Psalm 138:5 proclaims that “great is the glory of the LORD.” The Hebrew word for “glory” is kavod. A fascinating term, it is used to describe this important attribute of God. The root meaning of the word is “weighty,” indicating that Jehovah has inherent value and worthiness. When God speaks, He speaks with authority. When He acts, He acts with dignity. When He is worshipped, He is to be given “the glory due unto his name” (Psalm 29:2).

When we say that God is glorious, we tend to think of that attribute in relation to man or to Creation. We are, of course, to “give glory” to the Lord, to “glorify” His name, and to reflect His glory in our own lives. But the glory of God existed even before man was created. God’s glory is independent of His creation. Although God made many wondrous things that reflect His glory, and certainly the “heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), He would be glorious even ifnone of these marvels—such as the sun, moon, stars, rainbows, or mountains—ever existed!

In His High Priestly prayer in John Chapter 17, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the eternal glory of the Godhead: “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (verse 5). Before the dawn of time and before the creation of the universe, Jesus shared the eternal glory of His Father.

With the creation of man, the glory of the Lord was revealed and manifested so that we might partake of that marvelous glory. Before Jesus finished that prayer, He asked His Father, “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” (John 17:24).

It is interesting that the word glory is not used in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis. God saw His Creation and called it “very good.” But Creation is not described as “glorious.” We must be careful when we describe the sky as a “glorious sunset” or express how a musical production had an orchestra that was “glorious.” Creation “declares” God’s glory. Music can “glorify” the Lord. But Creation itself is not glorious, nor is music. Only God and God alone is glorious. He says, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).

Let’s consider the first dramatic use of the term glory as applied to God. That first presentation of God’s glory took place during the stirring events that surrounded the exodus from Egypt. God showed His people how He was able to strike down each one of the Egyptian deities through the ten plagues brought upon Egypt. The glory of God was demonstrably greater than all the glories of Egypt.

After the armies of Pharaoh were destroyed in the Red Sea, the song of Miriam exults in the glory of the Lord: “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy” (Exodus 15:6). This is the first use of glory or gloriousin Scripture applied to the Lord. God is glorified when His people learn to depend upon Him as their defense rather than trusting trained fighting men or the power of chariots.

According to Exodus 16:7, the Lord displayed His glory in the provision of manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness. “And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD.” God continues to be glorified today when we give Him thanks for supplying our basic needs.

A few verses later, the glory of the Lord visibly appeared in the cloud of His presence. “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud” (Exodus 16:10). One of the best ways that we can glorify God is to thank Him for His daily abiding presence.

The glory of the Lord was manifested in the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. “And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel” (Exodus 24:16–17). God’s glory is revealed in the Word of God, and when we look into the Bible, we see His glory manifested.

According to Exodus 33:18, Moses asked the Lord for the privilege of beholding His glory in a personal encounter. “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” God’s answer teaches us something about the nature of His glory. “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (verse 20).

But God did provide an opportunity for Moses to behold His glory in a partial, imperfect way. “And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:21–23).

Moses saw the “back parts,” or the “emanations,” of the Lord in His glory. Later, when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the tables of stone in his hands, the time Moses had spent in God’s presence caused his face literally to glow with the reflection of that glory stamped upon his face (see Exodus 34:29).

All these dramatic displays revealed the glory of God to His people. But perhaps the most remarkable manifestation of God’s glory was when the abiding glory of the Lord came to rest in the Tabernacle.

After the Tabernacle had finally been constructed and all the furniture crafted and assembled, Scripture records the coming of the glory of God to fill that dwelling place. “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 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” (Exodus 40:34–35).

This manifestation of the glory of God was not a temporary display of dramatic power like that on the craggy summit of Mount Sinai. Nor was it a fleeting glimpse as Moses had witnessed from the cleft of the rock. God’s glory was an abiding presence among His people! He was with them. He could be entreated at the Mercy Seat. His glory was around them, among them, over them, and this abiding glory would be their covering and their protection. This abiding glory is known as the Shekinah Glory—the glory of the abiding presence of God. Today, we have this abiding glory in our hearts, not in a tabernacle of leather and tapestry, but in a tabernacle of flesh through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit!

In the Law, we learn many things about God’s glory. God’s glory is eternal. God’s glory is independent; it is not subject to creation or to man. God’s glory is so awesome that we cannot see it fully and live! Yet, God’s glory can be reflected on our physical faces. His glory can be sung with our lips. His glory is intended to dwell with us and abide with us forever. In God’s perfect timing, His abiding glory was manifested in the giving of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on the manifestation of God’s glory, the Apostle John said, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). As you reflect on God’s glory, in what ways have you seen it manifested in recent days? While Moses’ time with the Lord on Mt. Sinai was unique, still—can others discern when you’re in fellowship with God from the expression on your face? (See Matthew 6:21–22 and Acts 4:13.)