What does God want to do with His glory?
Hab. 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
The prophet Habakkuk cries out to God about the things he sees happening before his eyes. What he sees is violence and the unrighteous going about their way and it is as if God is ignoring the problem. He is asking God why is he not saving them from all that the unrighteous is doing. I love the response that God gives him.
God tells him that he is going to send the Chaldeans as a judgment against them for their sins and iniquities. It looks like God is going to make it even harder. This promise is preceded with another promise from God. He promises Habakkuk that he will do something so great that if they were told about it they would not believe.
Hab. 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
Hab. 1:6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.
Habakkuk again questions God and wants to know why does he allow these things to happen. He tries to tell God that He is to pure to even look at all these things and why would God allow the wicked to devour the righteous? God responds to him with a clear answer but before God gives him the answer he commands him to do something.
Hab. 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Hab. 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Now you might think that the vision is what God is going to do with the unrighteous. The vision that Habakkuk had to write down is one of the greatest promises of God. Lets see what God promised Habakkuk what HE will do.
Hab. 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
The promise of God and the vision that Habakkuk has to write was that God would fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory. People will have wisdom and understand His glory. It will fill the earth from coast to coast as the waters cover the sea. The oceans of this world touch every continent. His glory will touch every continent. As the oceans of this world sustains life and gives life and supply food and sustenance to every continent, so will the glory of God sustain and feed and influence every nation on every continent.
Another thing that God intend to do with His glory is to have a people in the image of Christ. God wants many sons and daughters to look like Christ. We have already seen that Jesus was the image of God and that He had the glory of God. God wants people that can reveal Him properly. To be able to do that God promises that He will make all things work together for our good. Even when I miss it He can use it.
Rom. 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom. 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom. 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom. 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
God never intended for Jesus to be the only one to have His glory. Remember what Adam lost. Jesus is the firstborn among many that would follow. He is also the firstborn from the dead. Before His death and resurrection He was the only begotten Son of God. His death and resurrection qualified Him to be the first of many. After His death and resurrection He is no longer the only begotten but the firstborn of God. Our hope is not in being forgiven but to be raised from the dead. In Him we have already been raised and we have His life and we will never die even if our bodies dies. HE has made it possible for many people to look like Him and be called the sons of God. The Pharisees and the religious folk got mad at Him when He even hinted that He was the Son of God. That statement would mean that He would be equal to God. He was God in the flesh and He had the glory of God. We as sons of God are not equal with God as we are created beings and God has always existed but we have been qualified by Jesus to have the glory of God.
Eph. 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph. 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph. 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph. 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph. 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph. 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph. 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph. 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph. 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Twice in this passage it states that we are to be the praise of His glory. In verse six and in verse twelve. You will understand it if you knew what Paul is saying here. In verse four he states that we were chosen by God and predestined for adoption as His children. The word “chosen” is a word that means to pick for one self. It also carries the meaning of purpose like when you pick something because you have a purpose in mind. It would be like a horse racer that would go to auction and when he picks the one he would like to buy he would state why he thinks that horse would do. “I pick number seven because he will make me a lot of money.” When God chose you He spoke your destiny over you. “I like Susan because she will be successful in loving the brokenhearted.” “I choose Bill because he will be great at sharing my words with children.” That is how God chose you. To do that He had to save you, cleanse you and deliver you. Now you are qualified to carry His glory. As people of God we are all over the world. On every continent He has people that are His. As we carry His glory he fills the earth with His glory and He is made visible for all to see.