God’s Glory our Joy

Last week, I attended the 19th annual God’s Glory our Joy conference near Warrington. It was good to meet with folk serious about the Bible and worshipping in faithful churches. Its website says it

‘aims to build biblical churches by stimulating thought, prayer and discussion in our churches, and to promote a true godliness according to biblical patterns.’

I didn’t know many of them there, but they were friendly enough, while Stephen Rees, Matthew Cox and John Palmer made excellent, thought-provoking speakers. The conference’s name continues to bless me. Our joy as believers should derive from God’s glorification- in our lives, in our churches, in our world. One text well preached upon, which includes those words, is Isaiah 66:5:

Hear the word of the Lord,

You who tremble at His word:

“Your brethren who hated you,

Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said,

‘Let the Lord be glorified,

That we may see your joy.’

But they shall be ashamed.”

This is a strange verse, and worthy of consideration. Addressed to those faithful Jews who believe (‘tremble’) at God’s word, they are reminded that their fellow Jews (‘your brethren’) hate them and expel them (from the temple? From holding office?) because of their faithfulness. These opponents, knowing that their godly victims derive their pleasure from glorifying God, sarcastically demand that God be glorified that they might no longer mourn. In the final sentence, God assures these tormentors of their coming judgement. 

We who seek to glorify God and live according to His ways see little about which to smile. The world continues to rebel further against its Creator’s boundaries and many in the circus church condone and applaud its latest examples of defiance. Yet to Him be glory in the church- and to our hearts, joy.