Study 13 – Transitioning from the Anointing to the Glory II
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17)
Introduction
We continue from where we stopped last week. Revelation, or revealed knowledge, leads us to experience God’s glory. And we receive revelation as we draw closer to Him. Most of us stay in the realm of faith and the anointing. Yet, to transition from the anointing to glory, we must recognize who receives revelation, develop a redeemed mind-set according to God’s perspective, allow God to be God, respect the glory, and realize that revelation comes only to those who truly hunger and thirst for Him.
Study Questions
Part IV: Allow God to Be God
- (a) What are we to do in recognition of God? (Psalm 46:10a)
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(b) Where will God be exalted? (Verse 10b)
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- (a) Whose example was Jesus following as He performed specific healings and miracles? (John 5:19b)
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(b) Why did the Father show the Son everything that He did? (Verse 20a)
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- (a) What did Jesus say in the garden of Gethsemane that reflected His inner commitment to surrender His life fully to God and His sovereign purposes? (Matthew 26:39b)
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(b) What must we do, in order to follow in His footsteps? (Matthew 16:24b)
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(c) What will happen to those who desire to save their lives, and what will happen to those who lose their lives for Christ’s sake? (Verse 25)
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- By what did Jesus learn obedience, even though He was the Son of God? (Hebrews 5:8b)
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No knowledge or revelation becomes ours until it is obeyed and practiced.
- What mind-set did Christ have, which we are also to have? (See Philippians 2:5.) Complete the following:
(a) Philippians 2:7: “…but __________ __________________ _____ _____ _______________________, taking the form of a bondservant….”
(b) What did Christ do, which we are to emulate? Complete the following:
Verse 8: “And being found in appearance as a man, He __________________ _________________ and __________________ ______________________ _____ _______ ______________ _____ ________________….”
Part V: Respect the Glory
- (a) What did Uzzah the priest do when the cart that was carrying the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem swayed? (2 Samuel 6:6)
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(b) What did God do to Uzzah as a result of his action, and why? (Verse 7)
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Reflections on Uzzah’s Punishment
The ark of the covenant that was carried to Jerusalem on a cart pulled by oxen was not transported according to God’s instructions to Moses. It should have been carried by the Levites (see Deuteronomy 10:8), raised upon their shoulders by wooden poles (see Exodus 25:13–15). In the Old Testament, not even the priests were allowed to touch the ark or to examine its contents. Although Uzzah belonged to the tribe of Levi, he failed to respect the presence of God, which the ark represented, when he took hold of it. This incident should demonstrate for us that we are not to become casual about the presence of God in our lives or in our midst when we gather together as believers; that is an atrocity! Uzzah’s fate teaches us to be reverent toward God. He is the only One worthy of worship and honour. These verses ultimately reveal the importance of knowing and understanding the glory of God so that we can walk in it, live in it, and experience it without offending Him. Otherwise, we expose ourselves to discipline and punishment, perhaps even death.
- (a) What statement did King Nebuchadnezzar make about the kingdom of Babylon, and about himself? (Daniel 4:30)
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(b) What punishment did God tell the king he would undergo for taking the glory for himself? (Verses 31–32a)
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(c) This punishment would last for seven years, until the king knew a certain truth. What is that truth? (Daniel 4:32b)
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(d) What is God able to do to those who walk in pride? (Verse 37b)
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(e) Whom did Nebuchadnezzar bless, praise, and honour after the seven years? Why? (Verse 34b)
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- (a) Centuries later, when King Herod Agrippa I of Palestine sat on his throne dressed in royal apparel, what did the people shout? (Acts 12:22)
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(b) What happened to Herod, and why? (Verse 23a)
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- What two offenses did Ananias and Sapphira commit against the Holy Spirit, resulting in their deaths? (Acts 5:3a, 9a)
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- (a) During Jesus’ transfiguration, Peter told Jesus that he would make three tabernacles—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Did he realize what he was saying? (Luke 9:33b)
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(b) What did the “voice” from the cloud say to Peter and the other disciples to emphasize the respect, glory, and honour Jesus alone was due? (Luke 9:35b)
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Part VI: Revelation Comes to Those Who Hunger and Thirst
- What does Jesus’ promise to the person who loves Him and keeps His Word? (John 14:23b)
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- Whom did Jesus say would be spiritually filled? (Matthew 5:6a)
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- (a) What did Jesus say had been given to His disciples? (Matthew 13:11a)
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(b) Why do certain people lack this ability? (Verse 15a)
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(c) Why did Jesus say the disciples’ eyes and ears were blessed? (Verse 16)
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Key Definition: Spiritually speaking, a mystery is something that cannot be perceived or known through natural means. It is knowledge that God alone has, and the only way human beings may have access to it is by revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Knowledge of the glory belongs to the realm of the mysteries of God.
Conclusion
Jesus showed us the way of obedience as the only path to reach maturity and enjoy eternal life; no rebellious person will enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus had to set aside His own will to do the will of the Father. When He denied Himself and went to the cross to fulfil the Father’s purpose for salvation, it was the zenith of all the self-denial He had exercised throughout His life on earth. We, too, must deny ourselves in order to fulfil the Father’s will for us. We must say no to our rebellious, sinful nature. When the ego says, “I want,” we must respond, “No!” We cannot negotiate with the ego. It must be put to death. It must die so that Jesus can live through us! All of God’s children must also follow Jesus’ example to be perfected in holiness through suffering. (See Hebrews 5:8–9.) In the church today, the concept of suffering is rarely mentioned; in many cases, it is even rejected. Some people have reached the extreme of labelling it as a bad word because they refuse to accept the suffering that accompanies full obedience to God and His Word. Yet when we choose to walk on the path of obedience, which entails death to self and often includes suffering, God can be glorified and manifested through us. The Scriptures say, For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
The Lord promises us so much knowledge of His glory that the manifestations will fill the planet we inhabit. Extraordinary miracles that have never been seen before will begin to take place. Why? Because humanity is receiving the revealed knowledge of the glory of God. To know Jesus is to bring His reality, His dominion, His life, and His power to earth.
Prayer of Activation
Father of glory, we honour and worship You. Show us great and mighty things through the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Let us know all that You have for us in the new covenant You have made with us through Your Son Jesus. Impart to us the mysteries of the kingdom of God, so that we may increasingly serve You better. May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen!
Action Steps
- Write down ten things you have learned from the Scriptures or from biblical teaching about God’s priorities for your life and for the world. Then, review them and begin to align your life with any of these priorities that you have not been giving much attention to. For example, you might pray about how you can minister to a widow or orphan spiritually and materially, and then follow the Spirit’s leading in doing so. As you align your life with God’s priorities, ask Him to give you revealed knowledge so that you can know more about His will for your life and obey it.
- On what are you setting your mind—things on earth or things above? Over the next week, evaluate what you spend much of your time thinking about and doing. Are you tempted to read gossip about celebrities? Are you spending the majority of your time on the pursuit of entertainment? Do you worry constantly? While rest, healthy recreation, and attending to our daily needs are necessary for everyone, if you are being distracted from what is important to God by trivial matters or excessive worrying, make a conscious decision to set your mind on things above through memorizing and meditating on God’s Word. Begin by memorizing Scriptures related to a particular spiritual theme or by memorizing a chapter from a book in the New Testament. Memorize one or two verses every day, and then meditate on those verses during the following twenty-four hours, before you go on to the next verse or two.
