Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them
from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON
A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE
FLESH’? 6“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What
therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
In today's blog I want to address three reasons why Christians must affirm the Biblical view of marriage. A few days ago our President made a public declaration of his support of same-sex marriage. Our culture in general, and some Christian denominations in particular have demonstrated increasing non-clarity on what defines marriage and family.
Can a Christian still consistently affirm core Christian convictions and yet agree with the rationale of including same-sex marriage in the overall definition of marriage? Or is including same-sex marriage in one's overall defintion of family and marriage in conflict with a consistent Christian worldview? I would submit the latter: namely that one cannot consistently hold to the core truths of Biblical Christianity and affirm same sex marriage.
Below I will spell out briefly three reason why Christians must affirm and reaffirm the following statement: Marriage is a union between one man and one woman in covenantal union with God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. Christians must affirm marriage because: Culture is built upon a sound definition of marriage
Jesus affirmed what God said through Adam in Genesis 2:24-25:
"The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which
He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
23The man said, “This is now bone of
my bones, And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called
Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24For this reason a man shall leave his father and
his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."
When God established the institution of marriage, he stated it before he had revealed government and before he had initiated the institution of God's people (Israel and later the Church). Marriage represents the most fundamental unit of meaning, identity and culture. It is marriage which acts as the beach-head in preventing the erosion of cultural morality and meaning in the realm of relationships. (Genesis 2; Deuteronomy 6; Malachi 2; Ephesians 5; 1 Peter 3:7)
Marriage is designed to raise up Godly and responsible human beings who will promote justice, godliness and equity in culture. (Malachi 2:15) Think of marriage as the brickwork of the wall of culture. What happens when the bricks are suddenly changed in shape? The wall will first teeter then tumble.
Marriage functions in the wider circle of the church as providing the fundamental family units who will raise their children to promote and communicate the Gospel. As Christians, we must affirm marriage if cultural stability is to continue.
2. Christians must affirm marriage because: Christianity is pictured by marriage
Ephesians 5:25-26 states - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself
up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word, 27that
He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or
wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Jesus Himself draws the parallel between the institution of marriage between one man and one woman to that of His relationship to His people, the church.
Same-sex marriage is incompatible with Christian life, faith and practice because it does not and cannot communicate anything meaningful about God nor His people. Over 100 passages in God's word speak on the subject of marriage. Quite often in the Old Testament God used marriage to picture the redemption His people out of sin and restoring them to relationship with Himself. (Hosea 2 is an example)
As Christians, we must affirm the uniqueness of Christian marriage in order to rightly and effectively communicate the story and theological thrust of the Gospel - namely the Son by the Holy Spirit gathering for Himself a Bride to cherish, wash and prepare for eternal wedded bliss. (Genesis 24; Hosea 2; Ephesians 5; Revelation 21-22)
3. Christians must affirm marriage because: Consistent morality requires the affirmation of marriage
When we come to Romans 1:25-26 states - "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the
creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26For this reason God gave them over to degrading
passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is
unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the
natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men
with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due
penalty of their error."
Morality cannot thrive amidst a people who are only reacting to what is wrong. Rather morality can only advance amidst a people who are affirming what is right. Same-sex proponents advocate their views due to what has been the consistent undermining of marriage in our culture. According to Dr. Robert H. Coombs, Professor of Behaviorial Sciences at UCLA, the rate of people living together before marriage as increased 533% since 1970. Studies have shown that among those co-habitating versus those who are married, alcoholism is 15% higher, suicide occurs at a higher rate and domestic violence is three times more likely. Statistics alone demonstrate the link between a redefinition of marriage and the negative moral outcomes.
When marriage suffers, morality suffers. Furthermore, when marriage suffers, children suffer. A reactionary movement is unstable because it lacks the ability to sustain any long term positive affects on a culture. By supplementing the definition of marriage to include other arrangements between men and women or those of the same-sex, we end up supplanting the very foundation of morality and ethics.
