AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Glorifying God extends beyond singing worship songs and encompasses honoring God through behavior and actions. The biblical vocabulary of giving glory to God includes daily activities done for God's glory, such as eating and drinking. It's about reflecting the significance of the creator through gratitude and living in a way that upholds God's honor.
The concept of glorifying God intertwines with the image of God as humans reflect God's glory through their conduct and purpose. Human existence, in line with God's intention, points to God's wisdom, power, and beauty. By ruling the world on God's behalf, humans bring honor to God and fulfill their divine purpose.
The etymology of the word 'glory' reveals its origins in boasting and pride, emphasizing the importance of matter and bragging about oneself. Understanding the historical evolution of the word helps in grasping the biblical concept of glorifying God beyond mere praise or worship.
Biblical worship involves acknowledging God's honor through gratitude and recognizing the magnificence of the creator in everyday experiences. Whether enjoying a meal or engaging in creative pursuits, honoring God's cavode involves expressing thankfulness and living in a way that reflects the greatness of the divine.
For more insights like these, stay connected with the Bible Project by following on Twitter and Facebook. You can contribute questions and engage with upcoming themes like exploring the book of Proverbs and the wisdom literature. Your participation enriches the dialogue and exploration of various biblical concepts.
In this episode, Tim and Jon talk about the glory of God and what it means for humans to glorify him. Does glorifying God simply mean singing songs or acting a certain way? Why is God so interested in his glory? This all connects back to the image of God. The glory of God is one of those terms that is thrown around a lot in Christian culture, but what does it really mean?
In the first part of the episode (01:10-08:46), the guys talk about how the image of God is connected to the glory of God. Does glorifying God mean that we need to get out of the way or remove ourselves? We as humans bear the image of God, and we’re going to represent God in the world simply because of who we are. But can choose to represent God well, and this too can be glorying.
In the next part of the episode (09:13-17:00), Tim and Jon talk about what it looks like to glorify God in our everyday activities. It doesn’t always have to be about singing praise songs. Paul talks about how everything we do, we can do to the glory of God.
In the next part of the episode (17:20-29:21), the guys talk about the Hebrew word, “kavod,” one of the words used for “glory” in the Bible. Kavod literally means “heavy,” but metaphorically it means one’s reputation or significance. Humans have our own kavod, but the image of God that we bear is also kavod.
In the next part of the episode (29:51-40:07), the guys continue to unpack this idea of kavod. The verb version of this word is, “kaved.” Kaved means to speak or act in a way that brings kavod to someone. This is an interesting nuance, and it’s best understood as respect or honor.
In the final part of the episode (40:38-52:37), the guys talk about why we glorify God––why does God need us to do this? This is a question that we get tripped up in as Jesus followers, but we’re losing sight of what kavod really means. We’re not just trying to help God look important. We are invited to increase God’s kavod, his reputation and honor. Whatever we do, we can do it to God’s honor and glory.
Video:
This episode is designed to accompany our video called, "Image of God." You can view it on our youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbipxLDtY8c&t=2s
Scripture References:
Psalm 71
Show Music:
Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music
Blue Skies by Unwritten Stories
Flooded Meadows by Unwritten Stories
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode