What does it mean to glorify God?

Answer

To glorify God is to honor Him with praise or worship. God is glorious; that is, He is great and magnificent—He is exceptionally grand in His nature and deeds. “Full of splendor and majesty is his work” «His work is honourable and glorious: And his righteousness endureth for ever. », (Psalm 111:3, ESV). When we glorify Him, we acknowledge His greatness and splendor and laud Him for it. When we “give Him glory,” as all the world is told to do in Revelation 14:7, we direct our praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and worship to Him who alone is worthy.

Scripture makes our responsibility to glorify God evident from cover to cover. First Chronicles 16:17–36 presents a model for giving glory to God. As Asaph is installed as the chief minister before the ark of God, David instructs him in the method of worship:

• give praise to the Lord (verse 8)

• proclaim the greatness of God’s name (verse 8)

• tell the whole world what God has done (verses 8–9, 24)

• sing to the Lord (verses 9, 23)

• glory, or exult, in His name (verse 10)

• rejoice in Him (verse 10)

• seek out the Lord and trust in His power (verse 11)
• remember all the Lord’s mighty deeds (verse 12)
• ascribe glory and strength to Him because it is His due (verses 28–29). To ascribe is to think of as belonging, as a quality or characteristic; thus, we regard the Lord as possessing glory and strength.

• bring an offering to God (verse 29). In Asaph’s time, the offerings were in accordance with the Law of Moses; today, we are “to offer [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is [our] true and proper worship” «I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. », (Romans 12:1).

• Worship the Lord (verse 29)

• Give thanks to God for His goodness and love (verse 34)

• Cry out to God for deliverance (verse 35)