One of God’s many great attributes is His “glory.” The word “glory” means worshipful praise, adoration, honor, and thanksgiving to God. Not surprisingly God said this of Himself. “I am the LORD; that is my Name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to carved idols” (Isaiah 42:8). God is sovereign, therefore, He will not share His glory with another god, neither His praise to heathen worshippers.
On the topic “The glory of God,” John Piper aptly writes. “His glory is the open revelation of the secret of his holiness. In Leviticus 10:3, God says, “I will be shown to be holy among those who are near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” When God shows himself to be holy, what we see is his glory — the beauty of holiness. The holiness of God is his concealed glory. The glory of God is his revealed holiness. So here’s my effort at a definition” The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of his manifold perfections. His glory is the open revelation of the secret of his holiness” (John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary).
The Apostle Paul concludes his letter to the Roman christians, with this benediction, “To God, only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen” (Romans 16:27). Also, Jude concludes his letter with the doxology “Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24,25). These are most beautiful expressions that God is indeed altogether glorious for time present and all eternity.
Even God’s creation reveals His glory. Kind David wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). This should not be surprising when we pause to consider the grandeur, splendor, majesty, and vastness of God’s creation. Also, the greatness, power, and infinite wisdom of our Creator Himself, and it was done.
David writes about God as the King of glory, and how He rules over all creation in the following Psalm:
“Lift up your heads, O gates;
belifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
and lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
He is the King of glory” Selah. (Psalm 24:7–10).
This Psalm depicts God as the awesome One who is all-powerful, strong, and mighty. And that the “gates and ancient doors” be lifted up to let the King of glory enter. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, and now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.