Topical Bible: Glorifying God: Judgments

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In the biblical narrative, the concept of glorifying God is intricately linked with His judgments. God's judgments serve as a manifestation of His holiness, righteousness, and sovereignty, and they ultimately bring glory to His name. Throughout Scripture, God's judgments are depicted as both a response to sin and a means of upholding His divine justice.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, God's judgments are often portrayed as direct interventions in the affairs of nations and individuals. The plagues of Egypt, for example, are a demonstration of God's power and a judgment against Pharaoh's hardened heart. In Exodus 7:5 , God declares, "The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them." Here, the judgments serve to reveal God's supremacy and to glorify His name among the nations.

The prophetic books frequently highlight God's judgments as a call to repentance and a means of purifying His people. In Isaiah 5:16 , it is written, "But the LORD of Hosts will be exalted by His justice, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness." This passage underscores the idea that God's judgments are not arbitrary but are rooted in His unchanging nature and serve to exalt Him.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the theme of glorifying God through judgments continues, with a focus on the ultimate judgment to come. Jesus speaks of the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-32 , saying, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." This eschatological judgment is portrayed as a moment of divine glory, where God's justice is fully revealed.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the theme of God's judgments in Romans 2:5 , stating, "But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." Here, Paul emphasizes that God's judgments are a demonstration of His righteousness and serve to glorify Him by upholding His moral order.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the judgments of God are seen as an essential aspect of His character. They affirm His holiness and justice, while also providing a means for His mercy and grace to be displayed. In Revelation 15:3-4 , the song of Moses and the Lamb proclaims, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed."

This passage encapsulates the ultimate purpose of God's judgments: to lead all creation to recognize His holiness and to bring glory to His name. Through His judgments, God not only addresses sin but also invites humanity to acknowledge His sovereignty and to worship Him in spirit and truth.

Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 25:3
Therefore shall the strong people glorify you, the city of the terrible nations shall fear you.
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Ezekiel 28:22
And say, Thus said the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against you, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the middle of you: and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.
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Revelation 14:7
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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Library

God's Gentle Power
... And so it is also in the dealing out of the judgments of God in the ... anything holy
in it, anything noble in it, anything that will be glorifying to God? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/gods gentle power.htm

Letter Liv. --To Serapion, Concerning the Death of Arius.
... with all the brethren, and greatly glorifying God, not as exulting in his death
(God forbid!), for it ... shewn forth in a manner transcending human judgments. ...
/.../letter liv to serapion concerning the.htm

The Primitive Church.
... but going on to show the crimes in the world beneath, and the judgments one after ...
of the governor did but make him glad to be so near glorifying God by his ...
/.../yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxiv the primitive church.htm

And the Rulers of the Synagogue, and the Priests and the Levites.. ...
... in all His ways, that we may keep His commandments and His judgments which He ... having
sung praises, went away each man to his own house, glorifying God; for His ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of nicodemus /chapter 16 and the rulers.htm

Worship
... they worshipped God, as we should worship Him, because His judgments were righteous ...
the congregation of one mind, as they are of one speech, in glorifying God. ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xxiv worship.htm

The Revelation of John
... or bowls containing the last plagues or judgments of God. First we have a description
of the Church that triumphed over the beast, glorifying God; and this is ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the revelation of john.htm

The Law of God
... occasion and matter to others for glorifying his Father ... Judicial Law is that which
God prescribed by ... contracts, division of property, judgments, punishments, &c ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 12 the law of.htm

Jesus Heals a Paralytic at Capernaum.
... Such unrighteous judgments are condemned by Christ (John 9:3; Luke 13:2-5). Paralysis
is, however, to-day looked upon as ordinarily the ... c glorifying God. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxv jesus heals a paralytic.htm

The Good Steward
... all the children of men, to be employed in glorifying God. ... passage in all the oracles
of God which affirms ... is, not that there are two judgments, a particular ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 51 the good steward.htm

New Covenant Obedience
... It changes "If ye keep My judgments" into "I will ... wonderful power to will and do
as God wills ... Creator delighting in His creature; the child glorifying the Father ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/chapter xiii new covenant obedience.htm