The earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord
I noticed something interesting today in the book of Numbers that I hadn’t seen before (even though I’ve read the book, who knows how many times?), namely, the Lord swears by the fact that the earth will be filled with his glory: “Truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the L ord …” (14:21). In Psalm 72, we find the idea stated as a petition : “May the whole earth be filled with his glory!” (v. 19) This is something I find myself praying for on a regular basis. As a petition, it might seem as if there is an element of contingency implied. In Habakkuk, however, we find it stated as a fact: “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the L ord as the waters cover the sea” (2:14; cf. Isa. 11:9). What is noteworthy in Numbers is the strengthened certainty of the fact by the unique oath formula. It is so certain that the Lord himself swears by it . We frequently find the formula, “As I live, declares the...