Mark 1:14-15 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Yesterday we covered the subject of Godly Ministry. We looked at the beginnings of the priesthood in the Old Testament in Leviticus 8-10 and noted five absolutes of Godly ministry in that chapter. We used the acrostic "G-O-D-L-Y" as an aid in remembering the five absolutes or principles of Godly ministry:
Grounded in scripture
Ongoing reliance on God's approval or anointing
Dependance upon the blood
Leverage from God's power
Yearning for fellowship with God
As we saw Godly ministry in the Old Testament, we see it even more fully in the New Testament. As we take these five absolutes, we find them in the ministry of Christ and the Apostles.
Grounded in the scriptures - the basis of Godly ministry
Jesus Himself lived out, referred to or fulfilled nearly 600 Bible passages in the course of His 33 years here on earth. Five times in Matthew (4:17; 7:28; 11:1; 13:53;19:1) we read of Jesus going to do something with the phrase "after He ended these sayings". Jesus spoke some 60 or so parables that highlighted things from the scriptures.
The Apostles in the Book of Acts preached some 15 sermons, with an additional one being preached by Stephen, the first martyr in Acts 7. In the first sermon alone, Peter in Acts 2 alludes to or quotes nearly 20 passages from the Old Testament. No doubt, ministry in the the New Testament was grounded in the Word.
Ongoing reliance in God's approval or anointing
In Luke 4:18 Jesus says from the onset of His ministry that "God has anointed me". In 2 Corinthians 3 the Apostle Paul notes that his confidence for doing ministry derives not from man, but from God.
Dependance upon the blood
If you were to take the contents of all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you would find that a full 30% of their material focuses upon the final week of Christ's life leading up to the crucifixion. Through the remainder of the New Testament we find around 130 references to Christ's blood and all He accomplished on the cross. All Godly ministry never bypasses the blood, the cross.
Leverage from God's power
In the course of Jesus' ministry we see 35 miracles depicted. In John's Gospel the sequence of the narrative is moved forward by seven "signs" that Jesus performed in the first twelve chapters.
In the ministry of the Apostles, the power of God was marked by the thousands of people converted through their ministry. In Acts 4:4 we read that 5,000 people were saved as the result of the Apostolic preaching. The Apostles did not draw the power for ministry from the appeal to popularity nor the taking of polls. Rather they drew their strength from the power of God in Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:27-29)
Yearning for fellowship with God - the goal of Godly ministry
As Jesus closed out his time with his disciples in the upper room in John 13-17, we see Him pray what is perhaps the most holiest prayer in the Bible. His chief point in that prayer is to attain the fellowship with the Father He had with Him from Eternity past. Furthermore He is praying that all those who are converted in subsequent generations following the preaching of the Gospel will get to share in this fellowship too.
The Apostles made such a point of fellowship with God as the goal of Christian growth, theological study and prayer. I will list some passages below from each of the main Apostles to give you a sense of the premium they placed on fellowship with God as the Goal of Godly ministry.
1. Apostle Paul - Philippians 3:7-10
2. Apostle Peter - 2 Peter 1:4-11
3. Apostle John - 1 John 1:5-2:2
I would urge you to look at those texts and ask God to make that the yearning of your heart. Godly ministry has as its beginning and end God in Jesus Christ. May we as believers aim ourselves to be and practice the Godly ministry that God has called us to do.
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Defining Godly Ministry
Leviticus 8:1-3 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the
garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two
rams and the basket of unleavened bread, 3and
assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.”
The Birth of a Godly Ministry
In the text above we are taken to the scene where Moses was ordaining Aaron and his sons to serve as priests of God to the nation of Israel. In Leviticus 8-10 we see 5 absolutes spelled out that provide 5 principles for Godly ministry. Every Christian is called to two things: To live for God and to serve God. Quite frankly, these two callings are distinct aspects of one calling.
In today's blog, I want to lay out what I see as five "must haves" if you and I are going to have Godly ministry of any sort to our glorious Prophet, Priest and King Jesus Christ. I will use the acrostic "G-O-D-L-Y" to aid us in remembering the principles we glean from Leviticus 8-10 since it is Godly ministry that we are aiming to understand.
1. Grounded in the scriptures In Leviticus 8-10 we see reference to "God's commands" or Moses and Aaron doing everything according to scripture some 20 times. No doubt, this ministry from its inception was going to be grounded in the scriptures. The scriptures are the foundation of all Godly ministry.
2. Ongoing reliance upon God's approval or anointing Six times in Leviticus 8-10 we see reference to "the anointing of God" upon Aaron and his sons. The anointing of God or the Holy Spirit is another way of saying that our ministry as the mark of Divine approval. Leviticus 10:7 uses this phrase, from whence we get the idea of the importance of God's approval - "for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you". God's approval or anointing is the confidence we have for Godly ministry.
