Luke 2:14

KABOD – GLORY!

(July 30, 2023) Dr Jim McClure shares on this Hebrew word… 

‘Glory!’ Christians often use the word ‘glory’… but usually do not have much idea of what it means!

The Hebrew word for glory, kabod, is found 200 times in the Old Testament and its development is interesting.

Development
The root of kabod actually means ‘heavy’ and is associated with the liver (Exodus 29:13), which is the heaviest of the internal organs.  The use of the word as ‘heavy’ is seen in a number of Old Testament passages such as Psalm 38:4KJV, ‘For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.’

Glory developed into the concept of splendour.It referred to material wealth, that is, being ‘heavy with riches.’  Note Isaiah 10:3, ‘To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?’  Here ‘wealth’ is ‘kabod.’ 

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GLORY!

(March 20, 2023) Dr Jim McClure explains about God’s glory… 

Christians often use the word ‘glory’ but usually do not have much idea of what it means! The Hebrew word for glory, kabod, is found 200 times in the Old Testament and its development is interesting.

Development
The root of kabod actually means ‘heavy’ and is associated with the liver (Exodus 29:13) which is the heaviest of the internal organs. The use of the word as ‘heavy’ is seen in a number of Old Testament passages such as Psalm 38:4, ‘For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me’(KJV).

Glory developed into the concept of splendour.It referred to material wealth, that is, being ‘heavy with riches.’  Note Isaiah 10:3, ‘To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?’  Here ‘wealth’ is ‘kabod.’ 

The word continued to develop to mean honour. In Malachi 1:6 God asks, ‘A son honours (kabod) his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honour (kabod) due to me?’ 

Glory also came to be recognised as a characteristic of God’s splendour — ‘The heavens declare the glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1).

Regarding the word ‘Shekinah’, although some people use this when referring to God’s glory, it does not refer to a special dimension of divine glory.  In fact this Hebrew word is not found in the Bible. It literally means ‘presence’ but doesn’t add anything to the concept that God’s glory reveals His presence.

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LESSONS LEARNED FROM A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

 (January 08, 2023) Carol Round reflects …

It took four tries before my four-year-old granddaughter and I could get the walls of our gingerbread house to remain standing. It should have been an easy task but the instructions were lacking in detail. And I’m no carpenter – even with sugar frosting.

Finally, on the fourth try, and with lots of extra icing, we were able to accomplish what seemed to be an impossible task. The gingerbread house took four hands – and we could have used two more – but we exhaled a sigh of relief when the structure remained standing.

I purchased the kit two days after Christmas when it was marked down to USD$2. It was a bargain because it also included everything needed to construct the little cottage: gingerbread cookies in the shape of walls and a roof, a package of frosting, candy decorations, and some gingerbread men.

Lessons learned
Even though our final product didn’t closely resemble the picture on the front of the box, the lessons I learned as we worked and laughed together were more valuable.

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THE DAY SANTA GOT ‘SAVED’

(December 17, 2020) Robert and Maureen McQuillan remind readers of the real reason for the season – lost people needing to be found!

For decades, the jovial fat man dressed in red has replaced the advent of our Saviour Jesus as the central focus of Christmas. Christmas became ‘Xmas’ – as if Christ has been cancelled out and without meaning. Generally, people have always regarded Christmas as a special time of family, fun, food, cards and presents… but the birth of Jesus is still central for Bible-believers!

Christmas memories
We ourselves particularly recall some Christmases as special and precious…

  • Weeks of carols played in shops and expressions of genuine well wishes for Christmas.
  • Christmas Day mornings back home  awakening early to faithful carol singers from a local church gathering in the snow under a streetlight and warmly heralding the birth of Jesus.
  • Then the traditional gleeful opening of presents and the excitement following.
  • Soon we’d be hurrying off to early church for a down-to-earth service that highlighted the arrival
    of the Saviour of the world who came to bring peace to earth.
  • The Christmas Day luncheon and family fun together.
  • And, most especially, that best Christmas Day morn of all when our beautiful darlin’ daughter Wendy was born!

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