Approach #1: Analysis of Isaiah 43:7 and Revelation 4:11
There are only two verses in all of Scripture that seem to indicate the purpose for which God created man. They are found in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, and in John’s Book of Revelation.
Isaiah’s account appears to indicate that man was made to “glorify” God. John’s account, on the contrary, denotes that man was created simply to “please” God.
The verses in question read as follows:
“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory,
I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7
“Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast
created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11
What Does Isaiah 43:7 Mean?
In considering Isaiah’s account, the first issue that comes to mind concerns the chief end of man being the “glorification” of God. Within the immediate context of the verse, the actions of man are not under consideration.
The verse is focused upon God bringing “glory” to Himself by His own actions. The proper context of the opening verses of the 43rd Chapter of the Book of Isaiah are concerned mainly with the actions of God, and not of man. They read as follows:
“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed
Thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name;
thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be
burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for
thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have
loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee
from the west;
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons
from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory,
I have formed him; yea I have made him.”
Here we see the immediate context in which the verse “For I have created him (man) for my glory” (Isaiah 43:7) is presented. It is evident that the verse in question is not chiefly concerned with the actions or purpose of man at all.
Rather, the subject matter that Scripture is presenting here is focused upon God glorifying Himself, and not upon man glorifying God.
God Glorifying Himself Throughout the Book of Isaiah
This fact indeed holds true throughout the context of the entire Book of Isaiah, where we find numerous other occasions in which God brings glory to Himself by His own actions:
“For Thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers
to be no city, it shall never be built.
Therefore shall the strong people glorify Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear
Thee.” Isaiah 25:2,3
“Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, Thou hast increased the nation: Thou art
glorified: Thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 26:15
“Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth:
break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD
hath redeemed Jacob and glorified Himself in Israel.” Isaiah 44:23
“All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth
shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar,
and I will glorify the house of my glory.” Isaiah 60:7
When we examine Isaiah 43:7 within the appropriate perspective in which it is written, a different picture emerges. This is true both within its immediate context and within the framework of the entire Book of Isaiah. It seems that the writers of the Westminster Confession may have pulled a verse out of its proper context while attempting to prove a theological assumption that may or may not be true.
For as we have seen, the Book of Isaiah is filled with examples of God “glorifying Himself” by His own actions, with no expectation being placed upon man to do the same.
“Created for My Glory” or “Created to Glorify Me”?
When on a quest to better understand God’s Word, we must also recognize that Scripture says as much by what it doesn’t say as by what it does state.
For example, if God’s Word had truly intended to teach that the “chief end or purpose of man is to glorify God,” we might expect Isaiah 43:7 to read differently. Instead of “for I have created him for my glory,” it might have stated, “for I have created him to glorify me.” God’s Word obviously does not do so.
Isaiah 43:7 From God’s Infinite Perspective
We must always remember that we as humans live in a finite reality, while God’s reality is infinite. When we consider Isaiah 43:7 from God’s infinite perspective, from the “big picture” so to speak, a whole new pattern of understanding emerges.
For we must always remember that God does not observe world history in the same way that man perceives it. This is especially true in matters concerning His Creation.
Man is only “keenly aware” of the present, has only a fading memory of the past, and is totally oblivious as to the future. God, being a purely Spiritual Being, sees the total history of the physical world that He created as one event.
God was and is totally aware of the past, present, and future of the world from the time of its inception. For “Known unto God are ‘all’ His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18).
This is how Scripture can declare that from God’s perspective, that the Crucifixion was an accomplished fact from the moment of Creation, “… the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, 1Peter 1:19-20).
It therefore follows that at the time of the Creation of the Physical Universe, God knew that man would Fall. He also knew that the only way to successfully redeem man would be for He Himself to pay the penalty for the sins of man and to die for man upon the Cross.
When we consider Isaiah 43:7 “… for I have created him for my glory” from this perspective, we see that God knew from the beginning that by creating man, that He would be eternally glorified, as the depths of His glory and love in redeeming mankind would be openly visible for all of Creation to see.
How God Is Glorified Even When Man Sins
Interestingly, Isaiah 43:7 can be interpreted within the context in which it is written, with no presumption of any duty imposed upon man. In that context, “I have created him (man) for my glory” would also entail the reality that God is glorified by man even when man sins.
For when man lives in rebellion against God, we find that God is also glorified, as His longsuffering, mercy, and willingness to forgive man are put on open display for all of Creation to observe.
This of course sheds a whole new light on the proper interpretation of Isaiah 43:7.
For it becomes obvious that the verse in question is likely not concerned with man’s ultimate purpose and responsibility towards God at all. Rather, it concerns God’s Omniscience and His role in the redemption of man.
Interestingly, it may also serve as an acknowledgment of the fact that God is glorified by man’s actions, whether man is sinning or acting in a righteous manner (I Corinthians 6:20).
Isaiah 43:7 and the Westminster Confession
The writers of the Westminster Confession approached and interpreted Isaiah 43:7 from the finite viewpoint of man instead of from the perspective of God’s infinite comprehension. This may have done a tremendous dis-service to the Church’s understanding of the truly glorious Personage of God.
For if God had truly created man for the purpose of “proclaiming to the entire Universe just how wonderful He is,” a troubling implication would follow. It could suggest that the character of God may indeed possess somewhat of an “ego problem.”
This we know categorically to be untrue, for in that Jesus came to reveal the Father to us (“…He that hath seen Me hath seen the father…” John 14:9), we can surmise that by Jesus humbly washing the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17), that the character of God the Father is absolutely pure and unstained by pride.
The Pleasing of God
What Does Revelation 4:11 Say About Man’s Purpose?
When we consider Revelation 4:11 as indicating that the chief end of man is to “please God,” we find no such contextual problems of interpretation. God’s Word simply states that God “hast created all things, and for His pleasure they are and were created.”
Here we see that “God’s pleasure” or the “pleasing of God” being presented as the stated purpose of all facets of God’s Creation, a significant aspect of this of course being God’s “intended purpose for man”.
The lack of elaboration concerning man’s ultimate purpose presented in Revelation 4:11 does however require us to study the issue on a deeper level throughout the entirety of Scripture. For there are no obvious overt “companion verses” found within God’s Word which directly serve to establish the fact that God’s ultimate purpose for man was and is simply to “please Himself”.
Why Is Man’s Ultimate Purpose Concealed in Scripture?
This all begs the question, “Why does God bury, hide, and/or conceal this important issue as to what His intended purpose was in creating man?” An obvious answer would be that “If God had openly elaborated upon man’s purpose, then it is likely that the “purpose itself” could have possibly been turned into a false “theological idol” and thereby served to draw believer’s attention away from the true and living God.” An example of this can be seen in the Biblical Narrative where God’s Word teaches that God found it necessary to bury the body of Moses Himself (Deuteronomy 34:6), as the Hebrew people would likely have turned the location and/or the bones of Moses into a shrine or false idol.
Hence, God’s purpose in His Creation of man may indeed also be a spiritual truth that needs to be hidden just below the surface of God’s written Word.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out
a matter.” Proverbs 25:2
Therefore, it is crucial and necessary that we approach this important issue from various other angles and perspectives presented to us within the Word of God.
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