3. Dependance upon the blood Over a dozen times we find reference to Moses or Aaron sprinkling themselves or objects with blood shed upon the Brazen altar. The shedding of innocent blood factors into the center of God's gracious transactions with His people. The blood alone is the only basis for relationship and fellowship with God. The blood is the basis for all Godly ministry.
4. Leverage from God's power The power of God is mentioned five times here in Leviticus 8-10. At the end of Leviticus 9 it is the uncreated fire of God that falls and lights the sacred altar. Without God's power, the ministry of the preisthood of Israel would have no leverage, no power. God's power is the strength to do ministry.
5. Yearning for God's fellowship or closeness. Around a dozen times we find reference to the priesthood prizing closeness and fellowship with God. Phrases such as "consecration", or "before the Lord" are sprinkled throughout Leviticus 8-10. Accomplishing goals, gaining popularity, drawing in a bigger crowd, building buildings is not the goal of ministry. The goal is God Himself. The goal and chief fruit of all ministry should entail both the recipients and the one doing the ministry having a closer walk with the Lord.
The Birth of a Godly Ministry
In the text above we are taken to the scene where Moses was ordaining Aaron and his sons to serve as priests of God to the nation of Israel. In Leviticus 8-10 we see 5 absolutes spelled out that provide 5 principles for Godly ministry. Every Christian is called to two things: To live for God and to serve God. Quite frankly, these two callings are distinct aspects of one calling.
In today's blog, I want to lay out what I see as five "must haves" if you and I are going to have Godly ministry of any sort to our glorious Prophet, Priest and King Jesus Christ. I will use the acrostic "G-O-D-L-Y" to aid us in remembering the principles we glean from Leviticus 8-10 since it is Godly ministry that we are aiming to understand.
1. Grounded in the scriptures In Leviticus 8-10 we see reference to "God's commands" or Moses and Aaron doing everything according to scripture some 20 times. No doubt, this ministry from its inception was going to be grounded in the scriptures. The scriptures are the foundation of all Godly ministry.
2. Ongoing reliance upon God's approval or anointing Six times in Leviticus 8-10 we see reference to "the anointing of God" upon Aaron and his sons. The anointing of God or the Holy Spirit is another way of saying that our ministry as the mark of Divine approval. Leviticus 10:7 uses this phrase, from whence we get the idea of the importance of God's approval - "for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you". God's approval or anointing is the confidence we have for Godly ministry.
3. Dependance upon the blood Over a dozen times we find reference to Moses or Aaron sprinkling themselves or objects with blood shed upon the Brazen altar. The shedding of innocent blood factors into the center of God's gracious transactions with His people. The blood alone is the only basis for relationship and fellowship with God. The blood is the basis for all Godly ministry.
4. Leverage from God's power The power of God is mentioned five times here in Leviticus 8-10. At the end of Leviticus 9 it is the uncreated fire of God that falls and lights the sacred altar. Without God's power, the ministry of the preisthood of Israel would have no leverage, no power. God's power is the strength to do ministry.
5. Yearning for God's fellowship or closeness. Around a dozen times we find reference to the priesthood prizing closeness and fellowship with God. Phrases such as "consecration", or "before the Lord" are sprinkled throughout Leviticus 8-10. Accomplishing goals, gaining popularity, drawing in a bigger crowd, building buildings is not the goal of ministry. The goal is God Himself. The goal and chief fruit of all ministry should entail both the recipients and the one doing the ministry having a closer walk with the Lord.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Yahweh - Scripture's Grand unending Finale
Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who
is to come, the Almighty."
Yesterday we saw how Jesus revealed to us the depths of the meaning of the name Yahweh as He revealed in seven sayings Himself as Yahweh in human flesh. We've already noted that in the Old Testament the name Yahweh is shown in its breadth. It is among God's most common names and the immenisty of its meaning takes over 1000 years to unfold in the more than 22,000 verses of the Old Testament.
With that said, we today want to see to what Heights we can gain as we gaze upon this most sacred of names. By now in the text of scripture we have discovered Christ Himself to be inseperably linked to this name. It was not that He never was Yahweh - for truly there never was a time He was not Yahweh. Rather in the New Testament His coming and taking upon Himself a human nature meant that we could truly know Him in the fulness of flesh and blood.
The author of the Gospel in which we saw the depth of the name Yahweh is the writer of Revelation. Lets look today at the "Height" of the name of Yahweh as revealed in the glorified Christ.
The Heights of "I AM" or "Yahweh"
John begins and ends this final book of the Bible with this most exalted references to the Beloved God/Man - Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:8, quoted above, uses the name "Alpha and Omega" in conjunction with the term "Yahweh". As a Jew, though John was writing in Greek (those letters being the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) He would had been thinking in Hebrew.
