September 24 – Splendor Subverted (Psalm 78:56-64)

“He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy.” (Psalm 78:61)

IN WORD:
We know from multiple Scripture passages that God is intensely concerned for the glory of His name. The Exodus event is filled with words from God to Pharoah through Moses that His works will establish His reputation (Exodus 8:10 & 9:16, for example). Moses, David, Daniel, and many others let the impetus for their prayers be the glory of God’s name rather than the success of their plans — and God honored them for it. Even the heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1). The whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory (Habakkuk 2:14). Clearly, a driving theme of God’s Word is the renown of His name.
God attached His name to a group of tribes in the ancient Middle East. Surely He knew what that might do to His reputation. God’s glory displayed in humans? It seems so absurd. And they proved it. After years of rebellion and grievous sin, God pronounced judgment. It wasn’t an unredeemable judgment, but it was harsh nonetheless. And the God who loves the glory of His name, it seems, hates sin with an even greater passion. He sacrificed glory, even if only momentarily, in order to purge His people. He let His splendor fall into the hands of the enemy.

IN DEED:
Do you take your sin casually? God doesn’t. His passion and zeal throughout Scripture to make His name known among the peoples of the earth was subverted by His own hand. Why? He hates sin. It cannot stand. It would have been a greater offense to God for Him to defend a rebellious people for His name’s sake than to let the symbol of His name fall into the hand of pagan enemies. So He did the latter. The glory of God was held captive for our sin.
Fast forward a few hundred years. Want to know what God thinks of sin? Look at the brutality of the Cross. That’s the most accurate picture. On the Cross, the glory of God was once again held captive for our sin. His Son became a curse. His splendor became ugly. Only when we begin to understand that — the hideous nature of sin — can we begin to understand the depths of His mercy.

“Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.” -John Bunyan-