A More Certain Glory

Lyrics

Verse 1
Come see the glorious presence of God
Smoke ascends higher and higher (Ex. 19:18)
Sinai is shaking as trumpets resound (Ex. 19:16, Ex. 19:19, Heb. 12:19)
God is descending in fire (Ex. 19:18)
Greater by far is the silent descent
Into a Nazarene room (Matt. 1:18, Luke 1:26-31)
A more certain glory than Sinai beheld
Once was concealed in a womb (Luke 1:31)

Chorus
Come see a more certain glory (II Cor. 3:7-18)
Unveiled, abundantly clear (II Cor. 3:18)
Jesus is risen, ascended (Acts 1:9, Eph. 4:10, Matt. 28:6-7, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:6, Luke 24:34, I Cor. 15:20)
A more certain glory is here (II Cor. 3:10-11)

Verse 2 (Exodus 20, Exodus 32:19)
Come see the glorious tablets of stone (II Cor. 3:7)
Written by God’s holy hand (Ex. 24:12, Ex. 31:18, Ex. 32:15-16)
Read from the fingers that stretched out the skies (Ps. 104:2, Isa. 40:22, Isa. 42:5, Isa. 44:24, Isa. 48:13, Isa. 55:13, Jer. 10:12, Jer. 51:15, Zech. 12:1)
What He requires of man (Mic. 6:8)
Greater by far is the hand of God nailed
Onto a cross in our place (Matt. 27:35, John 19:18, Gal. 3:13)
A more certain glory than Sinai beheld
Writes in the language of grace

Repeat chorus

Verse 3
Come see a glorious, radiant face
Shine with a Heavenly light (II Cor. 3:7, Ex. 34:29-30)
See Moses cover his face with a veil
Eyes cannot fathom this sight (II Cor. 3:7)
Greater by far is the Pentecost fire
Setting our spirits aflame (II Cor. 3:8, Acts 2:1-4, Matt. 3:11, Luke 3:16)
A more certain glory than Sinai beheld
Fills us with zeal to proclaim (Acts 4:31)

Repeat chorus

Verse 4 (Jeremiah 31)
Come see the glorious memories fade
Tablets are lost and alone (I Kings 8:9, II Chron. 5:10)
See Moses’ veil lie forgotten, decayed
Sinai, a desolate stone
Greater by far is the hand of God, now
Writing His law in our hearts (II Cor. 3:3, Jer. 31:33, Heb. 8:10, Heb. 10:16)
A more certain glory than Sinai beheld
Enters and never departs (John 14:22-23)

Repeat chorus

Release Information

Released as a single to streaming services in 2024.

Author & Composer

Words and Music by Daniel J. Mount and David Hill

Publishing Information

Completed on August 2, 2021.

Sheet Music

Lead Sheet

Song Story

The Israelites saw the glory of the Old Covenant when God gave the law on Mount Sinai. It was spectacular, but it was temporary.

The glory of the New Covenant is certain and enduring.

This song derives its structure from the contrasts in II Corinthians 3:7-18. Each verse contrasts a portion of the glory of the Old Covenant mentioned in this passage with the more certain glory of its New Covenant fulfillment.

The verses are arranged in chronological order of their appearance in both the Old and New Covenants:

Verse 1 contrasts God’s descent on Mount Sinai with the more enduring glory of His incarnation.

Verse 2 describes the giving of the Old Covenant, the tablets of stone written by God’s hand. This contrasts with the giving of the New Covenant, when God’s hand was pierced on the cross.

Verse 3 describes the glory that shone from Moses’ face temporarily after he was in God’s presence. This contrasts with the glory of the Holy Spirit that indwelt believers on Pentecost and has abode in believers ever since.

The first three verses only hint at the temporary, fading nature of the Old Covenant. Verse four draws the contrast more clearly. The first half revisits the first three verses, describing how the glory of the Old Covenant is faded and forgotten; but the second half draws from Jeremiah 31 to describe God engraving the New Covenant on our hearts.

The chorus comes from the conclusion of the source text, II Corinthians 3:16-18. Paul says that upon salvation, the glory of Christ is unveiled to the believer. This is where we shift from theology to doxology as we rejoice in that glory!