The "beginning" reminds us of the Hebrew name for the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings, Genesis. Christ is the one "through Whom and by Whom" all things came into being. (Colossians 1:16). Then the term "Omega" would had referred to the end, which in the Jewish mind signified the only one who could bring all of history and Eternity to its completion - Yahweh Himself. (Psalm 72:19-20 for instance; also Isaiah 65-66)
What John is doing here by the Holy Ghost is taking us up the vertical ascending mountain range of Christ's Divine character. He is Omnipresent, all places at all times (as seen in the title "the one who was, is and is to come"). Then verse 8 ends with the title "The Almighty". in the Greek, we could translate this as "The Omnipotent One".
Yahweh in His Grandfinale
But now we travel to Revelation 22:13 where Jesus says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” The Exalted Christ makes this statement in the context of the revelation of the New Heavens and New Earth. He is the fulness and completeness of God's revelation in terms of His Person and His Purposes. All the glory of the Triune God will be displayed before our eyes in the Person of the Son.
Truly Yahweh spoke through a burning bush to Moses and spoke further through the Theophanies (manifestations of God) throughout the Old Testament. In the Four Gospels we beheld Yahweh in human flesh, concealing the uncreated Light of His presence while He walked here on earth. What we see going on in Revelation 22 is the combination of both those motifs - a fully Divine Christ speaking as the glorified human Jesus - the Height of the biblical revelation of Yahweh.
Yesterday we saw how Jesus revealed to us the depths of the meaning of the name Yahweh as He revealed in seven sayings Himself as Yahweh in human flesh. We've already noted that in the Old Testament the name Yahweh is shown in its breadth. It is among God's most common names and the immenisty of its meaning takes over 1000 years to unfold in the more than 22,000 verses of the Old Testament.
With that said, we today want to see to what Heights we can gain as we gaze upon this most sacred of names. By now in the text of scripture we have discovered Christ Himself to be inseperably linked to this name. It was not that He never was Yahweh - for truly there never was a time He was not Yahweh. Rather in the New Testament His coming and taking upon Himself a human nature meant that we could truly know Him in the fulness of flesh and blood.
The author of the Gospel in which we saw the depth of the name Yahweh is the writer of Revelation. Lets look today at the "Height" of the name of Yahweh as revealed in the glorified Christ.
The Heights of "I AM" or "Yahweh"
John begins and ends this final book of the Bible with this most exalted references to the Beloved God/Man - Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:8, quoted above, uses the name "Alpha and Omega" in conjunction with the term "Yahweh". As a Jew, though John was writing in Greek (those letters being the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) He would had been thinking in Hebrew.
The "beginning" reminds us of the Hebrew name for the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings, Genesis. Christ is the one "through Whom and by Whom" all things came into being. (Colossians 1:16). Then the term "Omega" would had referred to the end, which in the Jewish mind signified the only one who could bring all of history and Eternity to its completion - Yahweh Himself. (Psalm 72:19-20 for instance; also Isaiah 65-66)
What John is doing here by the Holy Ghost is taking us up the vertical ascending mountain range of Christ's Divine character. He is Omnipresent, all places at all times (as seen in the title "the one who was, is and is to come"). Then verse 8 ends with the title "The Almighty". in the Greek, we could translate this as "The Omnipotent One".
Yahweh in His Grandfinale
But now we travel to Revelation 22:13 where Jesus says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” The Exalted Christ makes this statement in the context of the revelation of the New Heavens and New Earth. He is the fulness and completeness of God's revelation in terms of His Person and His Purposes. All the glory of the Triune God will be displayed before our eyes in the Person of the Son.
Truly Yahweh spoke through a burning bush to Moses and spoke further through the Theophanies (manifestations of God) throughout the Old Testament. In the Four Gospels we beheld Yahweh in human flesh, concealing the uncreated Light of His presence while He walked here on earth. What we see going on in Revelation 22 is the combination of both those motifs - a fully Divine Christ speaking as the glorified human Jesus - the Height of the biblical revelation of Yahweh.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Yahweh in the Flesh
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger,
and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
Unveiling the depth of the meaning of the name Yahweh
Yesterday we noted God's statements to Moses in Exodus 6:3 as pointing us to the Chief goal of the Christian walk - knowing God. We noted that the Patriarchs knew God in terms of His works with Moses then received greater illumination pertaining to His ways. (compare Psalm 103:7) We ended by stating that Christ is the apex of God's revelation in the scripture, since He is God the Way. We saw all of these connections through the most mentioned name in the Old Testament - Yahweh.
