May 9, 2021

Worship His Majesty

 

A favorite song begins with “Majesty, worship his majesty; Unto Jesus be all glory, honor, and praise.” There are some words that stand out as special; MAJESTY is one of them. The Bible dictionary say it is a noun and means “the quality of a person or thing which inspires awe or reverence in the beholder; can be related to size, strength, power, or authority.” Of course it describes the Lord God.

1 Chronicles 29:11. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

Of course this word can be used to describe kings and powerful people. It even makes me think of a powerful horse and the Rocky Mountains, but like “awesome,” it is one of those words that should be reserved for God alone. As Moses said in Exodus 15:11, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

 The psalm writers honored Him in the same way with these words:

Psalm 8:1. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Psalm 145:5. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

Psalm 96:6. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Psalm 148:11–13. Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

Not everyone can see this. Those who live in comfort and do not see their need to be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God are blind to the wonder of Him:

Isaiah 26:10. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord.

When Jesus came, some realized that in Him was the majesty of God. Others did not see it. Those who did were changed forever as 2 Peter 1:16 says: “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. There is good reason to keep my eyes on Jesus for the Bible tells me that I become like Him when I do:

2 Corinthians 3:18. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This transformation is for now in this life and in the life to come. As 1 John 3:1–3 says:

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

I can think of no greater goal or ambition, even though the process is sometimes painful and a challenge. This result means sharing in His incredible promises, in part spoken by Isaiah the prophet who said in Isaiah 60:15–16: “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age . . . and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One . . . .” the majestic Lord!

 

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