"I AM": His Glory, Our Quest

Look out your window; what do you see?

It is not about making a list. Rather, when you see God’s creation outside your window, what do you learn...about God?

The Apostle Paul said that mankind can learn some things about God just by observing creation.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made…. —Romans 1:20

Just by observing the world around us a person can learn that: 

• God exists;
• God is powerful;
• God is eternal and divine. 

When you think about it, humans have used their powers of observation to learn about animals for centuries. By looking at a beaver’s dam, we can learn some things about beavers. The same could be said about birds and their nests, ants and their ant hills and even the 'animal' called man and the things he builds.

However, the simple observation of things that have been made can only go so far. Some things remain unknown unless revealed. By observing a building a person would have no knowledge of the architect’s name, family relationships, influence in the community, religious values, etc. And let’s not be silly thinking that an architect’s style is recognizable. That is true only if the architect is already known for his/her other work. (The work of an unknown artist or sculptor reveals only so much about its maker.)

The simple point is that God has revealed something about Himself through His creation. Yet, He has revealed something more about Himself through verbal revelation. He used words to identify Himself by name and by character.

The occasion was shortly after Israel had been delivered from Egyptian slavery. God had instructed Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land assuring him that an angel would accompany them. Moses pleaded with God to go with them Himself, and God agreed to do so. Then, almost as a child making an impossible request of a parent, Moses blurted out:

I pray You, show me Your glory!

Since God would not allow Moses to see his face, he told him to stand in an indentation in a large rock. He would then pass in front of Moses and declare His name.

For centuries to come psalmists, prophets and those of faith would repeat the things God revealed to Moses about Himself that day. One of the greatest revelations in all of Scripture…

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. —Exodus 34:6-8

Justice is a part of God’s character because He is pure and holy. Yet, He is never without love. Love is also a part of God's character, yet He is never without justice and purity and holiness. God is love and God is holy at all times. He does not ‘try’ to love or 'try' to be holy; these are His nature. Not one of the characteristics that God revealed competes with another as if God struggles against justice to show compassion; or that God struggles against forgiveness to be holy. He is at all times both loving and just; the God of love and the God who is holy.

Love and Holiness: His glory; our quest.

Like Moses, we would do well to bow low to the ground and worship...