Today I want us to travel to the Gospel of John, where we see Christ unfold to us the depth of the meaning of God's name "Yahweh". If the Old Testament canon aims to unfold the breadth of this Holiest of all God's names, then it is Christ in the Gospel of John that unveils its depths.
How Christ unveils Himself as Yahweh in the Flesh
The Gospel of John is very fond of the number seven. For instance there is focus upon seven particular signs of Jesus in John 1-12. Another one of those significant patterns of "seven" is found in the seven places where Christ utter "I AM" statements about Himself. These seven self-descriptions are assertions by Christ of His Divine nature as he ministers among the people in His human nature. Take note of the statements in how they unfold the Holy Name "Yahweh" or "I AM").
1. John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."
2. John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
3. John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
"
4. John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
5. John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies"
6. John 14:6 I am the way, the truth and the life, He who believes in me, thought he were dead, yet shall he live"
7. John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."
A few thoughts on how we can Cherish Christ as Yahweh in the Flesh through these seven statements
Each statement has enough treasure to merit an entire blog series. However I will offer a few connecting links that I see through these sayings that makes me want to treasure Christ - Yahweh in human flesh:
First, each statement has Yahweh, God in the Flesh, providing for His people
Second, each statement reveals the Personal concern of Yahweh for His people
Thirdly, each statement gains us access to the unending life of Yahweh
On this third point we see the true intention of Jesus' statements of Himself as Yahweh in human flesh. As bread He sustains life, as Light He rids the darkness out of life, as the door He brings in Divine Life and as Shepherd He leads us to fellowship with Divine Life. As the resurrection He is the source of life, as the Way He is the life Himself and as the Vine He grants growing life.
May you today see in the depths of Jesus Christ as Yahweh in Human flesh. May you embrace Him, delight in Him and be awed by Him.
Unveiling the depth of the meaning of the name Yahweh
Yesterday we noted God's statements to Moses in Exodus 6:3 as pointing us to the Chief goal of the Christian walk - knowing God. We noted that the Patriarchs knew God in terms of His works with Moses then received greater illumination pertaining to His ways. (compare Psalm 103:7) We ended by stating that Christ is the apex of God's revelation in the scripture, since He is God the Way. We saw all of these connections through the most mentioned name in the Old Testament - Yahweh.
Today I want us to travel to the Gospel of John, where we see Christ unfold to us the depth of the meaning of God's name "Yahweh". If the Old Testament canon aims to unfold the breadth of this Holiest of all God's names, then it is Christ in the Gospel of John that unveils its depths.
How Christ unveils Himself as Yahweh in the Flesh
The Gospel of John is very fond of the number seven. For instance there is focus upon seven particular signs of Jesus in John 1-12. Another one of those significant patterns of "seven" is found in the seven places where Christ utter "I AM" statements about Himself. These seven self-descriptions are assertions by Christ of His Divine nature as he ministers among the people in His human nature. Take note of the statements in how they unfold the Holy Name "Yahweh" or "I AM").
1. John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."
2. John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
3. John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
"
4. John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
5. John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies"
6. John 14:6 I am the way, the truth and the life, He who believes in me, thought he were dead, yet shall he live"
7. John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."
A few thoughts on how we can Cherish Christ as Yahweh in the Flesh through these seven statements
Each statement has enough treasure to merit an entire blog series. However I will offer a few connecting links that I see through these sayings that makes me want to treasure Christ - Yahweh in human flesh:
First, each statement has Yahweh, God in the Flesh, providing for His people
Second, each statement reveals the Personal concern of Yahweh for His people
Thirdly, each statement gains us access to the unending life of Yahweh
On this third point we see the true intention of Jesus' statements of Himself as Yahweh in human flesh. As bread He sustains life, as Light He rids the darkness out of life, as the door He brings in Divine Life and as Shepherd He leads us to fellowship with Divine Life. As the resurrection He is the source of life, as the Way He is the life Himself and as the Vine He grants growing life.
May you today see in the depths of Jesus Christ as Yahweh in Human flesh. May you embrace Him, delight in Him and be awed by Him.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The chief concern of the Christian life
Exodus 6:2-3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD; 3and I
appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name,
LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.
Why knowing the Lord is central to the Christian's faith-walk
In the passage above we see God revealing His identity once again to Moses. He uses the Holy Name "Yahweh" (translated "LORD" in all capital letters, same as Jehovah or "I AM" which we looked at yesterday). In verse 2 the verse is translated by the New American Standard Bible "And God spoke further". That is a pretty good translation of the Hebrew, since God is literally giving Moses further insight into the revelation of His character, authority and reputation.
