“It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.”
– Proverbs 25:2 (ESV)
All of us here at Tome have dedicated our lives to searching out the things in the Bible that God has concealed so that you might better understand the Glory of God.
Olympic Glory
As I write this blog, athletes worldwide are preparing for the Olympic games. The Olympic torch will be carried into the arena to signal the start of the games, where the best athletes in the world will compete for a moment of Olympic glory. These athletes have been training most of their lives for these few days. To do their best and stand at the top of the pack. They all share the same hope, to stand on a stage and be crowned the world’s best. Then after a few weeks, the Olympic light is snuffed out, and the games are over. Unlike the glory these competitors seek that is fleeting, the glory of God is eternal.
The Shekinah Glory
The glory of God in the Hebrew language is pronounced: “shekinah .” Which means “dwelling” or “settling” of the divine presence of God. The Bible is full of moments when the glory of God descends. It is described as a shining cloud in the daytime and a pillar of fire at night. This manifestation of God’s presence led to the exodus of Moses and the Israelites to the promised land.
Concealed Glory
During their exodus journey, this very cloud of glory descended on Mt. Sinai and Moses in Exodus 33:18 “Please show me your glory.” The Lord hides Moses in the cleft of the rock so that when he passes by him that he would see His back only. Some theologians say that when Moses saw the backside of God, he received the revelation of the Creation and all that they call the Pentateuch. They believe he acquired knowledge of the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood, and Abraham and God’s covenant with Israel. It was at this moment when Moses received the Ten Commandments.
It is no surprise that when Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God, he uses parables. So that those who had “ears to hear” could understand, but those who were not open following Jesus, these truths were concealed.
The Glory of Kings
At Tome, we feel that our assignment is to be the “kings” who seek out the Bible’s things that are concealed. So that we can become like the guy in Matthew 13:44 who found the buried treasure and sold it all to help you understand the Bible.