A Refused Glory
I wonder how many of us have considered what is implied by the juxtaposition of two biblical verses that are, I concede, juxtaposed but rarely. The first verse, from Isaiah, contains the angelic declaration, "Heaven and earth are full of thy glory." The second verse, from Job, contains the Tempter's answer to the Lord's question, "Where have you been lately?" He responds, "Walking on the earth, to and fro, up and down."
Now this is the Tempter's dilemma: He is surrounded—above and below—by the glory of God, and he can't stand the sight of it. It prevents his getting any rest. Our Authority on the subject remarked of Satan, "He walks through dry places seeking rest and finding none" (Matt. 12:43).
Places on the earth are "dry" to Satan for the very reason that they are full of God's glory. Created nature, because it bears the beauty of holiness, is not congenial to demonic rest. Satan fell from grace, the ancients tell us, before this world was made, and he has never had a high regard for it.
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Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor emeritus of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and the author of numerous books, including, most recently, Out of Step with God: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Numbers (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2019).
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