Now He makes mention of the three patriarchs of Israel - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the level of their acquaintance in comparison to what He was revealing to Moses. When God reveals Himself to people in the scriptures, two things are occuring:
1. He is making Himself known
2. He is aiming for them to know Him
When He states at the end of Exodus 6:3 - "but by my name, LORD (Yahweh), I did not make Myself known to them", it is not that God was not Yahweh in Genesis and then suddenly became Yahweh to Moses in Exodus. Rather as God was making Himself known to the Patriarchs, their level of illumination that was affected by His revelation to them was at a more fundamental level than Moses'.
The Patriarchs "Knew God" in the level of understanding and experience of Him as "El-Shaddai" or "God Almighty. They knew what kind of God that was making Himself known to them, and thus they walked out their faith-walk in that measure of light. However as you go throughout the scriptures, God is slowly but surely "increasing the level of understanding" for His people each time He reveals Himself. Knowing God is an ongoing activity in the life of the saint - since there will never be a time that the believer ever fully comprehends all of God in who He is. As Jesus states in John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The experience of knowing God proceeds from knowing the works of God, to the ways of God to God the Way
The first level of illumination is knowing the works of God
God tells Moses that He "appeared" to the Patriarchs as "El-Shaddai" or "God Almighty" in our English Bibles. Five particular texts are in mind where we see God appearing to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and (we'll include) Joseph:
Genesis 17:1 "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless."
This is the first mention of God's name "El-Shaddai" (God Almighty in our English Bibles). Clearly it was indeed the LORD (Yahweh) appearing here, however He expressed to Abraham the name "El-Shaddai" (God Almighty). Recall that all the names of God with "El" are expressions of the main name "Elohim", which answers the question: "What kind of God is God?" In this instance He is revealing to Abraham that He is mighty enough to follow through in the promises He made to Abraham in his faith-walk. Four other passages are listed below without commentary, and the reader is encouraged to look at them and draw further conclusions: Genesis 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3.
The next level of illumination knowing the ways of God
Abraham and the other patriarchs knew God in the degree as the God who was mighty enough to fulfill all of the promises He had made. Yet the level of illumination needed in seeing how exactly He was going to do that would not come until the days of Moses. As Psalm 103:7 states - "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel".
In Christ, the fullest level of knowing God is knowing Him who is the Way
When we speak of our Christian experience, we understand that we come to know God by the scriptures through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1-2 notes "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." Christ of course is the fullest level of illuminating light by which we can truly know God - since He is the LORD, Yahweh Himself.
The name "Yahweh" or "LORD" signifies the purpose of the faith-walk - to know God
2 Corinthians 3:18 says this about our knowing God the Way (Jesus Christ) in comparison to Moses: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." As we said in the beginning, God in the scriptures makes Himself known in order to prompt His people to further know Him. By God revealing Himself as Yahweh, God's people could not only know the works, but also the ways of God. By He coming as God in Human flesh, God's people could truly know God the Way. (John 14:6) That dear friend, is the chief concern of the Christian life - to Know Him.
Why knowing the Lord is central to the Christian's faith-walk
In the passage above we see God revealing His identity once again to Moses. He uses the Holy Name "Yahweh" (translated "LORD" in all capital letters, same as Jehovah or "I AM" which we looked at yesterday). In verse 2 the verse is translated by the New American Standard Bible "And God spoke further". That is a pretty good translation of the Hebrew, since God is literally giving Moses further insight into the revelation of His character, authority and reputation.
Now He makes mention of the three patriarchs of Israel - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the level of their acquaintance in comparison to what He was revealing to Moses. When God reveals Himself to people in the scriptures, two things are occuring:
1. He is making Himself known
2. He is aiming for them to know Him
When He states at the end of Exodus 6:3 - "but by my name, LORD (Yahweh), I did not make Myself known to them", it is not that God was not Yahweh in Genesis and then suddenly became Yahweh to Moses in Exodus. Rather as God was making Himself known to the Patriarchs, their level of illumination that was affected by His revelation to them was at a more fundamental level than Moses'.
The Patriarchs "Knew God" in the level of understanding and experience of Him as "El-Shaddai" or "God Almighty. They knew what kind of God that was making Himself known to them, and thus they walked out their faith-walk in that measure of light. However as you go throughout the scriptures, God is slowly but surely "increasing the level of understanding" for His people each time He reveals Himself. Knowing God is an ongoing activity in the life of the saint - since there will never be a time that the believer ever fully comprehends all of God in who He is. As Jesus states in John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The experience of knowing God proceeds from knowing the works of God, to the ways of God to God the Way
The first level of illumination is knowing the works of God
God tells Moses that He "appeared" to the Patriarchs as "El-Shaddai" or "God Almighty" in our English Bibles. Five particular texts are in mind where we see God appearing to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and (we'll include) Joseph:
Genesis 17:1 "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless."
