But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
God staked His own life on this promise when He spoke to Moses at the tabernacle after Israel believed the spies and refused to enter the promised land, making it as certain as that He lives and reigns. He pardoned the people for the sake of His name among the nations, yet those who had seen His glory and miracles and tempted Him ten times would fall in the wilderness, while their children and the faithful like Caleb and Joshua would enter the land. The glory that will fill the whole earth is His character of merciful kindness and tender love, which Israel's disobedience and long delay cannot prevent from being revealed to all mankind. It is a prophecy of the final triumph of truth when the gospel succeeds, every error is broken, and Jesus Christ is revealed in mercy to all nations through missionary proclamation to every kindred and tongue. Those who know the truth are therefore to make this their highest aim, awakening the world and going to the ends of the earth without discouragement, assured that the clouds will break and the work will be fulfilled.
Context and Meaning
The words were spoken to Moses at the tabernacle after Israel rebelled over the report of the spies and refused to enter the promised land, when God threatened to strike the people with pestilence and disinherit them and to make a greater nation from Moses himself. Moses refused the offer of a greater nation and pleaded for pardon for the sake of God's fame among the nations. He recalled that the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the land had heard that the Lord was among Israel face to face, with cloud over them by day and fire by night. He urged that killing the people as one man would make the nations say He was not able to bring them into the land He had sworn to them and therefore slew them in the wilderness. He pleaded the Lord's own words that He is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression yet by no means clearing the guilty and visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation, asking pardon according to great mercy as He had forgiven from Egypt until now.
God pardoned Israel according to Moses' word so His name would not be dishonored among the nations, yet His glory was also shown in judgment. The men who had seen His glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness, whose glory had just appeared at the tabernacle to stop the stoning of Caleb and Joshua, and who tempted Him ten times without obeying His voice, would not see the land sworn to their fathers. They were to turn back into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, with their carcasses falling there, all numbered from twenty years old and upward who had murmured. The little ones said to be a prey would be brought in to know the despised land. Caleb with his descendants and Joshua would enter, because Caleb followed fully with a different spirit.
The opening words are an oath sworn by God's own life that makes the promise doubly sure and unchangeable, as certain as that God lives and reigns. The glory that will fill the whole earth is God's character of merciful kindness and tender love for which Moses pleaded, to be revealed to all mankind and declared among the heathen. Israel's disobedience and long wilderness delay because of refusal to trust cannot prevent that purpose or keep His name from being honored among the nations.
Prophecy of Final Triumph
Spoken after pardon was granted on the borders of the promised land, the oath makes the promise doubly sure and unchangeable, as certain as that God lives and reigns. It is a prophecy of the final triumph of His chosen people, when His glory shall fill the whole world and be revealed to all mankind and declared among the heathen, His wonders among all people. That glory is His character, His merciful kindness and tender love, the very long-suffering, mercy and forgiveness pleaded in behalf of Israel and fallen man. This is the final triumph of truth, for the gospel, which is God's law shown in character, will succeed, and every deception and error opposing it will be broken.
The glory that shall fill the whole earth is the glory of the Prince of life, Jesus Christ. His birthplace in Bethlehem was appointed by providence, and His dominion endures throughout all generations. It is the glory of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing a message of mercy to the world, uplifting all that are cast down and gladdening the waste places of the earth.
The prophecy is now meeting rapid fulfillment through the missionary activities of the church, as the gospel message is proclaimed to all nations so that all nations hear the truth. Men and women from every kindred, tongue, and people are made accepted in Christ to show the exceeding riches of grace. The Spirit-inspired mission of the disciples calls believers to help bring this about by proclaiming the truth among all nations and going to the ends of the earth testifying. In its fullness the promise is the blessed state in which Christ makes all things new and the redeemed inherit all things and reign forever, and the gospel work of preaching Christ and making God's wisdom known through the church helps bring about that state.
Call to Faithful Work
The account to which the promise belongs is Israel's response to the spies, and it stands as a warning that God's people today may repeat that same distrust and resistance to faithful counsel. Those who know and profess the truth are to take up their appointed work to awaken the world and help bring about its fulfillment. The highest earthly aim is that the whole earth shall be filled with God's glory.
That glory is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the earth is filled with it when believers go to the ends of the earth testifying and proclaim the truth among all nations so that all nations hear the truth. This going forth is to be done when surcharged with full, deep, far-reaching benevolence and intense longing for the saved to be added to the church, while calling other believers to arouse and do their part after the pattern of the disciples' Spirit-inspired mission.
Believers may follow Moses' example by citing God's promises in prayer when pleading for pardon and for His cause. Moses refused the offer to be made a greater nation, and pleaded that the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the land had heard that the Lord was among Israel face to face with cloud over them by day and fire by night, so that if all the people were killed as one man the nations would say the Lord was not able to bring them into the land He swore to them and therefore slew them in the wilderness. He pleaded the Lord's own words that He is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression yet by no means clearing the guilty and visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation, asking pardon according to great mercy as He had forgiven from Egypt until now. God pardoned according to Moses' word, giving His oath sworn by His own life that the whole earth would be filled with His glory, yet His purpose stood certain while the men who had seen His glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness and had tempted Him ten times and had not obeyed His voice would surely not see the land sworn to their fathers, and Israel must turn back into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
The promise is unchangeable and will be fulfilled from God's point of view, and it assures God's workers of deliverance and fulfillment despite the strong battle between righteousness and sin and the slow advancement of the work. True workers who walk by faith and work by faith will see the clouds break away and the promise fulfilled if they refuse to fail or be discouraged while growing weary watching the slow progress where the struggle between good and evil wages strong. Through the mist and cloud that Satan throws across their pathway they will see the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Therefore they can rest in the Lord and trust wholly in Him who is their only hope.
