Today is Anzac day. In my view, this is our true national day, for all New Zealanders can honour the war roll that we have. New Zealanders have fought in the Land Wars (NZ), the Boer War (South Africa), WWI, WWII, Korea, Malaysia (Malayan Emergency) Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Our men have shed blood for our freedom and way of life. And today, in Australia and New Zealand, we honour them. The service, like all military ceremonies, as a certain glory to it.
But the glory we show is nothing compared to the Glory of God.

16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. 19As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. 20When the LORD descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to the LORD to look; otherwise many of them will perish. 22Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves or the LORD will break out against them.” 23Moses said to the LORD, “The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and keep it holy.'” 24The LORD said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the LORD; otherwise he will break out against them.” 25So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Now the glory of the Law was such that no man or woman could go near the mountain but Moses. The glory of the law inspires in us humans not a sense of exaltation or great self worth, but one of fear, trembling, and a realization that we are small, helpless and guilty. And this is not the full glory of God. For the glory of Christ is greater.

Colossians 1:15-23

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

21And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him – 23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

For a while the services of memorial became less Christian: but the tradition of military hymns, a talk (honouring the dead and the current servicemen) and Last Post comes from a military service. For the military, in the end, fight for honour and their friends, their mates. Even when their nation is in evil, men will fight — putting their lives on the line to defend their families and communities. We cannot remove that part of our nature in this world.

Any glory we have in this world is but glitter compared to the glory in the world to follow, if we remain in the gospel.