The Splendor of Holiness
Why this is a thing and matters
I was talking with friends recently about changes in our society. It is obvious to the three of us that there seems to be a general decline.
I’m not sure this is actually new or different. Living life seems to always be a combination of the good and bad. Evidence that the trend lines are heading toward improvement and decline are both plentiful and convincing.
Our particular problem as finite humans is one of perspective. Depending on our own life experiences we can see the glass half full, half empty, or holding the wrong drink.
Yesterday, the first day of the year, as part of our church service we did a responsive reading out of Psalms 29. While reading out loud the assigned section as a congregation, a particular phrase jumped out at me - “the splendor of holiness.” I tried to imagine what this might mean. The context of the thought was this:
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
Psalms 29:2 (ESV)
The whole psalm is fascinating but let me show you the last line. I believe this conclusion explains why David wrote this psalm.
Verse 11
May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!
Do you want strength and peace? I sure do. But It doesn’t start with exercise and meditation. It starts outside ourselves.
To ascribe is to begin by assigning truth to problems and equations. In music we might set the tempo and the key signature. In writing we might begin by selecting English as our preferred language and that we will write in a prose or poetic form. In math we might select a decimal system that uses nine distinct numerals. In sports we need to agree on the sport itself. Will it be basketball or badminton? Each has its own rules. All these seem obvious and logical, except one.
We hesitate to ascribe anything to God, often preferring to go with the idea of mystery. The result of this decision is we automatically move our focus toward things that don’t seem so mysterious. We look at our surroundings and in the mirror, which is really a funny thing to do because who we are and why we are here are the greatest riddles we face.
Without a doubt our greatest problem and temptation is to make some assumptions and then ascribe them to ourselves like: I am clever. I am a fool. I am attractive. I am ugly. I hate math. I hate sports.
Once I accept my own judgment about who I am then the subconscious part of my brain begins working to justify my assumptions. And it isn’t as simple as telling myself the opposite of what I have come to deeply believe, otherwise I can just add liar to my list of character defects.
This is not an original idea but still true that whatever I think about God will most accurately determine the course of my life, whether it will be fruitful or frightful.
And this is true whether I believe in God or not.
The reason I say this is because without a belief in a power outside ourselves that is greater than we are, we will concentrate our energies to either make the world, including every other human being, bend to our will, or we will just give up and stop trying, believing the game is rigged and we are, at best, a cosmic accident.
On the other hand, if we can ascribe a splendor of holiness so pure and magnificent it takes our breath away to the God of our currently best understanding, then I believe, slowly but surely, he will lift us up and set our feet on a solid rock. Keep in mind that as you attempt to know God better, over time, he will become larger and more real. Go ahead, test me and see if this isn’t the case.
I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!
Psalms 40:1-4 (ESV)
Thanks Ben for both your words and the much loved hymn.