DAY 21 | The King of Glory

Who is Melech HaKavod (The King of glory)? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—He is Melech HaKavod (The King of glory).
Psalm 24:10

photography by Nick Sheerbart / calligraphy by Rita Ip

MUSIC

PRAYER

My King, enthroned in heavenly splendor, I praise You for Your glory is the ultimate goal of everything.

Please accept my heartfelt gratitude, for through Jesus I have a royal identity and the privilege to share Your eternal glory.

Forgive me when I take Your glory lightly, when I dare to steal it, and when I seek Your kingdom as a means of seeking my own.

My King, I earnestly ask You to open my eyes to see Your beaming splendor in everyday life. Fuel my heart with the desire to glorify You. I anticipate the day when every creation in Your Kingdom comes together to worship You.

Because You are my King of Glory, I declare I am Your glorious creation and I live to glorify You with every thought, every word, and every deed.

A few facts…

The title “The King of Glory” comes from Psalm 24, a psalm of David which many think was written on the occasion of the entrance of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6).
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word kavod (glory) refers to "importance", "weight", "deference", or "heaviness", but primarily kavod means "glory", "respect", "honor", and "majesty".
In the New Testament, kavod is translated as the Greek word doxa, meaning “opinion”, “good reputation” and “honor”.
- Doxology derives its name from doxologia, a combination of doxa (glory) and logos (word or speaking)
“The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections. It is the manifest beauty of his holiness. It is the going-public of his holiness.” - John Piper*

Exercise 1:

TWO-WAY JOURNALING

Grab your favorite drink, and find a quiet space to write. Sit tall, and relax your shoulders, neck, and jaws.

Smile and breathe. Smile, you are the child of the King of the universe, and He has crowned you with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). Inhale gently through the nose, picture yourself meeting the King face to face, and His glory shining brightly on you. Hold your breath for a few seconds, and celebrate this moment, you are filled with His glory. Slowly exhale, longer than you inhale, and release to Him any shame, disgrace, or regrets that you carry with you.

You probably have never written to a member of the royal family before, but you are going to write to The King of Glory today. What would you like to tell your King? Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through it. Be still and listen to Him, and record your dialogue with Him in your journal.

[Part 1]
Dear Father / The King of Glory, …
[Part 2]
Dear child / (your name), …

• Tell Him what you think of His glory or kingship

• Tell Him what you think of being a child of the King

• Ask Him what “the King of Glory” means

• Ask Him to show you His glory, just as Moses did (Exodus 33:12–18)

• Take this opportunity to process any of your shame, disgrace, or regrets

• Based on the context of Psalm 24, you may write about how you celebrate the entrance of your Glorious King into your life, just as David welcomed the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem

• Ask Him how exactly He wants you to glorify Him today or in this season of your life

Check out Appendix 2 for more.

Exercise 2:

DECLARATION

He is the King of Glory, a king who reigns over all the earth and whose glory fills all the earth. How does this relate to the way you live today? What would be an appropriate response to the Glorious King? Write your own declaration in your journal.

Because You are the King of Glory, I declare I can / I will / I am…

Read your declaration out loud to your King and yourself. Don’t mumble. Repeat it slowly and with certainty, let the core of your being shout out a big Amen. Gracious words (in some versions: “the speech of the wise”, “well-ordered words”, “kind words”, and “pleasant words”) are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)

This completes Day 21 of HE. Today, I pray just as Jesus did for all believers: Jesus has given us the glory that the Father gave Him so that we are united in the same way Father and Jesus are (John 17:22).