This is the first mention of God's name "El-Shaddai" (God Almighty in our English Bibles). Clearly it was indeed the LORD (Yahweh) appearing here, however He expressed to Abraham the name "El-Shaddai" (God Almighty). Recall that all the names of God with "El" are expressions of the main name "Elohim", which answers the question: "What kind of God is God?" In this instance He is revealing to Abraham that He is mighty enough to follow through in the promises He made to Abraham in his faith-walk. Four other passages are listed below without commentary, and the reader is encouraged to look at them and draw further conclusions: Genesis 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3.
The next level of illumination knowing the ways of God
Abraham and the other patriarchs knew God in the degree as the God who was mighty enough to fulfill all of the promises He had made. Yet the level of illumination needed in seeing how exactly He was going to do that would not come until the days of Moses. As Psalm 103:7 states - "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel".
In Christ, the fullest level of knowing God is knowing Him who is the Way
When we speak of our Christian experience, we understand that we come to know God by the scriptures through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1-2 notes "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." Christ of course is the fullest level of illuminating light by which we can truly know God - since He is the LORD, Yahweh Himself.
The name "Yahweh" or "LORD" signifies the purpose of the faith-walk - to know God
2 Corinthians 3:18 says this about our knowing God the Way (Jesus Christ) in comparison to Moses: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." As we said in the beginning, God in the scriptures makes Himself known in order to prompt His people to further know Him. By God revealing Himself as Yahweh, God's people could not only know the works, but also the ways of God. By He coming as God in Human flesh, God's people could truly know God the Way. (John 14:6) That dear friend, is the chief concern of the Christian life - to Know Him.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Who is the God of the Bible? He is Yahweh
Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons
of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
The God of the Bible - 3 important questions
Last week we explored some of the richness and meaning behind God's first name revealed in the Bible - Elohim. We saw that when looking at that name, we can discover the answer to the first question to ask when approaching the God of the Bible - "What kind of God is God?" Two other questions are also important to ask: "Who is the God of the Bible?" and "What can the God of the Bible do?"
With the first question "What kind of God is God?" being answered by His name "Elohim", today's blog is going to look closer at the second major name for God we encounter in the Bible - "Yahweh" or "Jehovah".
Who is Yahweh or "I AM WHO I AM"?
We know that the name "I AM" (translation from the Hebrew "Yahweh", in our English Bibles, LORD in all caps) is in answer to Moses' question: "Whom shall say sent me?" As we look closer at this Name of God Yahweh, we note some clues to the identity of the God of the Bible:
1. He is the Omnipresent God. That is, He is in the past, Present and Future all at the same time, as well as every square inch of the creation. Another valid translation of this name for God in the Hebrew would be: "I am the one who was, who has been and who ever will be". Revelation 1:4 gives us the true translation of this Holy Name: "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne"
2. He is the Omnipotent God.
Being that He is unlimited by time, we also know that there is not one square inch of the universe where the God of the Bible is not excercising His reign (Sovereignty) and His Ruling reign (Providence). God is all-powerful.
3. He is Omniscient. By virtue of the fact that Yahweh is everywhere present and all-powerful leads to the next quality of God's identity - He knows all things. He who has lived from all eternity knows the past exhaustively. He who is knows every location of every atom in the universe. He who will always be knows the future exhaustively. 109 prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus Christ in His first coming. How could that be? Only one conclusion - He and the Father knew all things in Eternity Past. He is Yahweh.
4. He is Personally involved with His people As much as this incredible name of God points to His unending identity, the revelation of the name was designed to communicate His personal involvement in the affairs of His people. For hundreds of years the people of God had cried out for deliverance from Egypt. Clearly God heard their cry. (Exodus 3:7)
Theologians refer to this attribute of God as His "immanence" or "God's nearness". The first three qualities of God's identity could be subsumed under another heading that describes the uniqueness of God over against the creation - His Transcendence or "Separateness from the created order". Jeremiah 23:23-24 states - “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off? 24“Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
The One Speaking there by the name "LORD" is "Yahweh" (The I AM WHO I AM). He is both far and near. As "Elohim" He as the authority to make the covenants we see Him making with His people in the Bible. As Yahweh, He is expressing Himself as the author of those covenants. As Elohim, He has the strength to carry through what He says. As Yahweh, He has the unending integrity to completes what He begins.
5. He is the Savior of His People. If the name "Elohim" underscores God's power and might behind His creative work, then His name "Yahweh" deals with His Personal work of redemption in the lives of His people. The name "Jesus" for example comes from the Hebrew name "Joshua" which means: "Yahweh" or "Jehovah" saves. Interestingly enough the name given to Jesus in His humanity points back to the truth of His Deity.
