The Awe of the tremors of God's Holy presence

Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
Earlier this week the news had reported an earthquake occuring in the middle of Virginia.  My sister-in-law, who lives near Philadelphia, several hours away from the epi-center, told my wife that things on her wall were shaking.  I can recall my own experience of an earthquake when we had lived in a town North of Tulsa.  There had been a confirmed magnitude 4.3 earth tremor with its epicenter in Norman Oklahoma, several hours from where we had lived.  At the time I working in a church building, when suddenly the books on the shelves "rubbed" against one another.  Even though this event was small in comparison to many earthquakes we hear about, still it was enough to cause excitement and wonder.

What happens when God is on the moveIn Amos 1:1 we read these words: "¹The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." Notice the underlined words?  Amos, a shepherd, was beginning his ministry in a time where there had been a great earthquake in Israel.  Other prophets, such a Zechariah, speak of this same earth quake in Zechariah 14:5.  What was going on that made this earthquake occur?  In the simplest terms: God was on the move. 


A king's wrong move
According to commentators and ancient Jewish Historians such as Josephus, a King, Uzziah (who we read about in 2 Chronicles 26), had entered into the holy place of the temple grounds.  Now though he was King, he was in a place where he should not had been.  According to history and 2 Chronicles 26, when Uzziah made this fatal mistake, God struck him with leprosy.  Apparently at the exact same moment a huge earthquake struck Jerusalem, causing a major crack to open up the roof in the temple, letting light in, where then Uzziah was struck with leprosy.  It was in that same year that Uzziah would die.  Isaiah 6:1 records these words: "¹In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." 


How often we ignore the tremors of His Holy Presence
When my own "earth shaking experience" occured that morning near Tulsa, I thought of how many times does God move in our midst? How many people miss the "tremors" and "seismic shifts" that occurs when He moves?  Some people I had talked to at that time had not even realized there had been an earth quake.  However by the end of the day, everyone knew, due to news reports and media outlets.

Lets never lose the awe of God
Now I suppose by next week, the earthquake in Virginia will begin to fade into memory.  But I would bid the reader not to treat God in that same fashion.  Rumblings are taking place.  In some ways it is disturbing what is going on in our churches, our lives and our cities.  However, three prophets, Amos, Isaiah and Zechariah, were called by God to report all they saw and heard.  Holy God is desiring sole allegiance and covenant unity with His people.  May we never lose the awe and fear of our Holy God. 

Praise the Triune Creator

Today we want to consider the work of the Trinity with respect to creation.  When we think of what the Bible has to say about the Triune God's creation of the universe, we can note the following distinctions:

1. The Father Sanctioned Creation

-Psalm 33:6  ⁶By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the Hevaens and the Earth

Clearly the created order was already in the mind of the Father.  It was by His decree that all things visible and invisible came into being.  The Heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).  Why is the universe so big?  Because it takes an entire universe to approximate for our limited understanding what a glimpse of the Father's eternal glory must be like. 

2. The Son Structured Creation

-John 1:3 ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

-Colossians 1:17  ¹⁷And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

-1 Corinthians 8:6 ⁶But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Christ is called in John 1 "The Word".  In Jewish thought and Greek thought, "The Word" (or the Logos) was what was believed to structure and hold together the entire universe.  The New Testament especially tells us that the Logos is not just a principle, but The Person of Jesus Christ.  Anywhere we see God speaking forth, we can accurately say that it is God the Son in conjunction with the Father, whose life and nature He shares.

3. The Spirit Sows life into the creation

-Psalm 104:30  ³⁰Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

-Genesis 1:2 ²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

-Ezekiel 37:6 ⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

It is the Holy Spirit who animates all of creation.  He not only is the origin of physical life, but also spiritual life (John 3:1-5; 1 Peter 1:23).  God, the Living God is the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17). 

Let us therefore give praise to the Triune Creator.  For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things! (Romans 11:36)

How to Adore the Trinity

The Trinity is meant to be adored

Paul's last words to the church at Corinth are found in 2 Corinthians 13:14 - "¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." This final statement was very important to Paul, since throughout His letters to the church at Corinth he was dealing with issues that threatened their fellowship and intimacy with God.  He wanted the Christians at Corinth to have direct interraction and empowerment from the Triune God. 

