Our Glory or God’s Glory?
Some songs have had the power to start revolutions. One of those songs is found in the Old Testament, sung by a group of women who had no clue what their melody would provoke.
1 Samuel 18:6-9 tells us:
As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.
As they returned home from the great Philistine battle where David slew Goliath, Saul was receiving glory as the women paraded and praised his accomplishments; but David's glory was greater. I'm sure kids began playing with slingshots, reenacting David's amazing and unlikely victory. The people no longer had Saul as their ideal role model for a manly warrior--it was now David. This competition led Saul to his eventual demise.
The Apex Result of the Fall
As humans, we weren't designed to receive the glory but to extend God's glory! Sadly, the apex result of the Fall is the desire for self-glory. When the serpent tempted Eve, it was with the notion that she and her husband were being kept from something glorious: "God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). Indeed, when Adam and Eve observed that the fruit was able to make them wise, their restraint out of reverence for God's command was overridden by their desire for self-glory, so they consumed the fruit. The same temptation resides within us today. Though by grace through faith we have been regenerated by the Spirit of God and are new creations, we as Christ-followers still have the remnants of our corrupt nature. Until we lay this sinful body into the earth, we will be plagued by the flesh and this desire to exalt ourselves above God will continue to haunt us.
A Daily Battle
Every day is a battle between self-glory and God's glory. Like Saul, we seek our own fame and recognition and put ourselves on the throne, raging against anyone or anything that threatens our own luxuries. We fail to truly understand that only the name of Christ is to be highly-esteemed. We forget that Jesus came and died humbly not to bolster the pride of life, but to put an end to it. We must confront our our own vainglorious honor with the reality of the cross so we will fear, adore, and worship Christ alone. May we lay our empires down and yield our lives to enjoy His grace and extend His glory alone!
