In response to the question: “What is the chief end of man?” The Catechism answers: “Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism).

Scripture uses the word “glory” — or kavod in Hebrew and doxa in Greek — to say several different things about God. Very often, God’s “glory” is his appearance, especially the cloud of light that surrounds him, as in Exodus 24:17, or Ezekiel 10:4.

But when we speak of the glory of God as the goal of ethics, we are not thinking primarily in terms of his appearance. Rather, we are more concerned with God’s fame or reputation, especially the fame he receives through his powerful works. For instance, in Exodus 14:4, God spoke these words:

But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.

In this passage, God indicated that the recognition of his glory, that is, his fame or reputation, would increase when the Egyptians saw that his power had defeated them. They would resent his glory, but they would still have to acknowledge it.

In a related sense to God’s fame and reputation, we are also interested in God’s “glory” in terms of honor and praise that is given to him. For instance, this is the meaning of “glory” in Psalm 29:1-2:

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

When God created humanity, he assigned us a purpose. And that purpose was to rule over the earth as his vassal kings, spreading his rule and the blessings of his kingdom throughout the whole world.

For example, the Psalms teach us to meditate on God’s good works and power, which increases his reputation. And they teach us to sing about these things, which is a form of honoring and praising him.

And the historical books record many of God’s works of power, mercy and judgment. Through their records, they teach us to remember God’s goodness and sovereignty, and they give us further reasons to praise him.

The prophetic books, in turn, teach us to hope in God’s future glory. And this hope is to be our motivation to pursue righteousness in this life. Moreover, in God’s law, obedience to all God’s commandments is actually equated with reverence for his glory.

Unlike the Egyptians who resented God’s glorious works of power, Christians are to appreciate God’s power, and to increase his fame and reputation by proclaiming his deeds and giving him thanks.