How Does God Choose to Express Himself?

In my middle school years, I didn’t exactly embrace the finer points of self-expression. Was it possible that I wore the same purple GAP hoodie sweater, with that nice big front pocket, nearly every day? Perhaps.

Most former adolescents know what a risky road one travels toward learning to express who you are—or think you are. A purple sweater was a relatively safe choice—not too plain, but not too flashy. It kind of said, “she likes some color, but let’s not get crazy.” That dear girl was still just figuring out how much she cared for others to see.

In many ways, the purpose of expression is to make a part of ourselves visible or tangible. Expression is for showing, not simply telling, others about a reality that’s inside of us. 

In our fallen world, this is not always done well, or done truthfully. 

But, when something is expressed honestly, lovingly, skillfully, or courageously, a truth is given shape, color, or texture. It takes a form, and elements of its reality are put on display to reveal more of what it truly is. 

We see this take place in art, music, an honest conversation, a love letter. Through these mediums something is expressed in order for it to be seen, recognized, or even responded to.

The Glory and Expression of God

Artists, musicians, actors—they’re all in the business of expression, of bringing out what is unseen, but no less true, and giving it a voice, a shape, something others can encounter face to face.

If you have ever been moved by a work of art, a performance, or a song, you’ve experienced a connection with the heart of an artist. 

Expression, when done in an impactful way, doesn’t just create something beautiful or emotionally charged, but it creates an opening for connection.

And God, as the greatest artist, has given us a galaxy full of beautiful things to discover, and a history full of his works and encounters with mankind which we can respond to. 

“Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens” (Psalm 8:1).

When you encounter God’s glory—be it in Scripture, nature, or his working in your life—do you see it as an invitation?

God’s Expression as an Invitation

What happens when we accept God’s invitation to look closely, listen well, and draw near when his glory appears?

As the Israelites stood before Mt. Sinai, they witnessed smoke and flame rising from the mountaintop. God manifested himself in such a way as to reveal to the people he chose for himself that he is real, he is holy, and he wants to talk to them.

“You said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives” (Deuteronomy 5:24).

The Israelites had known God as their deliverer when he led them out of Egypt. Now through this particular display of his glory, he revealed himself as their Lord, worthy to receive all honor and obedience, but also a Lord who wants a relationship with them—a people who had nothing but their awe and worship, and sometimes grumbling, to offer him.

Out of this story on the mountain, Moses emerges as the one who responded to God’s invitation to draw near. While the Israelites drew back (Exodus 19:23), Moses asked to know God more.

“Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory’” (Exodus 33:18).

What God does and says in response to Moses’ request is incredible to compare to his display of glory in the smoke and fire of the mountaintop. He told Moses he will cause his glory to pass by him. What would it be? What would it look like? 

“Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:5-7).

This Old Testament passage says that God’s glory looked like God himself descending to be in Moses’ presence, declaring his name, and proclaiming his character to this audience of one: compassionate, gracious, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Moses, whom God would meet with face-to-face, “as a man speaks with his friend,” knew God in this way, experiencing his nearness, connecting to the goodness of his heart, by seeking his glory, and by inviting him to express his true nature (Exodus 33:11). 

As we look for God’s expression of himself through his glorious displays, we enter deeper into who he truly is.

The Fullness of God’s Glory

John Piper said that trying to define the glory of God is like trying to define beauty. We have a good idea of what it is, we probably know it when we see it, but when it comes to defining it, we may quickly come up short.

For much of my life, my own thoughts about God’s glory would often stop short with the Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai—light, smoke, fire, and clouds. What could I have to do with such a God? How could I draw near to such glory?

If the glory of God belongs on the mountain, my sin, my fear, and my grumbling, like the Israelites’, would have to keep me at a distance, and I must rely on the law to have any part in God’s promises.

But that isn’t the story we’ve been given.

When our understanding of God’s glory doesn’t go beyond our mental pictures of thunder and lightning, quaking mountains and tongues of flame, we miss the deepest experiences of God’s heart. Yes, these are true, awe-inspiring images from redemptive history where the invisible God breaks into the natural world and disrupts what we thought we knew.

But when it came to meditating on these revelations, I realized I had not fully comprehended the implications of God’s glory when I understood “glory” as God’s expression of himself.

When God passed before Moses, we learn that God has much more to show us about himself. Moses’ moment with God shows us God’s movement toward us.

Yes, “the heavens declare the glory of God,” but the full expression of his glory came much closer to us than the splendor of the heavens, or the majesty of the mountains. 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purifications for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

As breathtakingly beautiful as a sunset over the ocean might be, God chose to embody the fullness of his nature, the complete expression of his heart, in the person of Jesus Christ, who through his life and death and resurrection, has brought the glory of God’s love nearer than we could ever imagine.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Malachi Brooks

Sarah E Martin is a sister, aunt, daughter, and sometimes a globe trotter. She has a background in English literature, and a devotion to good tea. When she’s not writing or studying, she is attempting to learn the names of her backyard birds, or planning long, unhurried walks in her favorite places. She believes that Jesus is the answer to bringing all our stories together, and is the one who satisfies our ache for home.