CLOTHED IN HIS GLORY Kay Keith Peebles 09/25/2020 20.36
”The Emperor’s New Clothes” is a folktale first published in 1837 by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It is the story of a vain Emperor who was tricked by two conniving thieves. He wanted a new garment that would make him look distinguished and regal so that he could parade himself before his subjects showing off his wealth and prominence. The con men told him they were tailors who had travelled the world finding only the finest threads to weave into cloths. They promised they could make him an outfit that would be more magnificent than anyone had ever seen. The Monarch paid them a royal sum of money to begin buying the materials in order to make his special garment.
The tailors came and carefully measured the Emperor’s head, neck, arms, waist and legs so that they could prepare the raiment to fit him perfectly. They even brought in a loom and pretended to weave the cloths on it but no thread, string or fabric was ever visible. Weeks went by and the Ruler was finally notified his new clothes were finished. The tailors had his attendants remove all his clothing and they pretended to put on him the new clothes, although there was nothing visible in their hands. Layer by layer they supposedly draped his body with the new attire as they told the Emperor only those people who were smart and highly important could see his new clothing. The Monarch himself could see nothing on his body but desiring not to appear foolish or undistinguished, he pretended he could see them and bragged about the beauty of his new suit.
He ordered the people to gather on both sides of the street and began a great procession to show off his new outfit. All the people shouted in awe even though they saw no clothes on the Emperor. Finally, one brave young child shouted out to the crowd, “He’s naked; he has no clothes on” promptly ending the charade. This is a paraphrase of the story but it still has a poignant lesson on the absurdity of man’s vanity.
“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty and splendor. The LORD has clothed Himself with strength; the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” Psalm 93:1.
“You are clothed with splendor and majesty, [You are the One] who covers Yourself with light as a garment…” Psalm 104:1-2.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of His royal robe filling the[ most holy part of the] temple.” Isaiah 6:1. In other words, His glory filled the temple!
The Lord is coming to examine His church. He is looking to discern between those who are “clothed with Christ” and those who are only pretenders. He is searching for those who have died to self, bearing His resemblance and those who only call themselves by His name but have no resemblance of His character at all. He is sifting through those who have made Him LORD of their lives and those who call Him Lord but don’t let Him rule and reign in their hearts. It is both an exciting time and a sobering time. It is a powerful time and a fearful time depending on who or what clothes us.
From the beginning, we were destined to be clothed in His glory! When God created Adam and Eve they were naked, but they were not aware of their nakedness because they were clothed in God’s glory. At creation they were made perfectly pure in heart. There was no guile in them, but they were given a free will to choose. They only became aware of their nakedness after they sinned against the commandment of the Lord. Quickly their glorious covering vanished because that which is holy cannot coexist with that which is vile. It was the knowledge of good and evil that enabled them to see that they were naked. Consequently, they became afraid and hid themselves from the Lord. Sin exposes our nakedness but God’s mercy and grace restores us. His righteousness covers us so that one day we may again be clothed in His glory.
We were created to walk with the LORD in daily communion free from fear, worry, bondage, sin and destruction. Because of Adam and Eve’s fall, sin made a deep divide between God and mankind. We were born “naked”, knowing good and evil but the Lord is calling us to come to Him, in order to be washed in His blood of forgiveness, cleansed by His word and clothed in His glory!
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:4-9.
The above passage is first and foremost speaking of Jesus, the Son of God and the son of man but it is also referring to those who will believe in Him and walk in His ways. Before Adam and Eve sinned, the LORD God had given them authority over everything in the earth. See Genesis 1:26-28.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they exchanged the glory of God in which they dwelled and were clothed for the knowledge of good and evil. Their actions unintentionally handed over to Satan the dominion of the earth they once possessed. Jesus came to buy it back and place it in the hands of those who truly believe! There are several prophets and leaders who walked in the power and dominion of God who are recorded in the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments. However, the fulfillment of God’s plan from the beginning will be accomplished by those who see and walk in His glory, making disciples of men and nations now until He returns! Whenever His power and His glory are manifest in the earthly realm through miracles, signs and wonders, all the glory for the results belong to Him.
Moses spoke face to face with the Lord and demonstrated the power of God through the miracles, signs, and wonders God did through him. The Shekinah glory of the Lord continually rested upon Moses’ tent of meeting and the glory of God shone on Moses face each time he went upon the mountain to be with the Lord.
God clothed Gideon in order to empower him to pull down the altars of idolatry and defeat Midian. “So the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon [and empowered him]; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together [as a militia] to follow him.” Judges 6:34. The Lord whittled down his great army to 300 to show the people it was not they who would win the victory but the Lord who fought for them!
The prophet Samuel grew up under a corrupt priest named Eli but he remained pure in heart. He interceded on behalf of the Israelites who were in sin because they asked for a king instead of allowing the Lord to be their king. He called down thunder and rain from heaven to convince them they had sinned before the Lord God. Then he charged them: “Only fear the LORD [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away [to destruction].” It is said of Samuel that not one of his prophetic words he spoke in his lifetime fell to the ground. “Now Samuel grew; and the LORD was with him and He let none of his words fail [to be fulfilled].” 1 Samuel 3:19.
There were several powerful prophets who followed Samuel like Elijah and Elisha who carried the power and presence of God wherever they went. The mantle (loose cloak or shawl) of God’s glory was upon their lives. Elijah’s mantle was passed on to Elisha but Elisha received a double anointing!
John the Baptist gave a powerful report of Jesus’ baptism: “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.” John 1:32. At the transfiguration of Jesus scripture says: “And His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became white as light.” Matthew 17:2.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have all been given the opportunity to not only be filled with His Holy Spirit but to also be clothed with Him! The Holy Spirit comes in us to change us and upon us to empower us to help others; but it is not for our glory, it’s for His!
“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:8-l2. These attributes are the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the Love of God. They are God’s nature.
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed], you have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values].” Ephesians 3:27.
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of His glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” 1 Colossians 1:27-28.
“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10.
The book of Acts is filled with the awe and wonder of the Lord working through the 12 apostles. Extraordinary miracles took place at the hand of those who believed like Stephen and have continued since the birth of the church.
Finally, Jesus’ prayer before His death and resurrection was for this very thing. “Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. For their sake I sanctify Myself [to do Your will], so that they also may be sanctified [set apart, dedicated, made holy] in [Your] truth. I do not pray for these alone but also for those who believe and trust in Me through their message…I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world may know [without any doubt] that You sent Me, and [that You] have loved them, just as You have loved Me.” John 17:18-23. See entire chapter.
When we are one with Christ Jesus, we become His ambassadors in the world. We will speak His words and do His will. He will manifest His glory through us in healings and miracles in order to draw the world to Him. We will do the works Jesus did and more, showing the world His goodness, love, greatness, majesty and glory. We are to make His name great among the people by allowing Him to manifest his glory so that all may see Him, believe in Him and be clothed in Him.
