Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "god"
God vs. the Lord God
If you open your Bible to Genesis chapter 1, you will see the Divine Being identified by the word God. In fact this word is employed through Genesis 2:3. Beginning at v.4 of chapter 2, the Divine Being is identified as the Lord God. We are to garner a goodly amount of theological instruction from this, dear friends.
From Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 the subject matter is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Beginning with Genesis 2:4 the subject matter switches to the earth, to mankind's rule over it as the Divine Being's steward, and to man's personal relationship with the Lord.
Ergo, when the word God is used to identify the Divine Being, the emphasis is on His being high and mighty, far above His creation, the Creator Who is unapproachable and fearsome. When the identifier is the Lord God, His personal relationship with man is the focus, His being close to us, approachable and desirable to converse with. The concept behind the words Lord God also apply to the one word Lord.
In theology textbooks the concept of God as being far removed from man is expressed by the word transcendence. The concept of the Lord God as being close and intimate with man, as being in covenantal relationship with him, goes by the word immanence. But don't confuse this word with the word imminence, which means "at any moment".
If you will meditate on these concepts a bit, they will aid you immensely in understanding Scripture. The concepts are applicable throughout the Old Testament. In the New Testament the Lord God receives the identifier Jesus Christ. So be sure to save this RAM info to your gray matter hard disk and use it liberally!
For additional reading consult eBook = Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. paperback and hardcover = Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes: An Exposition of the Scriptures for Disciples and Young Christians: Volume 1: Genesis
For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
From Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 the subject matter is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Beginning with Genesis 2:4 the subject matter switches to the earth, to mankind's rule over it as the Divine Being's steward, and to man's personal relationship with the Lord.
Ergo, when the word God is used to identify the Divine Being, the emphasis is on His being high and mighty, far above His creation, the Creator Who is unapproachable and fearsome. When the identifier is the Lord God, His personal relationship with man is the focus, His being close to us, approachable and desirable to converse with. The concept behind the words Lord God also apply to the one word Lord.
In theology textbooks the concept of God as being far removed from man is expressed by the word transcendence. The concept of the Lord God as being close and intimate with man, as being in covenantal relationship with him, goes by the word immanence. But don't confuse this word with the word imminence, which means "at any moment".
If you will meditate on these concepts a bit, they will aid you immensely in understanding Scripture. The concepts are applicable throughout the Old Testament. In the New Testament the Lord God receives the identifier Jesus Christ. So be sure to save this RAM info to your gray matter hard disk and use it liberally!
For additional reading consult eBook = Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. paperback and hardcover = Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes: An Exposition of the Scriptures for Disciples and Young Christians: Volume 1: Genesis
For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
From Moabite to Israelite – Part 1
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me” [Ruth 1:16-17].
Do you recall the first person you fell for? Remember how puppy love felt? I do! I walked on the moon without touching the ground. Butterflies hovered around my head and in my stomach. I didn’t know what day it was or even if it was day. Goosebumps covered my skin and goose eggs made up my common sense quotient. Ah, amore.
As we all know, puppy love doesn’t last. The temporary blindness which accompanies it, along with the temporary insanity, dissipate sooner or later—usually sooner—and we realize our lovely “beauty” is really an unsightly “beast”…sort of like Mrs. Shrek. Yes, puppy love is more a Hollywood thing than it is reality.
And then there is the real thing, the real McCoy, true love, the kind which we can read about in 1 Corinthians 13 but rarely witness in real life. Let’s identify real love, God’s love, shall we?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 4:10].
See! True love, God’s love, doesn’t TAKE. It GIVES. Real love looks out for the one loved, rather than see how it can profit from the one loved. Does this not explain why the divorce rate is sky high in today’s antichrist society? Everyone looks out for his/her own interests. All of us have a penchant for putting Numero Uno first. In the Bible this is recognized as “hate”, in contrast to “love”…and the Bible is quite correct.
