Gloria a Dios (Glory to God) is an oft-heard exclamation here in Spain, especially in church circles when you share some piece of good news with another believer. But what are we talking about? What do we actually mean when we speak of God's glory.
A quick search in an English dictionary turns up some of the same meanings that a Hebrew dictionary assigns to kavod (or kāḇôḏ) and that a Greek dictionary assigns to doxa, and I reflected on some of them this morning.
One of the meanings of glory is magnificence, splendour or impressiveness. If something or someone is "glorious," we're speaking of incredible beauty and brilliance - the kind that take your breath away and cause you just to stand in awe - like Isaiah's vision of God in the temple (Isaiah 6: 1 - 5); the time that Moses was unable to enter the tent because God's glory was so overwhelming (Exodus 40: 34 - 35), or when the cloud of God's glorious presence made it impossible for the priests to keep standing and performing their duties (2 Kings 8: 10 - 11). Sometimes when we speak of God's glory, we're referring to His majesty and splendour.
Another dictionary meaning of glory is renown, fame or prestige. Sometimes when we speak of God's glory, we're talking about His reputation: who He is and what He has done. I've always been fascinated by the account in Exodus 33: 18 - 19, where Moses asks God, "Show me your glory - kāḇôḏ," and God replies
by revealing his character to Moses: His goodness, graciousness and mercy. Those are the things He is famous for, the things that make up His reputation. When Jesus said to Martha, "If you believe, you will see the glory (Greek doxa) of God," He wasn't speaking about brilliant light, He was referring to God's miraculous power that was about to be displayed in the raising of Lazarus.
A third meaning of glory is honour, reverence or respect. These are also common meanings of both kāḇôḏ and doxa, and by the time we get to the New Testament, we find that doxa has the additional meanings of praise or worship. So, giving glory to the God of Glory doesn't make Him any more glorious than He already is, but it's is all about respecting and honouring Him, as well as giving Him the praise and worship that He deserves.
