The Test of Glory

“I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.” Isaiah 42:8 NASB

Will not give – In the famous Servant Song of Isaiah, YHVH declares that He will not give (hand over, set, place, allow or surrender) His glory to another. On the basis of this declaration, those who embrace the standard formulation of the Trinity declare that Yeshua is YHVH. The reasoning goes like this:

  1. YHVH is God
  2. Only God can have glory (Hebrew kavod)
  3. Yeshua receives kavod (glory)
  4. Therefore, Yeshua must be God

The argument might stand if it were always the case that glory is only given to God. But when we investigate, we discover something else. First, we notice that when YHVH speaks about not sharing His glory, He is addressing glory shared with idols. That will never be the case. But when He addresses those who fear Him as the only God of creation, then He Himself gives His glory to the nations (Ezekiel 39:21), the whole earth (Psalm 72:19), to all men in the Messianic age (Isaiah 60:2) and to the experience of a visual reality for all nations (Isaiah 52:10). Obviously, none of these qualify as “God.” Therefore, the argument that glory cannot be given to anything other than God is not sustained. It follows that if Yeshua receives glory from the Father this does not mean that Yeshua must be God any more than glory given to all nations means that the nations must be God. God shares His glory with whomever He pleases, but He never shares it with idols.

TWOT notes that kavod is applied to the reputation of an individual. “Thus the person of high social position and accompanying wealth was automatically an honored, or weighty, person in the society (Num 22:15, etc.). Such a position, its riches, and long life were commonly assumed to be the just rewards of a righteous life (I Chr 29:28, etc.). While one would be honored automatically if one attained this stature, it is also clear that one was expected to merit the honor and the glory. The book of Prov makes it clear that the trappings of glory without an accompanying weightiness of character was an offense to life (21:21; 22:4; 26:1; etc.). Likewise persons in positions of responsibility and authority were deserving of honor (Ex 20:12; Mal 1:6). It is significant to remind oneself that giving honor or glory is to say that someone is deserving of respect, attention and obedience.”[1]

John’s remark, “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only son of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) must be set in the context of the Hebrew use of kavod. As such, it implies that the glory of Yeshua is in respect to its uniqueness as the only son quite extraordinary, but that alone does not mean it is incommensurable with the kavod due someone of highest rank, special authority and God-ordained purpose. The text does not demand that Yeshua be understood as God Himself. But it does demand that Yeshua hold a place no other human being has ever or will ever hold—as the Messiah and the Son.

Topical Index: Trinity, glory, kavod, John 1:14, Isaiah 42:8

 

[1] Oswalt, J. N. (1999). 943 כָבֵד. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (426–427). Chicago: Moody Press.

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Gabe

Ouch. It’s a narrow path (this teaching); too ‘Jewish’ for the Christians, and too ‘Christian’ for the Jews.

Alicia

I read some of the teachings on this site the other day regarding the deity of Yeshua:

http://www.wildbranch.org/teachings/lessons/lesson105.html

I wasn’t raised believing in the Trinity (I grew up Jehovah’s Witness.) but he makes some compelling arguments for Yeshua being YHWH.

I would love to hear your thoughts on it, if you have read it or get a chance to. I’m still on the fence on this doctrine, and while I know it’s impossible to have something this complex fully nailed down, I would love to reach a point where I felt more sure of what I believe, in either direction.

Rich Pease

WHO DO I SAY HE IS?

I say what the Word says.

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all
principality and power.” Col 2:9-10

Amen.

Helen Wolf

Thanks, Rich!! Another great reply!! A lovely Truth expressed in the beauty of His Word!!

Helen

Rich Pease

I must admit you have been working very hard to elevate your doubt
about who Jesus is.

I don’t know if Thomas worked as hard as you, but when he finally
had a chance to stop everything and touch the reality of Jesus,
he remarked, “My Lord and my God!” Jn 20:28

Rich Pease

Please forgive me if I misunderstand what you are saying.

But where IN THE TEXT does it say that Jesus isn’t God?

Rich Pease

I appreciate your well-studied response. Thanks.

Perhaps we’d be better off agreeing about the dynamic of
personal revelation. Pure heart to heart.
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is
in heaven.” Mat 16:17

Alicia

I think I need to understand more of what “divine” encompasses, in this context.

Helen Wolf

Skip, I opened my copy of the Tanakh yesterday in the hope that I might find something about “divine”. It didn’t take me long to give up the search, but I was blessed in reading the Scriptures and being reminded of some of their beauty in the ones I had marked to recall and read again. I thank God that I have been blessed with this translation of the scriptures!

Helen

Dave Sheard

Healthy study and discussion is so good and rewarding. I think as long as we are secure in our relationship with YHWH our saviour we are able to have a healthy discussion and study on WHO Yeshua is. When our security is in what we believe rather than Who is our Saviour we can get very nervous and shaken but if we KNOW our Saviour personally we can afford to study Who He is without dictating enforced doctrine upon one another. We cannot force any of our personal doctrines onto one another. Healthy discussion reveals a security in YHWH. But when folk walk away because they disagree we are just being Greek and dividing into our thousands of denominations. The Hebrew people might disagree so often but they still come together to worship the same YHWH. Unfortunately when we disagree with “foundational” ‘Christian’ doctrine we can scare others off. Surely ‘the Trinity’ is the sacred cow of Christianity. But then personally I no longer want to call myself ‘Christian’; now that I see how the scriptures have been so twisted to teach a pagan sabbath (sunday), and allow for a pagan christmas and pagan easter. ( sorry I purposely changed the capitals). Being able to discuss such doctrines allows the two edged sword of scripture to do the work it is given to us for.
Shalom my friends.

Thank you so much Skip for such a good five days here in the UK. We pray we can be more like Ruth to reveal YHWH to our Jewish friends and one another, that will help us all to grow in security in Who YHWH IS for us all.

Chikwe Edoziem

This is elucidating and inspiring, Skip. That begs for explanation to the question that keeps coming up in the circle of believers. If YHWH came down in the person of The Son, did He live all the time as God or all the time as Man or both?