The God of the Bible - 3 important questions
Last week we explored some of the richness and meaning behind God's first name revealed in the Bible - Elohim. We saw that when looking at that name, we can discover the answer to the first question to ask when approaching the God of the Bible - "What kind of God is God?" Two other questions are also important to ask: "Who is the God of the Bible?" and "What can the God of the Bible do?"
With the first question "What kind of God is God?" being answered by His name "Elohim", today's blog is going to look closer at the second major name for God we encounter in the Bible - "Yahweh" or "Jehovah".
Who is Yahweh or "I AM WHO I AM"?
We know that the name "I AM" (translation from the Hebrew "Yahweh", in our English Bibles, LORD in all caps) is in answer to Moses' question: "Whom shall say sent me?" As we look closer at this Name of God Yahweh, we note some clues to the identity of the God of the Bible:
1. He is the Omnipresent God. That is, He is in the past, Present and Future all at the same time, as well as every square inch of the creation. Another valid translation of this name for God in the Hebrew would be: "I am the one who was, who has been and who ever will be". Revelation 1:4 gives us the true translation of this Holy Name: "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne"
2. He is the Omnipotent God.
Being that He is unlimited by time, we also know that there is not one square inch of the universe where the God of the Bible is not excercising His reign (Sovereignty) and His Ruling reign (Providence). God is all-powerful.
3. He is Omniscient. By virtue of the fact that Yahweh is everywhere present and all-powerful leads to the next quality of God's identity - He knows all things. He who has lived from all eternity knows the past exhaustively. He who is knows every location of every atom in the universe. He who will always be knows the future exhaustively. 109 prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus Christ in His first coming. How could that be? Only one conclusion - He and the Father knew all things in Eternity Past. He is Yahweh.
4. He is Personally involved with His people As much as this incredible name of God points to His unending identity, the revelation of the name was designed to communicate His personal involvement in the affairs of His people. For hundreds of years the people of God had cried out for deliverance from Egypt. Clearly God heard their cry. (Exodus 3:7)
Theologians refer to this attribute of God as His "immanence" or "God's nearness". The first three qualities of God's identity could be subsumed under another heading that describes the uniqueness of God over against the creation - His Transcendence or "Separateness from the created order". Jeremiah 23:23-24 states - “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off? 24“Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
The One Speaking there by the name "LORD" is "Yahweh" (The I AM WHO I AM). He is both far and near. As "Elohim" He as the authority to make the covenants we see Him making with His people in the Bible. As Yahweh, He is expressing Himself as the author of those covenants. As Elohim, He has the strength to carry through what He says. As Yahweh, He has the unending integrity to completes what He begins.
5. He is the Savior of His People. If the name "Elohim" underscores God's power and might behind His creative work, then His name "Yahweh" deals with His Personal work of redemption in the lives of His people. The name "Jesus" for example comes from the Hebrew name "Joshua" which means: "Yahweh" or "Jehovah" saves. Interestingly enough the name given to Jesus in His humanity points back to the truth of His Deity.
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Shekinah Glory
Leviticus 9:23-24 Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed
the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all
the people. 24Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of
fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell
on their faces.
The Uncreated Fire of God
The place of worship in the Old Testament was known as the tabernacle or the "dwelling place of God" (tabernaculum=Latin term meaning dwelling place). Prominent in the courtyard of the tabernacle was the Altar of Burnt sacrifices, where the priests would offer sacrifices brought by the people. Day and night was that altar to be kept lit. It is in this text where we see the beginning of the sacrificial system. It was not man who lit the flames upon the altar - it was God.
According to the text, fire sprang forth from before the Lord. This fire was not any ordinary fire. This was celestial fire, uncreated fire. The fire that was to burn on this altar was an other worldly, Divine fire. This fire was lit by the very Shekinah glory of God.
What is God's Shekinah Glory?
The Jews employed this term "Shekinah" in the days between the Old and New Testaments. According to the New Bible Dictionary, the term "Shekinah" derives from a Hebrew word "Shekan" meaning "to dwell". It was God's intention the whole time to dwell with His people, which is why He initated the construction of the tabernacle in the first place. (compare Exodus 25)
The Shekinah of God was what we could term the "inner glory" of God. Another term in the Hebrew Bible, translated glory (Hebrew term is pronounced "cavod"), as well as other terms, describe the presence of God revealed to people, more of an "outer glory". So with these ideas of "inner glory" and "outer glory", God was aiming to making his inner most identity known to His people. He wanted to dwell, to "shakan".