So who is the God of the Bible?  Passages such as Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us that He is One God whom were are to love with all of our hearts, souls and strength.  Furthermore, the Bible tells us that in being one God in His existence, He is Three-fold in His identity.  Passages such as the one above and Matthew 28:18-20 tell us that the God of scripture is identified as The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit.  The Father, the Son and Holy Spirit have co-existed with one another for all eternity.  Each one is His own center of personality while having in common the same undivided eternal inward life.

A recommendation when contemplating the Trinity

More could be said about how this One God can exist as three, co-eternal, co-equal persons, however I think it is helpful when contemplating the Triune God to begin with His works, followed by His names and then finally arrive at a point where we can adore His very nature.    

1. God's work
When we say His works, we speak of the activities of the Triune God in relationship to His creation in general, and His people in particular.  In the above passage, we see three distinct areas of God's overall work of relating to His people - grace, love and communion.  All three are one great work, with three incredible properties.  This work of the Triune God, in anchoring the Christian, is a loving, gracious communion.  Thus the work of God here points us back to it's author - who being One in existence, acts within that existence as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. God's names
The names of God point to His character.  Scripture mentions hundreds of them. In this passage, we see When we speak of His names, His names help us identify various features of His character.  It is not enough just to know the works of God, but as Psalm 103:7 states, there is that deeper level of know God, namely His ways.  I have found the names of God to be helpful, since He often revealed His names in contexts where He was revealing His character.  In this text we see three: Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Thus God is One in character, and three in identity.  No conflict exists within God.

3. Adoring God's nature means knowing Him, not comprehending Him
After we have begun with God's works, and proceeded to note His names, we can finally begin to know God.  When we do this, we realize that our goal of comprehending God will never be met, since God's glory is beyond comprehension.  We can legitimately know God, but never comprehend Him.  I can for instance know how a light works when I enter a room - simply flick the switch.  However I may not fully comprehend all the laws of physics, mechanics and engineering that it takes to make the switch work.  In a much more profound way it is the same when it comes to developing a deeper appreciation for the Trinity.  The only proper response is worship and adoration (Psalm 100). 

Adore the Triune God

WHY SALVATION IS SOURCED IN THE TRINITY
When salvation takes place, what changes with regard to our understanding of God?  We go from knowing Him as the Creator from whom we are separated, who is all powerful, knowing and wise, the Judge of all men (Romans 1:18-20) to the Blessed Triune God.  

It is the Holy Spirit who touches our heart, and show us the Divine Son of God, Jesus Christ (John 16:8-14).  The Holy Spirit, who is God present working here on earth (Acts 5:3-4) aims to enlighten the eyes of unbelievers who are otherwise blinded to the truth of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).  The Holy Spirit is God inside the believer.  God the Holy Spirit does His work of revealing the true identity of Jesus Christ through the scriptures.  By the scriptures I discover the Jesus Christ is God with us.  He is God revealing the identity of God the Father, and He is man, identifying with me in my humanity (Hebrews 1:-7).

GOD IN US, WITH US AND ABOVE US
By the combining work of God in us (The Holy Spirit), God with us (Jesus Christ) I arrive at the blessed communion of God the Father, God above us.  Now understand, this is not the work of three gods, but three Divine persons who share in the same undivided life.  The Bible refers to this Divine shared life "The God Head" (Romans 1:18-20; Colossians 1:16ff).  Thus we worship One God, who is Three co-eternal, co-equal persons, who are identified as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

LIVING DAILY IN ADORATION OF THE TRINITY
I come to adore the mystery of the Father, the Majesty of the Son and the Mercy of the Holy Spirit.  I come to awe in the wonder of the Father, the Work of the Son and the ways of the Holy Spirit.  By God the Holy Spirit I see by faith God the Son and Hear by faith the voice of God the Father.  God the Father loves God the Son, in whom I am connected by humanity to his humanity.  God the Son is loved and the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and Son.  
Today, let us adore the Trinity.  We proceed by the Person of the Holy Spirit who reveals to us the Deity and humanity of Jesus Christ.  In approaching Jesus Christ we by faith identify with His humanity, and partake of His Deity, making us partakers and sharers in the Deity of the Father and the Holy Spirit.  God is our drink, our food and our breath.  Bless His Holy name.