It is hard for us to grasp what we read in Ruth 1, as quoted at the start of this study. We have the words of true love there. In fact Ruth’s true love came from Israel’s King YHWH and metamorphosed her from a Moabite to an Israelite. The proof is right there in the two verses I quoted. Ruth’s metamorphosis takes place in those verses.
“How so?” you are no doubt wondering. It has to do with the usage of the words God and the Lord. We’ve posted studies on this issue already, and my Heavenly Citizens series delves into the matter exhaustively on many occasions. Let’s have a brief review.
The word God isn’t a name or even a title. It is hard to define because it applies only to the one true God. This makes it unique. Suffice it to say that the word human depicts a species. In the same way the word God does likewise, except the species consists of only one, making Him not a species. The word God denotes deity. On the other hand, the words the Lord—in reality only one Hebrew word, viz., YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah—is the actual NAME of God.
Oh, but this is a right fine location to pitch our tents for the night. We will return to this issue in our next study. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Do you recall the first person you fell for? Remember how puppy love felt? I do! I walked on the moon without touching the ground. Butterflies hovered around my head and in my stomach. I didn’t know what day it was or even if it was day. Goosebumps covered my skin and goose eggs made up my common sense quotient. Ah, amore.
As we all know, puppy love doesn’t last. The temporary blindness which accompanies it, along with the temporary insanity, dissipate sooner or later—usually sooner—and we realize our lovely “beauty” is really an unsightly “beast”…sort of like Mrs. Shrek. Yes, puppy love is more a Hollywood thing than it is reality.
And then there is the real thing, the real McCoy, true love, the kind which we can read about in 1 Corinthians 13 but rarely witness in real life. Let’s identify real love, God’s love, shall we?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 4:10].
See! True love, God’s love, doesn’t TAKE. It GIVES. Real love looks out for the one loved, rather than see how it can profit from the one loved. Does this not explain why the divorce rate is sky high in today’s antichrist society? Everyone looks out for his/her own interests. All of us have a penchant for putting Numero Uno first. In the Bible this is recognized as “hate”, in contrast to “love”…and the Bible is quite correct.
It is hard for us to grasp what we read in Ruth 1, as quoted at the start of this study. We have the words of true love there. In fact Ruth’s true love came from Israel’s King YHWH and metamorphosed her from a Moabite to an Israelite. The proof is right there in the two verses I quoted. Ruth’s metamorphosis takes place in those verses.
“How so?” you are no doubt wondering. It has to do with the usage of the words God and the Lord. We’ve posted studies on this issue already, and my Heavenly Citizens series delves into the matter exhaustively on many occasions. Let’s have a brief review.
The word God isn’t a name or even a title. It is hard to define because it applies only to the one true God. This makes it unique. Suffice it to say that the word human depicts a species. In the same way the word God does likewise, except the species consists of only one, making Him not a species. The word God denotes deity. On the other hand, the words the Lord—in reality only one Hebrew word, viz., YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah—is the actual NAME of God.
Oh, but this is a right fine location to pitch our tents for the night. We will return to this issue in our next study. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
From Moabite to Israelite – Part 2
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me” [Ruth 1:16-17].
Here’s the thing about the words God and the Lord. When the Lord is identified as God (as in Genesis 1), it refers to the One Who created everything, He Who is high and mighty and towers above the earth and over all creation. The word God points to the impersonal aspect of the Divine One. When God is identified by His name YHWH (aka the Lord), this is personal. Compare it to the identifiers the President and Barak Obama. On the one hand, the President is an impersonal reference, while Barak Obama is quite personal.
Now reread Ruth 1:16-17. The context was that Naomi the Israelite went with her husband and two sons to live in Moab for a spell because there was a famine in Israel. While in Moab her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then her two sons died as well. When the famine in Israel was finally over, Naomi decided to return to Israel. Her two daughters-in-law started to go with her, but Naomi discouraged them.
Orpah turned around and went back to Moab, but Ruth pronounced some of the most deeply emotional words of fidelity ever to be recorded, the words in Ruth 1:16-17. She began by saying she was willingly leaving behind her people and embracing Naomi’s people. This meant that thenceforth she saw herself as an Israelite, not as a Moabite.
