“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.”
John 1:14 (NKJV)
When we look at the root of the word “behold” we see that it has a much deeper meaning than the English language can present. “Behold” in the Greek origin is associated with having wonderment toward, assessing with calm scrutiny, contemplating, scanning, examining with care, reflecting, and perceiving comprehensively.
Likewise, when we look at the Greek root and Hebrew connotation of the word “dwelt” we see that it has often been presented in the Old Testament as pitching a tent or a tabernacle. In the New Testament it connotes “to be with.” Jesus dwelt among us. Psalm 27 shows us how David pleads to dwell in the beauty of the Lord all of his days. To just “be with” God. To gaze at Him, to gaze at the power and reality of Him, to sense His glory and presence. David asks for a sustained experience with God, beholding His beauty forever. Are we praying to dwell with God? To be captured by His beauty all of our days, sustained in wonder?
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.”
John 1:14 (NKJV)
Right before this word is presented in John, we see that it is in reality an effect of a cause-we can behold Jesus’s glory because He “dwelt” among us. Jesus was and is with us. How gracious God is in answering David’s prayer by allowing first His son to dwell among us in order so we can behold Him and His glory.
How can we dwell in Him today?
- Pray
“Prayer looks at the beauty of God without being able to think or explain it, you just gaze.”
Timothy Keller
When we pray as though dwelling with God is the purpose and the end, we are able to gaze with wonderment at His beauty.
“Moral people see God as useful, but the Gospel shows God as beautiful.”
Timothy Keller
Are you dwelling with God in your prayer time?
- Inquire intellectually in the Scriptures
When we read His inspired word, we give space for the Holy Spirit to bring wonderment, contemplation, and understanding.
“To seek a prophesy or truth we must seek the Word until the truth shines.”
Timothy Keller
When we have our quiet time alone with God, meditate on a Scripture until the Holy Spirit allows your heart to behold a truth.
- Be deliberate and intentional
Of course, the first two steps both require effort from us.
“Though God in this threefold revelation (the Trinity) has provided answers to our questions concerning Him, the answers by no means lie on the surface. They must be sought by prayer, by long meditation, on the written word, and by earnest and well-disciplined labor. However bright the light may shine, it can only be seen by those who are spiritually prepared to receive it.”
A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy
We can and are called to seek the glory of God. Only then can we understand how to glorify Him with our lives. Because Jesus came and dwelt among us in the flesh, we can behold His glory. We can gaze upon the beauty of our infinite God and go deeper in understanding Him. We can behold His beauty in our hearts, with our senses, our feelings, and by choice based on the truths of Scripture.
Come let us behold Him. Come let us adore Him. Let us gaze upon His beauty all of the days of our lives.