Today we begin worship with:
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
This verse is about glory (kāḇôḏ).
Man’s attempt to depict glory as streams of light or gilded thrones misses the point. The root of the word is kāḇaḏ, which means to be weighty. This is the weight we give to the opinions of those that have experienced the long term burden of leadership. It is the weight we feel when they walk into the room.
This Psalmist declares this weight appropriate for God because of his steadfast love and faithfulness. This is true ('ĕmeṯ) kindness (ḥeseḏ) that has neither facade nor ulterior motive. This is kindness that they have felt as a nation for generations.
The Psalmist deflects this glory away from us twice! Our kindness is not faithful and often comes with selfish motives. It certainly does not carry any such weight.
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