She then added that she also was willingly renouncing her gods and embracing Naomi’s God. That perforce had to be the case, in order to become an Israelite proselyte. Don’t overlook which word was used to identify the Divine One. Ruth said she was embracing GOD. Because Ruth was a Moabite, she had no personal relationship with the Lord. Her relationship was that between Creator (aka God) and creature (aka created being). It was impersonal.
After renouncing her Moabite identity and the concomitant gods of Moab, Ruth forthwith became a true Israelite. This is why her very next words did NOT refer to God but to the Lord. She said, “If I ever leave you, Naomi, may the Lord, may YHWH, cook my goose!”
See! One moment Ruth was a Moabite cocoon, the next an Israelite butterfly. These sorts of details in Scripture reveal remarkable spiritual truth, dear friends. Don’t miss out on them. Hie off to my Amazon link below and purchase your very own copies of my books. I bring out innumerable suchlike details in my books. You will only be the better for it. Thank you.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Here’s the thing about the words God and the Lord. When the Lord is identified as God (as in Genesis 1), it refers to the One Who created everything, He Who is high and mighty and towers above the earth and over all creation. The word God points to the impersonal aspect of the Divine One. When God is identified by His name YHWH (aka the Lord), this is personal. Compare it to the identifiers the President and Barak Obama. On the one hand, the President is an impersonal reference, while Barak Obama is quite personal.
Now reread Ruth 1:16-17. The context was that Naomi the Israelite went with her husband and two sons to live in Moab for a spell because there was a famine in Israel. While in Moab her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then her two sons died as well. When the famine in Israel was finally over, Naomi decided to return to Israel. Her two daughters-in-law started to go with her, but Naomi discouraged them.
Orpah turned around and went back to Moab, but Ruth pronounced some of the most deeply emotional words of fidelity ever to be recorded, the words in Ruth 1:16-17. She began by saying she was willingly leaving behind her people and embracing Naomi’s people. This meant that thenceforth she saw herself as an Israelite, not as a Moabite.
She then added that she also was willingly renouncing her gods and embracing Naomi’s God. That perforce had to be the case, in order to become an Israelite proselyte. Don’t overlook which word was used to identify the Divine One. Ruth said she was embracing GOD. Because Ruth was a Moabite, she had no personal relationship with the Lord. Her relationship was that between Creator (aka God) and creature (aka created being). It was impersonal.
After renouncing her Moabite identity and the concomitant gods of Moab, Ruth forthwith became a true Israelite. This is why her very next words did NOT refer to God but to the Lord. She said, “If I ever leave you, Naomi, may the Lord, may YHWH, cook my goose!”
See! One moment Ruth was a Moabite cocoon, the next an Israelite butterfly. These sorts of details in Scripture reveal remarkable spiritual truth, dear friends. Don’t miss out on them. Hie off to my Amazon link below and purchase your very own copies of my books. I bring out innumerable suchlike details in my books. You will only be the better for it. Thank you.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Wow! I Can See God! – Part 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being [John 1:1-3].
It is eye-opening to discover in the original Greek that the writings of John are the simplest grammar in the New Testament. John’s Gospel account and his three letters to the churches wax eloquent in content. They are the most philosophical of all the four Gospel accounts, and they teach recondite concepts. In fine, they are not simple narrative.
The reason why it surprises those who learn to read the Greek New Testament is because the content soars above the heavens, while the grammar is that of a child. Only the Holy Spirit could accomplish such a feat! Anyone who is adroit enough to present such deep content has a vocabulary arsenal well beyond John’s.
The first three verses of John’s Gospel account are quoted at the start of this study. Folks, it doesn’t get more arcane than that! The Holy Spirit just last week shared an insight with me about these verses, a nuance which I trust you will enjoy.
First read the three verses of John again. We’ll pause a moment to give you time. Okay, now read this:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light [Genesis 1:1-3].
