1 Chronicles 16:27 - "Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place."
Psalm 96:6 - "Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary."
This morning, our mind once again ponders the wondrous beauty of Scripture. Scripture, like nothing else, is not only divinely inspired but provides commentary on itself. The best way to know what the Scriptures mean by a certain thing is to look at the Scriptures as a whole. Since the harmony of the thought is interwoven through the entire book, the best commentary will always be the Book itself.
One of my favourite things to do when studying the Bible is to find parallel passages that define words for us, give further light into the thought under consideration, and broaden the picture a little more. Consider the life of Jesus if one only had Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John to reference. Many things about Him would be unknown, and John even tells us He did more than a world of books could contain (John 21:25).
The verses above are a parallel passage, and indeed David's whole psalm of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16 is paralleled in other places in the Bible. The first 15 verses (verses 8-22) are also found in Psalm 105:1-15, and the next 11 verses (verses 23-33) are found in Psalm 96:1-13.
By studying these two lists, we can easily see that glory and majesty equate to one another, and beauty and gladness do as well. The words are interchanged in the passages. Many times, we hear about different types of glory that this world has to offer. Paul even speaks about the glory of the terrestrial and the glory of the celestial in 1 Corinthians 15.
Gladness is - in another parallel passage - defined as joy (Mark 4:16; Luke 8:13). So, if gladness is defined by the Bible itself as joy and beauty, we understand that what is under consideration is deeper than natural happiness, giddiness, or physical beauty.
Where do these four adjectives of honour, glory/majesty, strength, and beauty/gladness come together? The first couple of adjectives are said to be in His presence or before Him. The second set is said to be in His place or His sanctuary.
A sanctuary is known as a place of rest, refuge, safety, or holy reverence. This place is His. It is not to be handled lightly, for it belongs to Him (Matthew 16:18). As it is His place, we need to understand that the items listed above that grace it come from Him.
Therefore, if His sanctuary is where these things are found, let us draw nigh unto His place with a pure heart, seeking His glory and strength, upholding His honour with gladness, and earnestly desiring to see more of His majesty and beauty.
In Hope,
Bro Philip