We are reaping the affects of the reactionary movements of the 60's and 70's which advocated "living together" and the "sexual revolution". They attempted to change the landscape of families and culture - and they did so - at the expense of moral and ethical decay. Reactionary movements never have and never will progress culture, Christianity nor morality.
Marriage between One man and One woman is the only view that can communicate the necessity of God-centered existence in the family
Same-sex advocates often speak of monogamy as the ethical high-water mark of their movement, something of which they say is common-ground shared with the historic view of marriage. However, monogamy itself only grew out of the soil of historic marriage itself! Other arrangements outside of marriage have never been able to consistently sustain a rationale for monagamy without borrowing from the very institution which they claim is outmoded and outdated. Furthermore, the highwater mark of the historic view of marriage is not monogamy only. If anything, the husband and wife's covenant relationship with one another and God Himself communicates the highwater mark of marriage, which is the reason behind marriage's unique ability to consistently affirm monogamy.
Marriage functions as the lense for picturing Christ's relationship to His people, the church. Any other lense leads to a radical man-centered agenda and worldview, where pleasing people, rather than God consititutes the highwater mark for ethics.
The Biblical view of marriage alone is proactionary. It operates from the standpoint of affirmation, not defense. I say lets affirm Godly Biblical marriages - since culture, Christianity and consistent morality requires us to do so.
Welcome to Growing Christian Resources, where you can search over 2,500 resources pertaining to your Christian walk, the explanation and defense of the Christian worldview. For those desiring to dig-deeper into the scriptures, please check out www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Godly Ministry in the New Testament
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The unending power of God
Isaiah 26:4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in
GOD the LORD, we
have an everlasting Rock"
Special Video Link to Venus. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=134334781 After reading today's blog, go to this link to see a video depicting the atmosphere of the planet Venus being affected by the Solar wind blowing from the sun through the Solar system. You can click on the supplied link, then click a scond time, and you will be directed to NASA's website, with the video playing automatically. The video is only 24 seconds in length.
In the above verse, we see reference to the Lord God Eternal. Elsewhere in the scripture the name "God Eternal" is the translation of the Hebrew name revealed by God "El-Olam" (God Eternal).
The power of the sun seen in its effects
If you did not get a chance, check out yesterday's blog, wherein was included a High Resolution Video of the Sun from the Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Today's featured video depicts the so-called "solar wind", the stream of magnetic particles that comes off of the sun and makes their way through the solar system. Just the smallest amount of effort from the sun is needed to affect the entirety of a planet like Venus.
Just think about it for just a moment. Venus, a planet slightly smaller than our Earth, is over 60 million miles from the sun (and roughly 35 million miles from us). It is shrouded in a thick cloud of Carbon Dioxide whose Green House effect makes the surface temperature of Venus to be about 900 degrees F. That seemingly unmoveable cloud is affected by the power of the sun (as seen in the video link above)
The power of the Eternal God, El Olam, is seen in His effects
The Eternal nature of God is seen in this name "El Olam". No doubt about it, the Eternal God is the One who made the sun which moves and affects our planets. In Genesis 21:33 we see the first mention of the name "God Eternal" or "El-Olam" - "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God."
Abraham was acknowledging the power of "El-Olam". God had protected Him, sustained Him and guided Him. It is also significant that the power of El-Olam moved and promised Abraham that from Him would come a "seed" - that is - God in human flesh. God alone could back up His promises. He alone has the power to direct the course of prophecy and history through what is termed His "Providence". (Romans 11:36).
As powerful as the affects of the sun are in our solar system, it pails in comparison to the power of the Eternal God - "El Olam".
Special Video Link to Venus. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=134334781 After reading today's blog, go to this link to see a video depicting the atmosphere of the planet Venus being affected by the Solar wind blowing from the sun through the Solar system. You can click on the supplied link, then click a scond time, and you will be directed to NASA's website, with the video playing automatically. The video is only 24 seconds in length.
In the above verse, we see reference to the Lord God Eternal. Elsewhere in the scripture the name "God Eternal" is the translation of the Hebrew name revealed by God "El-Olam" (God Eternal).