In Genesis the word “beginning” refers to the beginning of time, space, and matter. It references the beginning of creation as we know it. In John’s account the word refers to eternity. Long before the Genesis “beginning” God existed…because God always is. At the same time “the Word” always is too: He always is with God.
Both God and the Word are eternal, and that is a characteristic which only God has. Hence John tells us, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Those two clauses form a paradox, don’t you think? How can God be with God? Makes no sense to me! I mean, I can’t be with me. Duh! How can something identified as “the Word” be with God, while simultaneously being God? Go figure, why don’cha.
The only logical solution is to realize that God is a Trinity. He is three Persons in one God. O! but that makes even less sense, huh? Are you confused enough yet? Well, we’re just getting started, so get ready to implode!
Truthfully, the reason we cannot understand the Trinity is because nothing in time can be compared to this concept. If we view the Trinity as multiple personalities in one person, well, the Trinity is not one Person. The word Trinity comes from “tri” + “unity”. Tri means “three” and unity means “one”: three Persons in one God.
I do apologize, but time has escaped us. We will have to continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
It is eye-opening to discover in the original Greek that the writings of John are the simplest grammar in the New Testament. John’s Gospel account and his three letters to the churches wax eloquent in content. They are the most philosophical of all the four Gospel accounts, and they teach recondite concepts. In fine, they are not simple narrative.
The reason why it surprises those who learn to read the Greek New Testament is because the content soars above the heavens, while the grammar is that of a child. Only the Holy Spirit could accomplish such a feat! Anyone who is adroit enough to present such deep content has a vocabulary arsenal well beyond John’s.
The first three verses of John’s Gospel account are quoted at the start of this study. Folks, it doesn’t get more arcane than that! The Holy Spirit just last week shared an insight with me about these verses, a nuance which I trust you will enjoy.
First read the three verses of John again. We’ll pause a moment to give you time. Okay, now read this:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light [Genesis 1:1-3].
In Genesis the word “beginning” refers to the beginning of time, space, and matter. It references the beginning of creation as we know it. In John’s account the word refers to eternity. Long before the Genesis “beginning” God existed…because God always is. At the same time “the Word” always is too: He always is with God.
Both God and the Word are eternal, and that is a characteristic which only God has. Hence John tells us, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Those two clauses form a paradox, don’t you think? How can God be with God? Makes no sense to me! I mean, I can’t be with me. Duh! How can something identified as “the Word” be with God, while simultaneously being God? Go figure, why don’cha.
The only logical solution is to realize that God is a Trinity. He is three Persons in one God. O! but that makes even less sense, huh? Are you confused enough yet? Well, we’re just getting started, so get ready to implode!
Truthfully, the reason we cannot understand the Trinity is because nothing in time can be compared to this concept. If we view the Trinity as multiple personalities in one person, well, the Trinity is not one Person. The word Trinity comes from “tri” + “unity”. Tri means “three” and unity means “one”: three Persons in one God.
I do apologize, but time has escaped us. We will have to continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Wow! I Can See God! – Part 2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being [John 1:1-3].
We concluded our last study with a look into the concept of the Trinity. We will continue with that point now. If we use the analogy of H2O, there are three forms it can take:
1. water (a liquid)
2. ice (a solid)
3. steam (a gas)
The trouble with this analogy is that H2O can only be one of those forms at a time. Because this is true in time, the Pentecostals insist it applies to God in eternity. Ergo, God is only one Person at a time, not three, not a Trinity. At one time He is the Father, at another the Son, and still another the Holy Spirit.
Instead of trying to rewrite Scripture, methinks they would be wise to agree with the Word of God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is God while simultaneously being with God. Sorry, my Pentecostal brothers and sisters, but we must stick with the Word of God. He alone knows Who He is and can explain Himself. You and I are not qualified to perform such a feat.
