Worship His Majesty–Hod

August 14, 2012

by: Rev. Cheryl Hauer, International Development Director

In an effort to determine how others understand “majesty,” I recently did a survey. Encountering our staff in the halls and in our garden, I asked them to tell me what picture they saw when I said the word “majesty.” The survey results were split equally in two camps. One group saw majesty in terms of royalty with pictures of kings, queens, crowns, and scepters. The other camp found majesty in the natural world, seeing mountains, thunderstorms, clouds, and rainbows. Regardless of which camp we might find ourselves in, this word deserves more of our attention.

A look in the dictionary or a concordance will reveal a variety of meanings: royal personage; the greatness and dignity of a sovereign; the supreme authority and power of a sovereign; imposing in form and appearance; and beauty, excellence, and honor.

Clothed with Grandeur

Finally, majesty is defined with the word “grandeur,” the definition I would like to focus on. If you dig a little deeper, the meaning of grandeur is “magnificence.” As human beings, our understanding of anything we encounter in life is based on a reference point of some kind. We must have context in which to place things in order to comprehend them, and the context for the word “grandeur” is nearly always creation.

For you, it might be the Grand Canyon in the United States, the South Island of New Zealand, the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada, the ocean, or even the universe as viewed through photos provided by satellites circling the Earth. All these incredibly powerful, majestic vistas provide the reference point through which we attempt to comprehend God.

Psalm 93:1 says that God “dons” grandeur like a garment; He clothes Himself in majesty, the psalmist tells us, putting on strength and grandeur as one would put on a coat. In 1933, an American movie was made called The Invisible Man. In it, a scientist made himself totally invisible. He could only be seen when he chose to put on clothing. His form then became visible and people could begin to get a glimpse of who he was. In a sense, our invisible God has done that very thing. He has adorned Himself with the majesty and grandeur of creation so that we might begin to get a glimpse of who He is.

Image vs. Essence

Often we judge others by the image we see when we look at them. Our comprehension of them is guided by the contours and quality of the garments they might be wearing, failing to remember that the outward image doesn’t necessarily give us a picture of the inward essence.

The same is true of God. As we view His majesty, power, and grandeur, our intellect is capable of grasping only the minutest fraction of His infinite greatness. We truly see, as the Apostle Paul said, as through a glass darkly! Yet, as the all-powerful Creator, He allows us to see that glimpse so that we might fall in love with Him and give Him the praise He deserves.

He is the incomprehensible, unfathomable God of all power and majesty. And yet, He is the God who holds us in His arms like a loving parent, whispers tenderly to us in the dark of night, comforts us as we mourn or when we are afraid. He is there in just the right way at just the right time—every time.

Psalm 145 is considered by Jewish sages to be the Psalm of Psalms. In it, they say, all of the concepts, ideas, passions, and heart of the other 149 psalms are condensed in its 150 Hebrew words. Here we not only encounter the majesty and grandeur of God, but we also discover the essence beyond the garment.

Verses eight and nine tell us that He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in kindness, magnanimous, showing good to all and mercy to His creation. He is the God who opens His hand and supplies not just our needs, but the desires of our hearts as well. He hears our cry, verse19 says, and He answers us. Why must we cry first? He loves the sound of our voices, the Jewish sages say, and He wants us to draw ever closer, trusting and waiting until that moment when He opens His hand and fulfills our desire.

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth”(v. 18). When the verb is properly translated, we are told that He draws close to those who will continueto call upon Him. These are the ones who will truly depend on Him and not get discouraged if the answer doesn’t come immediately, the ones who will continue to draw near and who recognize that all things come from that open Hand. And these are the ones whose response is a heart filled with gratitude pouring forth in praise. “My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever”(v. 21).

The incredible majesty and tender kindness of God and the gratitude of His people are two sides of the same coin. May we go forth today in thankfulness, calling on Him with confidence, drawing ever nearer to our God, who is the Mighty and Majestic One.