The power of the sun seen in its effects
If you did not get a chance, check out yesterday's blog, wherein was included a High Resolution Video of the Sun from the Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Today's featured video depicts the so-called "solar wind", the stream of magnetic particles that comes off of the sun and makes their way through the solar system. Just the smallest amount of effort from the sun is needed to affect the entirety of a planet like Venus.
Just think about it for just a moment. Venus, a planet slightly smaller than our Earth, is over 60 million miles from the sun (and roughly 35 million miles from us). It is shrouded in a thick cloud of Carbon Dioxide whose Green House effect makes the surface temperature of Venus to be about 900 degrees F. That seemingly unmoveable cloud is affected by the power of the sun (as seen in the video link above)
The power of the Eternal God, El Olam, is seen in His effects
The Eternal nature of God is seen in this name "El Olam". No doubt about it, the Eternal God is the One who made the sun which moves and affects our planets. In Genesis 21:33 we see the first mention of the name "God Eternal" or "El-Olam" - "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God."
Abraham was acknowledging the power of "El-Olam". God had protected Him, sustained Him and guided Him. It is also significant that the power of El-Olam moved and promised Abraham that from Him would come a "seed" - that is - God in human flesh. God alone could back up His promises. He alone has the power to direct the course of prophecy and history through what is termed His "Providence". (Romans 11:36).
As powerful as the affects of the sun are in our solar system, it pails in comparison to the power of the Eternal God - "El Olam".
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Seeing what is infinitely greater than the sun
Habakkuk 3:4 God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the
heavens, And the earth is full of His praise.
4His radiance is like the
sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And
there is the hiding of His power.
Special Link to the latest NASA video of the Sun: NASA - Year Two: SDO Highlights On Its Anniversary http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=141041161
Elohim - the Eternal God and the rays of His glory, illustrated by the sun which he made
We have been exploring the name of God "Elohim" in the past couple of blogs. We've noted that this name answers the question: "What kind of God is God" in the Bible. Today I wanted to explore the significance of this name through the means of an object of which we are most familiar - the sun. If you click on the link above, and then click again, you will be treated to an HD video from the Solar Dynamics Mission (SDM), one of the the most detailed studies of the sun ever undertaken. The link will take you to a 2 minute video on the NASA website which should start automatically for you. The SDM is a probe circling our sun, equipped with the latest technology. As you view the video, read Habakkuk 3:4 (see above).
Elohim is the fulness of God's being, with other names acting as rays revealing the glory of His being
I pray as you viewed the video, you were blown away like I was. It really reveals what Habakkuk was speaking about when He said that God (Elohim) came and had rays flashing from His hand. I want to suggest to you that the name "Elohim" is illustrated by what He made, the Sun, with other names revealed in scripture in conjunction with this name acting as "rays". Let me show you what I mean:
1. "El" or the Strong God. "Elohim" is the plural form of "El". God's very existence bespeaks of His unending strength and power. It is the name "El" to which God's people cry out to when in need of help. Jesus on the cross cried out in His humanity "My God, my God" which in the language He would had been speaking (Aramaic) would had been equivalent to "My El, My El".
2. "El-Elyon" God most High. In Genesis 14 we see God revealing Himself in another "ray" of infinite light, God most High. Melechizedek, an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ, is speaking to Abraham. He tells Him that it is "El-Elyon" who delivered the mighty Patriarch.
3. "Elah or Eloah" God most Adorable. Is not God worthy of Love and Adoration? In Job 19:25,26 Job utters one of the first references we see to the hope of resurrection. It is here where Job in His sufffering looks to God, "Eloah", for His Help. As always, God's names are revealed in contexts where He is making Himself known to His people.
4. "Elroi" God who sees. In Genesis 16 the slave Hagar is about to lose her boy, Ishamael. Suddenly in the midst of her agony and cry, the mysterious figure of the Angel of the Lord appears. He is none other than an Old Tetsament appearance of Jesus Christ. We know this figure to be divine because Hagar acknowledges Him as "El-roi" - the God who sees.