The Tower of Babel: Present and Future Considerations

Isaiah 41:21-23 "Present your case,” the LORD says. “Bring forward your strong arguments,”
The King of Jacob says. ²² Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; ²³ Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together."

In yesterday's blog we began looking at the accuracy of scripture in matters of history and current evidence as it pertained to the Tower of Babel incident recorded in Genesis 11.  The overall aim of this small series of blogs is not only to shed some light on that event, but to also demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the Biblical text.  The above text gives a test and challenge to anyone claiming Divine origin for any document or truth: namely say something accurate about the past, the present, the future and point it all to the God of the Bible. 


We have seen that the Bible alone can do this, since in comparison to outside historical sources and current evidence, the Bible does indeed demonstrate accuracy and reliability.  What of the future?  What does the Bible have to say about the future in light of what took place at the tower of Babel?


From Babel came forth Babylon 
Throughout history Babel would become the Empire of Babylon.  We read of this empire in the Bible books such as Daniel, Jeremiah and Habakkuk.  Other Bible books mention the taking of the Jews into Exile into Babylon, along with their return from that exile in Ezra and Nehemiah.  Babylon was begun by Nimrod, and remerged again in Daniel's day under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. 


Babylon is a picture of the current world system opposed to the believer
In 1 John 2:15-17 we see a description of the Christian's three-fold enemy: The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.  The lust of the eyes parallels mankind's desire for material possessions, an economic idolatry.  The lust of the flesh corresponds to mankind's desire for power, political idolatry.  And the Pride of life speaks to man's desire for religion without the God of the Bible - thus religious idolatry. 


Babel and its rebellion sets forth the pattern in which humanity, apart from God's grace is lost and in darkness.  It also explains the three-fold rebellion that mankind had and still has against God: economic, political and religious: Economic in refusing to acknowledge God's ownership of their lives; Political in refusing to acknowledge His kingship and religious, refusing to trust in Christ by faith alone. 


The Christian's walk through this world requires the power of the Spirit, the cross and the scriptures, as well as other Christians, since this world system, a "babylon of sorts", is hostile to the Christian.  It is our responsibility to be salt and light, and to let our light so shine before men so that they may see our works and give praise to the Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)


Babylon as the system will give away to Babylon the Great
After the Perisans had conquered the Babylonians, Babylon as a historical empire faded off the scene.  However In Revelation 17 and 18 we see prophecies concerning the arising of a future empire that the Bible calls "Babylon the Great".  Babylon the Great can be best understood under three headings: Economic, Political and Religious Babylon.  In those two chapters, the world system will be unified under one man, the Anti-Christ, who will be the head over the economic, political and religious interests of mankind.  Just as in Genesis 11, mankind will once again attempt to unite together in rebellion against God. 


With the Bible accurately making sense of the past, as well as explaining why things are presently, we can rest assured that the description of the future is also trustworthy.  Thankfully, Christ will return to defeat Babylon the Great. All true Christians will not have to suffer the doom recorded in those chapters. (Please compare 1 Thessalonians 1:10)  If anything, whatever is done for man's glory in earth will past, but whatever is done for Christ will last. 

The Tower of Babel: Evidence of Scripture's Accuracy

Genesis 11:4  They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

How accurate is the Bible
In today's blog I want us to briefly consider how accurate and reliable the Bible is in explaining historical events, present situations and future realities.  We will be using the tower of Babel as our case study, noting how all that proceeded from that one event is proof that the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel really did happen.  The Bible alone can be termed God's book, since its reliability and accuracy is unmatched. 

1. Historical sources confirming the existence of Babel
When we read Genesis 11, we are seeing the combined efforts of all men who were descended from the bloodlines of Noah's sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.  With the context of Genesis 10 as a backdrop, we know that in all, 70 different nations were represented.  Nimrod, the leader of this rebellious movement, concucted not only the building of this tower of Babel, but also the raising up of the Babylonian city, culture and lifestyle. From this one man, and one movement, would derive all of the religious, political and economic efforts of mankind in rebellion against God.

