The Invitation Into Glory

On a mild May 10^th evening, I found myself in the backyard staring at the sky as an eerie but beautiful sight unfurled overhead. Ribbons of ghostly light nearly obscured the stars, flickering from deep red to pale green, as if some cosmic being was playing with fire at the edge of the atmosphere. These were the Northern Lights, putting on a once-in-a-lifetime display much farther south than they should be.

According to space weather scientists, our sun experienced an extreme solar storm, blasting the Earth with powerful waves of plasma and resulting in breathtaking fireworks seen by many worldwide.

Does understanding what caused the beautiful phenomenon diminish its miracle, like peeking behind the curtain and finding out that the Great Oz is actually just a con man? Or does understanding the workings of God’s creation, in fact, deepen its beauty and reveal even more about the God we worship?

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2).

This proverb from Solomon reveals an exciting dynamic between God and humanity. On the one hand, God takes glory in concealing profound truths and mysteries within His creation and His Word. Yet, on the other hand, there is great glory for humanity in diligently searching out and uncovering what has been concealed by God.

We see this divine invitation to search and discover embodied in the very life of Solomon himself. When God appeared to the young king and offered to give him anything he desired, Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment to rule God's people well. "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9) God was pleased by this request and granted Solomon unparalleled wisdom, making him the epitome of a king who found glory in searching out the deep matters that the Creator had deliberately concealed.

Searching the Word

The Psalmist models what it looks like to pursue this glory of searching out God's concealed mysteries. He cries out, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law" (Psalm 119:18), recognizing that God's very words contain “wonderful things” waiting to be discovered by the diligent seeker. Elsewhere, the plea is made: "When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, O Lord, I shall seek'" (Psalm 27:8). The Scriptures are an inexhaustible treasure trove of profound truths that God has deliberately embedded for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand.

Even Jesus' practice of teaching in parables was an invitation to participate in this discovery process. By concealing important teachings in stories and metaphors, He prompted His listeners with the appeal, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:9). Those who had the spiritual inclination would press in past the surface level and uncover the truth He had embedded for them to find.

Perhaps the greatest calling of all to search for the hidden things of God is made plain in Matthew 7:7 - "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." To seek, to search out, to persistently knock and dig into the concealed mysteries is a core part of the Christian experience precisely because it is how we participate in God's glory. As the Lord has hidden profound truths in every facet of His creation and revelation, we are invited to mine these treasures by close examination.

Searching creation

This isn't just about studying the Scriptures, though it is a vital part. The Bible points us to search out the concealed glories around us in the world. Job is told:

But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you...Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing? (Job 12:7-10)

The Psalmist proclaims,

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge (Psalm 19:1-2).

Paul echoes this:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made (Romans 1:20). 

This is not just an invitation but a responsibility. Having been imbued with reasoning minds and curious spirits, we miss out on great spiritual benefits when we remain content with surface-level understanding. We must fully embrace our calling to probe, question, analyze, and discover to participate in this dynamic. We dishonor the Creator when we treat His creation and Word as simplistic or shallow.

From the physical sciences to theology, philosophy to the arts, every sphere of human inquiry is a field of hidden glories God has sown for us to unearth. The intricacies of the universe display the wisdom of the Master Craftsman waiting to be explored. The rich doctrines in Scripture are treasures waiting to be excavated by Christians willing to explore every line.

In this way, to search out truth is to join ourselves in the very heart of God, who desires to be comprehended more fully by His children. God's glory expands through His people's discoveries.

This is the glory of kings - to diligently mine every domain of human inquiry for insights into the Almighty's character, nature, and majesty. Searching out the deep things of God and growing in our knowledge of Him is a high calling and honor as the crown of creation. In so doing, we bring God the glory due to His name.