The connection between the "Shekinah glory" and Christ's incarnation
When God the Son came in human flesh, He was doing in the New Testament what God the Father had done in the Old - dwelling among the people. The difference being was that the "tabernacle" of the Son was not made of fabric, metal and wood, but was a "flesh and bone" tabernacle. John 1:14 states - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
That word "dwelt" in John 1:14 is a Greek word which could also be translated "tabernacled". Quite literally, God in the Person of the Son tabernacled Himself in human flesh! But there is more to this word.
According to the New Bible Dictionary, the Greek word that we just mentioned in John 1:14 may very well be connected to the word "Shekinah". If so, then the inner uncreated glory of God has literally manifested in human flesh! Christ quite literally is the walking, breathing Shekinah glory!
God the Son fulfilled the will of the Father by dwelling amidst the people as the Flesh and Blood Shekinah Glory of God
When the Jews had coined this term "Shekinah", they were assigning a term to the otherwise indescribable being of God that was revealed throughout Old Testament revelation. . When Christ came, He literally was able from His Co-Equality with the Father "explain God". (John 1:18) The Shekinah Glory which is first met in the Creation account of Genesis 1 came to dwell over the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament. This Shekinah glory, which was uncreated fire and light in the Old Testament, manifested in human flesh. As Colossians 2:9 states - "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form".
The Shekinah of God signals the completion of God's purposes for history and Eternity
Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them". At the center of all the activity leading from history into eternity will be the outer glory of God radiating through the inward glory of the "Shekinah" God the Son. God the Son is God tabernacled, "Shekinahed" among the people. He reveals in perfect clarity what will be the background uncreated glory of the Father. The Spirit of God will be forever impressing into the hearts of God's people the deepening delight of dwelling in Christ, and He in them.
The Uncreated Fire of God
The place of worship in the Old Testament was known as the tabernacle or the "dwelling place of God" (tabernaculum=Latin term meaning dwelling place). Prominent in the courtyard of the tabernacle was the Altar of Burnt sacrifices, where the priests would offer sacrifices brought by the people. Day and night was that altar to be kept lit. It is in this text where we see the beginning of the sacrificial system. It was not man who lit the flames upon the altar - it was God.
According to the text, fire sprang forth from before the Lord. This fire was not any ordinary fire. This was celestial fire, uncreated fire. The fire that was to burn on this altar was an other worldly, Divine fire. This fire was lit by the very Shekinah glory of God.
What is God's Shekinah Glory?
The Jews employed this term "Shekinah" in the days between the Old and New Testaments. According to the New Bible Dictionary, the term "Shekinah" derives from a Hebrew word "Shekan" meaning "to dwell". It was God's intention the whole time to dwell with His people, which is why He initated the construction of the tabernacle in the first place. (compare Exodus 25)
The Shekinah of God was what we could term the "inner glory" of God. Another term in the Hebrew Bible, translated glory (Hebrew term is pronounced "cavod"), as well as other terms, describe the presence of God revealed to people, more of an "outer glory". So with these ideas of "inner glory" and "outer glory", God was aiming to making his inner most identity known to His people. He wanted to dwell, to "shakan".
The connection between the "Shekinah glory" and Christ's incarnation
When God the Son came in human flesh, He was doing in the New Testament what God the Father had done in the Old - dwelling among the people. The difference being was that the "tabernacle" of the Son was not made of fabric, metal and wood, but was a "flesh and bone" tabernacle. John 1:14 states - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
That word "dwelt" in John 1:14 is a Greek word which could also be translated "tabernacled". Quite literally, God in the Person of the Son tabernacled Himself in human flesh! But there is more to this word.
According to the New Bible Dictionary, the Greek word that we just mentioned in John 1:14 may very well be connected to the word "Shekinah". If so, then the inner uncreated glory of God has literally manifested in human flesh! Christ quite literally is the walking, breathing Shekinah glory!
God the Son fulfilled the will of the Father by dwelling amidst the people as the Flesh and Blood Shekinah Glory of God
When the Jews had coined this term "Shekinah", they were assigning a term to the otherwise indescribable being of God that was revealed throughout Old Testament revelation. . When Christ came, He literally was able from His Co-Equality with the Father "explain God". (John 1:18) The Shekinah Glory which is first met in the Creation account of Genesis 1 came to dwell over the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament. This Shekinah glory, which was uncreated fire and light in the Old Testament, manifested in human flesh. As Colossians 2:9 states - "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form".
The Shekinah of God signals the completion of God's purposes for history and Eternity
Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them". At the center of all the activity leading from history into eternity will be the outer glory of God radiating through the inward glory of the "Shekinah" God the Son. God the Son is God tabernacled, "Shekinahed" among the people. He reveals in perfect clarity what will be the background uncreated glory of the Father. The Spirit of God will be forever impressing into the hearts of God's people the deepening delight of dwelling in Christ, and He in them.
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