The Bible tells us in Genesis 11:8 "So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city."  Thus this great tower, representing humanity's economic, religious and political anarchy, was ceased in its construction.  Mankind dispersed, speaking different languages.  But how historical was this event?  Was it true?  Consider the testimonies throughout world history that refer to this tower:

1. We have discovered sources upon which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the King who reigned in Daniel, had made efforts to reconstruct the tower of babylon which is spoken of in Genesis 11.

2. Herodotus, a Greek Historian writing in 450 b.c, speaks of the existence of a mound of ruins in Babylonia in his day.  He describes the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon", one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as being associated with this site. 

3. Strabo, another Greek Historian, writes in his book "Geography" a physical description of all the countries surrounding the Mediterranean world in the 1st century A.D.  Writing in around the days of Jesus, Strabo describes the ruins of a tower that was 1/4 of a mile at its base and over 600 feet high.  Strabo calls this tower the tower of Jupiter of Belus.  Belus is Greek designation tower the world "Babylon" or Babel.

Clearly these sources outside of the Bible, composed by men who were not sympathetic to scripture, confirm the existence of this tower.  The ancient Babylonians used the term "Babel" in reference to what they believed to be "a gateway to the gods".  However the Bible reveals that the term "babel" ended up referring more to "confusion".  Indeed, if God had not stepped in and judged mankind at Babel, mankind would had destroyed themselves. 

2. Present day evidence for the existence of Babel

With historical testimony affirming the accuracy of the biblical record, what about current-present day evidence?

1. We know from the most recent studies in linguistics that scientists have traced the origins of all modern languages to the area surrounding modern day Iraq and Baghdad - the ancient site of the Tower of Babel.  In fact Linguists divide the earth's nearly 7,000 language groups into two general language families - both of which derive from the descendants Noah's sons: Hamio-Semtic (from Ham and Shem, all of the Middle Eastern and Asiatic Languages, like Chinese and Hebrew for instance) and Indo-European (from Japheth, all of the European and Mediterranean languages, such as Russian and Greek). 

2. The existence of "towers reaching to the heavens" existing all over the world tells us that man, though dispersed, still carried the rebellious message of Babel in his heart.  In Egypt, we have the Pyramids; in Mexico, the mighty Aztec Zigurrauts; In South America, the Mayan ruins; each of these being but examples of shrines devoted to men placing themselves as objects of worship and idolatry. 

3. Google Earth is a website where one can download pictures of any place on earth.  If you type in the site just South of Modern day Baghdad, Iraq, you will arrive at the ancient site of the tower of Babel. This site, called "Etemenanki" (tower of Marduk), can be found and viewed as a rather large mound of stone and ruins some 60 or so miles South of Baghdad.  

So clearly then we have evidence that we can view in our current day and time that this event had occured, and that it also explains the existence of other objects and sites throughout the world.  Once again the Bible is affirmed as being fully reliable and accurate in matters of history and science.  As Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:18: "¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."

In tomorrows blog, we will look at the future realities described by scripture that speaks of the world's present situation in light of prophecy connected to Babylon the Great and the Tower of Babel.

How God is the Christian's Mighty Fortress

The Bible describes seven ways in which the Lord works in preserving and sustaining the Christian.  I have found these verses to be helpful in reminding me of just how close God is to me even when I don't feel that He is close.   As a Christian you can have the confidence from these texts that you are not only "God called" but "God walled".

1. The Lord is always with us (Matthew 28:20)

2. The Lord is above us watching over us (Ephesians 1:20-21)

3. The Lord is beneath us holding us up (Deuteronomy 33:27)

4. The Lord is before us leading us as the Good Shepherd (John 10:4)

5. The Lord is behind us protecting us from our past (Exodus 14:19; Psalm 23:8)

6. The Lord is around us on every side (Psalm 34:7)

7. The Lord is within us, enabling us to live the Christian life (Galatians 2:20)