MEN HAVE SEEN MY GLORY
Numbers 14:20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
The revelation of the Person of God is always, without exception, conveyed in the manifesting of his glory! Every effectual conveyance of the Lord God to any of his creation has always been in the revealing of that glory! There is no work by the Holy Spirit in justification except that believers have seen God’s glory. John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. Without seeing the glory of the cross, it is just a historical event that may move the emotions, but will not render one a saving belief.
There is no work by the Holy Spirit in sanctification (growth in grace) except a continued envisioning of God’s glory! 2 Corin. 3:18 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.
And there will be no final glorification without the same. For it will require Christ’s highest glorious appearance, back into the realm of men to effect our eternal change. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
The gospel itself is given forth, (if by the Holy Spirit, and not just a religious lecture), to bring to the believer the glory of God. 2 Thess. 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The universe is not allowed to exist except it continues to ‘speak’ and “show knowledge” of the glory of God! Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
The celestial beings, designed to stand in the very presence of the God of all glory, have nothing else to think on, nor to speak of! Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And to refuse God his rightful glory is very dangerous to the eternal soul! Acts 12:23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. For being in the world that God created and not seeing it reflecting him as all glorious renders everyone without any excuse for their unbelief. Romans 1:20 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:
Therefore these listed in our text verses were to have the wrath of God come upon them and have their carcases fall in the wilderness (Heb. 3:17), because having see the glory of God, not just in creation, but in his miraculous dealings for their protection, they did not then obey his voice. From that situation the apostle then warns us who have had the Light of the world (Christ), come and enhance the glory of God more than these ever had! Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Religion has occupied our minds with so much social distraction that we have no ability to reflect on God’s glory. And that will be to the damnation of souls who think to have reserved for themselves a front row seat in “heaven.” But consider these warnings: Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
For seeing the glory of God all around us without being granted a bowing of heart and mind in obedience to Christ, will condition the heart into a hardness that cannot be reversed. John 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
And listen to what our Lord Jesus said concerning the revelation of his word among such men. John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. They were not therefore covered with his righteousness, for they failed in believing his word to the point of receiving him as Lord. But this caused them to be uncovered, becoming naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Heb 4:13).
Our verse in Hebrews 3:13, listed above, states that a hardened heart is the result of failing to worship and obey God upon seeing his glory all around us. Consider this close encounter with apostasy that the disciples had concerning this very situation. Mark 6:48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Would you want God to pass you by as you strive to survive in the terrible storms of life? Of course not! BUT why then do we fail in seeing the glory of God all around us in order to show the Lord the honor and respect of our obedience? THAT is to invite destruction to our souls! For what was the only reason given regarding the Lord’s willingness to pass them by, leaving them to the mercy of the storm? The only “For” given to reveal the cause was that in seeing the miracle of the loaves being multiplied, and having heard that he was the very Bread of life, they, like their fathers in the wilderness, passed it off as nothing! It was that alone which hardened their hearts!
If the Lord had not chosen to show them mercy, we would have heard no more of Peter, James and John! For just as God told Moses that he would smite and disinherit all those of Israel in the wilderness and raise up a greater and mightier nation than they, (Numbers 14:12), so the Lord could have done the same with these disciples! And the only reason stated for his doing so was that they did not believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them. (Numbers 14:11).
And what does the Apostle Peter state concerning learning of the Lord, but then not remaining faithful to that which we have learned? 2 Peter 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. This clearly states that the influence of light given, but then abandoned, is that which manifests the apostate to have been such all along. And it reasons that adding any degree of the light of the Spirit’s revelation farther deepens that ruin of the disobedient soul. Luke 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
It is most dangerous to add the influence of true religion to ones life and then walk away. We study the miracles that the Lord Jesus did, which contain a manifestation that he was not like any other man. But if only our bible margins, out notebooks, and our book shelves get filled with such information, we must remember that the simple awareness of these miracles was that which condemned his nation! Think on these verses: John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Remember our verse in John 15:24, just listed in this article? Here it is again: If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. No other man who ever walked upon the face of the earth ever did any such miracles, either in their magnitude, nor in their numbers as did Jesus of Nazareth! And he fully expected those works to reveal him in his glory as the very Son of God to those who witness them! But we, like the Israelites in the wilderness, and like the disciples at the feeding of the multitudes, act like he is not the very center of God’s revelation to us! To many He simply is an “add on,” while they practice their traditional religion!
Dear Soul, don’t allow it to be said that it would have been better for you personally to never have gone to church, never to have heard a gospel message, never to have uttered a prayer, for after your involvement with religion’s practice you never came to see Jesus Christ as Lord of your life! “Sad, sad, that bitter wail; – Almost, but lost!”
Being involved in religion, but failing to know the Lord, brings on the day of God’s visitation in judgment. Exodus 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
And so it did! Luke 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
May our Lord’s prayer, at the very hour of his crucifixion, be answered by heaven with a positive moving of the Holy Spirit in our present hour! John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. For he was not praying that we be with him in a location, such as “heaven!” But he was asking that we be with him in a condition of spiritual understanding! – that we be with Him in not failing to behold his glory like the disciples and Israel did!
Pastor Gene Breed Nov. 16, 2013