If I wanted a cockroach to understand who and what I am, how could I go about it, hypothetically speaking, of course? I couldn’t write the roach a letter explaining the facts concerning my existence because it can’t read! I couldn’t just sit on the park bench and talk to it. I couldn’t hang out with it in the gym and rub shoulders to get acquainted. It’s a toughie. How to explain myself to a cockroach?
God faced the same dilemma in trying to reveal Himself to man. He is not one of us. He is incalculably superior to man. He created man so He understands us, but we are not up to the task of comprehending Him. Time cannot measure eternity, nor can time define eternity. Vice versa is the reality, dear friends.
God being God, He wasn’t stumped. He knew how to explain His Person and behaviors to man. He became a man like us, so that we could experience God within the context of time, space, and matter. God really took on our true humanity, sin excepted, and became one of us (cf., John 1:14).
When we study Jesus in the New Testament, we are seeing Father God, the Person, in action.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” [John 14:9]
This is how God revealed His Person and explained His character and purposes to man. I am getting all giddy! This is exciting stuff! I can’t get enough! More! More! More!
Oh, shucks. I’ll have to wait for my third heaping helping. Time’s a gone again. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study with a look into the concept of the Trinity. We will continue with that point now. If we use the analogy of H2O, there are three forms it can take:
1. water (a liquid)
2. ice (a solid)
3. steam (a gas)
The trouble with this analogy is that H2O can only be one of those forms at a time. Because this is true in time, the Pentecostals insist it applies to God in eternity. Ergo, God is only one Person at a time, not three, not a Trinity. At one time He is the Father, at another the Son, and still another the Holy Spirit.
Instead of trying to rewrite Scripture, methinks they would be wise to agree with the Word of God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is God while simultaneously being with God. Sorry, my Pentecostal brothers and sisters, but we must stick with the Word of God. He alone knows Who He is and can explain Himself. You and I are not qualified to perform such a feat.
If I wanted a cockroach to understand who and what I am, how could I go about it, hypothetically speaking, of course? I couldn’t write the roach a letter explaining the facts concerning my existence because it can’t read! I couldn’t just sit on the park bench and talk to it. I couldn’t hang out with it in the gym and rub shoulders to get acquainted. It’s a toughie. How to explain myself to a cockroach?
God faced the same dilemma in trying to reveal Himself to man. He is not one of us. He is incalculably superior to man. He created man so He understands us, but we are not up to the task of comprehending Him. Time cannot measure eternity, nor can time define eternity. Vice versa is the reality, dear friends.
God being God, He wasn’t stumped. He knew how to explain His Person and behaviors to man. He became a man like us, so that we could experience God within the context of time, space, and matter. God really took on our true humanity, sin excepted, and became one of us (cf., John 1:14).
When we study Jesus in the New Testament, we are seeing Father God, the Person, in action.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” [John 14:9]
This is how God revealed His Person and explained His character and purposes to man. I am getting all giddy! This is exciting stuff! I can’t get enough! More! More! More!
Oh, shucks. I’ll have to wait for my third heaping helping. Time’s a gone again. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Wow! I Can See God! – Part 3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being [John 1:1-3].
Today we will start with Genesis 1:1-3. In the beginning God: there is the Father. And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters: there is the Holy Spirit. And God said: there is the Word, the Son of God.
We can now understand John 1:1-3 with better insight about how almighty God reveals Himself to puny man.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
Note in those words that God gave His Son. This means God in this verse is God the Father, else how can He have a Son? So we have God the Father and God the Son together simultaneously.
The Father sent the Son into the world to take upon true humanity, sin excepted. He did this in order to reveal His true Person and character to man. He had to reveal Himself to man again because, back in the garden in the beginning, man sinned and marred his ability to know God. In consequence man made up his own versions of God, which we now know as idolatry and man-made religions.
God is One, not two or twenty or ten thousand. This one God gave His Son, so now we know that there are two Persons as the one God. In other Scriptures, including Genesis 1:2, God teaches us that there is also the Person of the Holy Spirit.
