand his glory and his righteousness and his holiness. He’s taking Ezekiel back to Judah to Jerusalem to the temple. He presents him there and shows him how he is sitting there. His glory is seen by Ezekiel and he understands the importance of what Israel has done. In the biblical usage and understanding of the phrase the glory of God is critical to the meaning and purpose of our lives we read in
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Don’t think we understand the significance of that everything that were to do is to be done to the glory of God that is because of who God is. His wonderful glory. Remember we said that glory the really the concept of glory, is it is so big, it is so heavy, that we can’t really grasp it. We’re to do everything in our lives to the glory of God that’s what Paul tells us. The same glory that sat in the temple. The same glory that Ezekiel saw in chapter 1 when he saw the fire and the amber and the glory of the Lord coming down to meet him.
We read the Hebrew word for glory is Kabbalah and which means heavy that is too big or great for human comprehension.
Take a moment to see how the phrase the glory of God is used throughout the Bible and that’s what I want us to do tonight. We’re going to do that. Hopefully get a better handle on what the glory of God is. So let’s begin it says that God’s glory was revealed in first of all it was revealed in creation in Psalm 19:1 the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Do we really comprehend what the heavens reveal about God’s glory his power his great knowledge his wisdom his creative ability?
We see it when you look at the stars when we were on vacation in Utah. It was our desire to get out because you’re up higher in the mountains the air is a little thinner and we just wanted to get out at night because you can see these just marvelous stars. We had clouds most of the time and so we weren’t able to see the stars. There one night when we look out and report you could see some of them. One of the night that was clear there was a full moon and it was really bright and so that was fading out causing many of the stars to fade so we never got to see that but the thing is as one would be able to see that in all of its wonder and there wouldn’t be a lot of lights and just see the stars and the darkness and you see the glory of God in this heaven. What he had done and that’s what Psalms tell us.
Romans 1:20 – 23
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 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.
That’s what we do when people reject God and rebel against them and choose to walk in their sin instead of turning to God they’re rejecting God’s glory they’re not seeing God’s glory. They’re not wanting to understand and embrace God’s glory and worship God. Who is worthy of our glorification and instead they turn to worship that which has no glory at all. That which is corruptible instead of that which is incorruptible.
Second thing that the scripture tells us is God’s glory was revealed in the cloud. In the cloud that he’s talking about is a cloud during the time of the Exodus. Exodus chapter 40 verses 34 through 35 we read,
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: 37 but if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
Because the cloud abode thereon and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle and you have Moses who had gone up on the top of Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and you had Moses who was handpicked by God, Yet, when the glory of the Lord came into the tabernacle which God instructed Moses to build. Moses couldn’t enter in because of the glory of God it was filled the tabernacle. It was so amazing and the thing is we don’t understand God’s glory.
It says 1 Kings 8:10 – 11,
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord. If you look at many churches today do we really seek to have the glory of God there when we worship or do we are do we rather enjoy the profitable. Men and me begin to compromise. Our worship begins to compromise. The way that we even enter in to church on Sunday do we really come to meet God and to experience his glory.
Then third thing is God’s glory was revealed in his Commandments 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
What Paul is saying in those verses is you have been given the law and when Moses brought the law down the people couldn’t stand in his presence because of the glory that covered his face. He was bringing the law and the law brought condemnation upon man because it revealed to us our sin. Yet it was glorious because it was given by God and revealed HIS character to us and resulted in our sin being revealed to us.