God's glorious rays are endless, while the sun is limited
There are more names connected to this incredible name of "El" or "Elohim" (El-shaddai "God Almighty"; El-Olam "God Eternal"). According to astronomers, the sun converts hydrogen into Helium and burns many many tons of its own fuel as second. In size, the sun is a million miles across, or over a 1,000 times larger than the earth. It is 93 million miles from us and its light takes 8 minutes to reach our eyes from the moment those light rays leave its surface. As wonderful as the sun is, it is a limited, created object.
God on the other hand is without beginning and without end. Just one of His names or attributes reveals in unending depth an aspect of His being, and yet through that one name or aspect we can behold the other qualities of Him. May Elohim, the God of the Bible and Creation, capture our hearts. May we by grace through faith bask in the warmth of His grace and may the hardness of our hearts be melted by the heat of His Holiness.
Special Link to the latest NASA video of the Sun: NASA - Year Two: SDO Highlights On Its Anniversary http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=141041161
Elohim - the Eternal God and the rays of His glory, illustrated by the sun which he made
We have been exploring the name of God "Elohim" in the past couple of blogs. We've noted that this name answers the question: "What kind of God is God" in the Bible. Today I wanted to explore the significance of this name through the means of an object of which we are most familiar - the sun. If you click on the link above, and then click again, you will be treated to an HD video from the Solar Dynamics Mission (SDM), one of the the most detailed studies of the sun ever undertaken. The link will take you to a 2 minute video on the NASA website which should start automatically for you. The SDM is a probe circling our sun, equipped with the latest technology. As you view the video, read Habakkuk 3:4 (see above).
Elohim is the fulness of God's being, with other names acting as rays revealing the glory of His being
I pray as you viewed the video, you were blown away like I was. It really reveals what Habakkuk was speaking about when He said that God (Elohim) came and had rays flashing from His hand. I want to suggest to you that the name "Elohim" is illustrated by what He made, the Sun, with other names revealed in scripture in conjunction with this name acting as "rays". Let me show you what I mean:
1. "El" or the Strong God. "Elohim" is the plural form of "El". God's very existence bespeaks of His unending strength and power. It is the name "El" to which God's people cry out to when in need of help. Jesus on the cross cried out in His humanity "My God, my God" which in the language He would had been speaking (Aramaic) would had been equivalent to "My El, My El".
2. "El-Elyon" God most High. In Genesis 14 we see God revealing Himself in another "ray" of infinite light, God most High. Melechizedek, an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ, is speaking to Abraham. He tells Him that it is "El-Elyon" who delivered the mighty Patriarch.
3. "Elah or Eloah" God most Adorable. Is not God worthy of Love and Adoration? In Job 19:25,26 Job utters one of the first references we see to the hope of resurrection. It is here where Job in His sufffering looks to God, "Eloah", for His Help. As always, God's names are revealed in contexts where He is making Himself known to His people.
4. "Elroi" God who sees. In Genesis 16 the slave Hagar is about to lose her boy, Ishamael. Suddenly in the midst of her agony and cry, the mysterious figure of the Angel of the Lord appears. He is none other than an Old Tetsament appearance of Jesus Christ. We know this figure to be divine because Hagar acknowledges Him as "El-roi" - the God who sees.
God's glorious rays are endless, while the sun is limited
There are more names connected to this incredible name of "El" or "Elohim" (El-shaddai "God Almighty"; El-Olam "God Eternal"). According to astronomers, the sun converts hydrogen into Helium and burns many many tons of its own fuel as second. In size, the sun is a million miles across, or over a 1,000 times larger than the earth. It is 93 million miles from us and its light takes 8 minutes to reach our eyes from the moment those light rays leave its surface. As wonderful as the sun is, it is a limited, created object.
God on the other hand is without beginning and without end. Just one of His names or attributes reveals in unending depth an aspect of His being, and yet through that one name or aspect we can behold the other qualities of Him. May Elohim, the God of the Bible and Creation, capture our hearts. May we by grace through faith bask in the warmth of His grace and may the hardness of our hearts be melted by the heat of His Holiness.
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