The Lodestar

Idestrom, Rebecca G. S. Show Me Your Glory: The Glory of God in the Old Testament. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2023. Pages: 325. ISBN: 978-1-4982-1795-8

The Bible is about the glory of God, whether it mentions the word “glory” or its synonyms. In his speech minutes before martyrdom, Stephen said that the God of glory appeared to Abraham, though the text of Genesis does not explicitly say so. However, Idestrom guides us through specific passages where the glory of God is mentioned to help us understand how this vital concept unfolds through the traditions in the Old Testament.

The author takes us through selected passages in Exodus to elaborate on how Israel experienced the glory of God first through her experience of deliverance from Egypt. Then, in the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which describe their wilderness wandering, the glory of God shaped them as the people of God.

As the people redeemed by the powerful display of the divine glory settled in the promised land, the glory of God was manifest in the Temple. We are invited to join the journey to explore this theme in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. The glory of God was physically manifest in the Temple as the glory filled the temple at its dedication. The temple worship through music and dance was the celebration of God’s glory present among his people.

This jubilant celebration of the divine glory forms the crux of the Book of Psalms. Its response to the glory is multifaceted; the celebration of glory is not limited to the people of God. The nations and the creation all stand in awe of God’s glory.

While prophet Isaiah talks about the glory of God that would manifest in Zion, Ezekiel motivates the exiles in Babylon that though they are defeated God’s glory dwells among them.

Just as the glory of God redeemed the people from the Egyptian bondage and led them through the wilderness, it would restore his people when exile was a thing of the past. This forms the core of the message of Habakkuk, Haggai, and Zechariah.

Idestrom’s work, which took about 15 years to complete, is thorough and outstanding.