God staked His own life on this promise when He spoke to Moses at the tabernacle after Israel believed the spies and refused to enter the promised land, making it as certain as that He lives and reigns. He pardoned the people for the sake of His name among the nations, yet those who had seen His glory and miracles and tempted Him ten times would fall in the wilderness, while their children and the faithful like Caleb and Joshua would enter the land. The glory that will fill the whole earth is His character of merciful kindness and tender love, which Israel's disobedience and long delay cannot prevent from being revealed to all mankind. It is a prophecy of the final triumph of truth when the gospel succeeds, every error is broken, and Jesus Christ is revealed in mercy to all nations through missionary proclamation to every kindred and tongue. Those who know the truth are therefore to make this their highest aim, awakening the world and going to the ends of the earth without discouragement, assured that the clouds will break and the work will be fulfilled.
Context and Meaning
The words were spoken to Moses at the tabernacle after Israel rebelled over the report of the spies and refused to enter the promised land, when God threatened to strike the people with pestilence and disinherit them and to make a greater nation from Moses himself. Moses refused the offer of a greater nation and pleaded for pardon for the sake of God's fame among the nations. He recalled that the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the land had heard that the Lord was among Israel face to face, with cloud over them by day and fire by night. He urged that killing the people as one man would make the nations say He was not able to bring them into the land He had sworn to them and therefore slew them in the wilderness. He pleaded the Lord's own words that He is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression yet by no means clearing the guilty and visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation, asking pardon according to great mercy as He had forgiven from Egypt until now.
God pardoned Israel according to Moses' word so His name would not be dishonored among the nations, yet His glory was also shown in judgment. The men who had seen His glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness, whose glory had just appeared at the tabernacle to stop the stoning of Caleb and Joshua, and who tempted Him ten times without obeying His voice, would not see the land sworn to their fathers. They were to turn back into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, with their carcasses falling there, all numbered from twenty years old and upward who had murmured. The little ones said to be a prey would be brought in to know the despised land. Caleb with his descendants and Joshua would enter, because Caleb followed fully with a different spirit.
The opening words are an oath sworn by God's own life that makes the promise doubly sure and unchangeable, as certain as that God lives and reigns. The glory that will fill the whole earth is God's character of merciful kindness and tender love for which Moses pleaded, to be revealed to all mankind and declared among the heathen. Israel's disobedience and long wilderness delay because of refusal to trust cannot prevent that purpose or keep His name from being honored among the nations.
Prophecy of Final Triumph
Spoken after pardon was granted on the borders of the promised land, the oath makes the promise doubly sure and unchangeable, as certain as that God lives and reigns. It is a prophecy of the final triumph of His chosen people, when His glory shall fill the whole world and be revealed to all mankind and declared among the heathen, His wonders among all people. That glory is His character, His merciful kindness and tender love, the very long-suffering, mercy and forgiveness pleaded in behalf of Israel and fallen man. This is the final triumph of truth, for the gospel, which is God's law shown in character, will succeed, and every deception and error opposing it will be broken.
The glory that shall fill the whole earth is the glory of the Prince of life, Jesus Christ. His birthplace in Bethlehem was appointed by providence, and His dominion endures throughout all generations. It is the glory of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing a message of mercy to the world, uplifting all that are cast down and gladdening the waste places of the earth.
The prophecy is now meeting rapid fulfillment through the missionary activities of the church, as the gospel message is proclaimed to all nations so that all nations hear the truth. Men and women from every kindred, tongue, and people are made accepted in Christ to show the exceeding riches of grace. The Spirit-inspired mission of the disciples calls believers to help bring this about by proclaiming the truth among all nations and going to the ends of the earth testifying. In its fullness the promise is the blessed state in which Christ makes all things new and the redeemed inherit all things and reign forever, and the gospel work of preaching Christ and making God's wisdom known through the church helps bring about that state.
Call to Faithful Work
The account to which the promise belongs is Israel's response to the spies, and it stands as a warning that God's people today may repeat that same distrust and resistance to faithful counsel. Those who know and profess the truth are to take up their appointed work to awaken the world and help bring about its fulfillment. The highest earthly aim is that the whole earth shall be filled with God's glory.
That glory is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the earth is filled with it when believers go to the ends of the earth testifying and proclaim the truth among all nations so that all nations hear the truth. This going forth is to be done when surcharged with full, deep, far-reaching benevolence and intense longing for the saved to be added to the church, while calling other believers to arouse and do their part after the pattern of the disciples' Spirit-inspired mission.
Believers may follow Moses' example by citing God's promises in prayer when pleading for pardon and for His cause. Moses refused the offer to be made a greater nation, and pleaded that the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the land had heard that the Lord was among Israel face to face with cloud over them by day and fire by night, so that if all the people were killed as one man the nations would say the Lord was not able to bring them into the land He swore to them and therefore slew them in the wilderness. He pleaded the Lord's own words that He is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression yet by no means clearing the guilty and visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation, asking pardon according to great mercy as He had forgiven from Egypt until now. God pardoned according to Moses' word, giving His oath sworn by His own life that the whole earth would be filled with His glory, yet His purpose stood certain while the men who had seen His glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness and had tempted Him ten times and had not obeyed His voice would surely not see the land sworn to their fathers, and Israel must turn back into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
The promise is unchangeable and will be fulfilled from God's point of view, and it assures God's workers of deliverance and fulfillment despite the strong battle between righteousness and sin and the slow advancement of the work. True workers who walk by faith and work by faith will see the clouds break away and the promise fulfilled if they refuse to fail or be discouraged while growing weary watching the slow progress where the struggle between good and evil wages strong. Through the mist and cloud that Satan throws across their pathway they will see the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Therefore they can rest in the Lord and trust wholly in Him who is their only hope.