Bewhat?

Looks like there have been some problems with blogspot. I thought this one was posted but was not.

I want to take a look today at the word behold which is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

This is now one of, if not my favorite verse in the whole Bible. One of the things that I love about scripture is how deep it is. I have already spent a lot of time considering this verse. I even wrote a sermon about it and I don’t have it all figured out. I am still trying to wrap my head around certain aspects of this verse.

The biggest thing for me right now is where it says“beholding the glory of the Lord” what does that mean?

Let’s start with the word behold not a word that you hear every day. Behold is a word that is used 1065 times in the ESV version of the Bible yet I am not sure there is a word that we used today that can compare to the weight and meaning of this word. If it is used over a thousand times in the Bible it may be important to figure out what it means. I looked up the word in the dictionary and here is what it said.

See or observe (a thing or person, esp. a remarkable or impressive one)

- behold your king!

- the botanical gardens were a wonder to behold

You see when they just say see or observe that just does not do the word justice. It is the way it is used that I am still wrapping my head around. Behold your king has a different ring to it than look at your king. Or the botanical gardens were a wonder to behold. To me this means more than yea they were nice looking. So when it says to behold the glory of the Lord I am still asking myself what does this really mean?

I have added a comment on this verse by Oswald Chambers in which he talks about beholding.

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.~~ Oswald Chambers