The Majesty of the Lord

OUR LESSON PROVIDES the setting for an excellent meditation. What are some of the defining qualities of our God? In trying to sift through varied ideas as to his nature, some insights are lofty, but others are not. Some leave us with the impression that their perception of God is that he is just like man, except that he embodies a much larger physical presence. Our Creator has been wrongly accused of having qualities evident in our fallen race. Vanity, arbitrariness, cruelty, insensitivity, and other erroneous attributes have been superimposed on him. Such accusations are misguided.

Today’s Key Verse first indicates that one evidence as to God’s nature is that he “reigns.” His dominion is over everything, though in some areas he is withholding the exercise of his mighty power, as in the present, though temporary, permission of sin and death. He reigns over the laws of physics. Out of nothing, he brought forth the vastness of the universe. Even the smallest constituents of the universe that we know of are regulated by complex laws of forces and interactions.

The Psalmist David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.” (Ps. 19:1-3, NKJV) From our vantage point, looking up at night to the Milky Way, who has not been awed by the beauty of our galaxy? The heavens fascinate and inspire us. Majestic mountains, expansive seas, fruited plains and glorious woods resonate around us, inspiring an appreciation for God’s handiwork. Day after day, night after night, the beauties of the heavens and the earth speak to mankind in a language that all can understand. Their message—God is real!

“He is clothed with majesty.” This is another evidence as to the nature of God. When we see something of great beauty we call it “majestic.” Likewise, a great moral victory over evil may correctly be construed as majestic. Majesty inspires our hearts and minds to lofty thoughts and feelings. God is clothed with majesty. Meditating on that leads to a more profound appreciation of his person. “God is love.” (I John 4:8) His love evokes the appreciation of his majesty. God is grander on every front than the best people we have ever known. Luke’s record of Jesus’s words give keen insight into the majestic nature of God. “Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Luke 18:18,19, NKJV) Jesus, the epitome of all that we perceive to be good, acknowledged that there is only one who is truly good—God, the Creator—because he is the author of goodness.

A third evidence as to God’s nature is that he is eternal. The passing of billions of years does not intimidate him. He is not challenged by the passing eons of time because he is time’s Creator. May we better understand the majesty of Jehovah with each passing day.