In the creation account of Genesis God speaks. Since we cannot comprehend eternity, God uses man’s speech as an illustration of His Son, the Word. For the same reason He employs an earthly illustration to denote the Holy Spirit hovering like a helicopter over the waters covering the earth, generating transforming energy to create the present heavens and earth.
Look at it like this. A man wants to do something, so he thinks to himself, “I’m going to do such and so, in order to accomplish this goal.” After figuring out what he wants and how he will go about accomplishing it, he then puts his shoulder to the work and gets it done.
The man represents the Father, his thoughts and words represent the Son, and his actions represent the Holy Spirit. An earthly analogy, to be sure, making it very limited and demanding that we understand it relatively. But it is how God reveals Himself to us in Genesis 1 and John 1. That is all we can comprehend, but it is not all there is to know about the Person and Ministry of God.
If you don’t yet have enough to spend hours alone with Jesus, then you must be God! Let’s spend some quality time with Him now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Today we will start with Genesis 1:1-3. In the beginning God: there is the Father. And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters: there is the Holy Spirit. And God said: there is the Word, the Son of God.
We can now understand John 1:1-3 with better insight about how almighty God reveals Himself to puny man.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
Note in those words that God gave His Son. This means God in this verse is God the Father, else how can He have a Son? So we have God the Father and God the Son together simultaneously.
The Father sent the Son into the world to take upon true humanity, sin excepted. He did this in order to reveal His true Person and character to man. He had to reveal Himself to man again because, back in the garden in the beginning, man sinned and marred his ability to know God. In consequence man made up his own versions of God, which we now know as idolatry and man-made religions.
God is One, not two or twenty or ten thousand. This one God gave His Son, so now we know that there are two Persons as the one God. In other Scriptures, including Genesis 1:2, God teaches us that there is also the Person of the Holy Spirit.
In the creation account of Genesis God speaks. Since we cannot comprehend eternity, God uses man’s speech as an illustration of His Son, the Word. For the same reason He employs an earthly illustration to denote the Holy Spirit hovering like a helicopter over the waters covering the earth, generating transforming energy to create the present heavens and earth.
Look at it like this. A man wants to do something, so he thinks to himself, “I’m going to do such and so, in order to accomplish this goal.” After figuring out what he wants and how he will go about accomplishing it, he then puts his shoulder to the work and gets it done.
The man represents the Father, his thoughts and words represent the Son, and his actions represent the Holy Spirit. An earthly analogy, to be sure, making it very limited and demanding that we understand it relatively. But it is how God reveals Himself to us in Genesis 1 and John 1. That is all we can comprehend, but it is not all there is to know about the Person and Ministry of God.
If you don’t yet have enough to spend hours alone with Jesus, then you must be God! Let’s spend some quality time with Him now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Who Turned Out the Lights? – Part 1
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven [Matthew 5:16].
When preachers employ this text for a sermon, they exhort Christians to let God’s light shine through their lives to others. And they are quite correct in their understanding of the text. But there is another truth in the text which deserves honorable mention. This truth runs throughout the Gospel According to Matthew. We will assay it today.
The New Testament contains four Gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are broken down in theology textbooks into two categories. On the one hand there is the Gospel According to John, on the other are the three synoptic gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The word “synoptic” comes from the Greek preposition “sun” which means “with” or “together with”, and the Greek word from which we derive “optics” or “optical”, which has to do with sight or vision or appearance. Hence the word “synoptic” refers to things which present the same appearance or vision.
Anyone who reads Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and then reads John, recognizes readily enough how John follows a different framework than the other three. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present the story of Jesus’ first advent in much the same light, even employing the same stories overall. Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels are written as historical accounts.
John, contrariwise, presents the story of Jesus from a philosophical perspective, not a historical one. When we read the Gospel According to John, we are taken on flights into the heavenlies. We encounter visions of glory unlike the way Jesus’ life is recorded in the other three gospel accounts. The other three Gospel writers are quite pragmatic in their telling, while John is a visionary and who sees beyond the pragmatic to the deep things of God.
What we want to delve into today is a different dichotomy which occurs within the four gospel accounts:
1. kingdom of God
2. kingdom of heaven
Only Matthew refers to the “kingdom of heaven”, which he does predominantly in his account. He also makes mention of the “kingdom of God” a few times. The other three gospel accounts never speak of the “kingdom of heaven”, while they do point to the “kingdom of God” quite often.
Why this distinction? What does it mean? Right fine questions these and worthy of answers. Time’s a-wastin’! So let us betake ourselves to the answers.
Matthew’s gospel account was written to the Hebrew people. We won’t spend our time today proving this is true. Suffice it to say that many occurrences in Matthew’s account point to this reality. His emphasis can only be explained by recognition of this verity.
The other three gospel accounts, contrariwise, were written to the Gentiles (i.e., all non-Hebrews). The audience to whom Matthew wrote provides the answer as to why he alone uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” rather than “kingdom of God”.
The difference in the two phrases is found in the words “heaven” and “God”. This leads to the logical query, “Why does Matthew refer to God’s kingdom as the ‘kingdom of heaven’?” It is obvious why the other three gospel authors identify God’s kingdom as the “kingdom of God”. We needn’t waste paper and ink (or computer bytes) to explain this! But Matthew’s reference, now that requires some deciphering.
Oh, but we must stop for the night and get our rest. We will continue this journey on the morrow. Enjoy some time with the Lord Jesus before calling it a day. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When preachers employ this text for a sermon, they exhort Christians to let God’s light shine through their lives to others. And they are quite correct in their understanding of the text. But there is another truth in the text which deserves honorable mention. This truth runs throughout the Gospel According to Matthew. We will assay it today.
The New Testament contains four Gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are broken down in theology textbooks into two categories. On the one hand there is the Gospel According to John, on the other are the three synoptic gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The word “synoptic” comes from the Greek preposition “sun” which means “with” or “together with”, and the Greek word from which we derive “optics” or “optical”, which has to do with sight or vision or appearance. Hence the word “synoptic” refers to things which present the same appearance or vision.
Anyone who reads Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and then reads John, recognizes readily enough how John follows a different framework than the other three. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present the story of Jesus’ first advent in much the same light, even employing the same stories overall. Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels are written as historical accounts.
John, contrariwise, presents the story of Jesus from a philosophical perspective, not a historical one. When we read the Gospel According to John, we are taken on flights into the heavenlies. We encounter visions of glory unlike the way Jesus’ life is recorded in the other three gospel accounts. The other three Gospel writers are quite pragmatic in their telling, while John is a visionary and who sees beyond the pragmatic to the deep things of God.
What we want to delve into today is a different dichotomy which occurs within the four gospel accounts:
1. kingdom of God
2. kingdom of heaven
Only Matthew refers to the “kingdom of heaven”, which he does predominantly in his account. He also makes mention of the “kingdom of God” a few times. The other three gospel accounts never speak of the “kingdom of heaven”, while they do point to the “kingdom of God” quite often.
Why this distinction? What does it mean? Right fine questions these and worthy of answers. Time’s a-wastin’! So let us betake ourselves to the answers.
Matthew’s gospel account was written to the Hebrew people. We won’t spend our time today proving this is true. Suffice it to say that many occurrences in Matthew’s account point to this reality. His emphasis can only be explained by recognition of this verity.
The other three gospel accounts, contrariwise, were written to the Gentiles (i.e., all non-Hebrews). The audience to whom Matthew wrote provides the answer as to why he alone uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” rather than “kingdom of God”.
The difference in the two phrases is found in the words “heaven” and “God”. This leads to the logical query, “Why does Matthew refer to God’s kingdom as the ‘kingdom of heaven’?” It is obvious why the other three gospel authors identify God’s kingdom as the “kingdom of God”. We needn’t waste paper and ink (or computer bytes) to explain this! But Matthew’s reference, now that requires some deciphering.
Oh, but we must stop for the night and get our rest. We will continue this journey on the morrow. Enjoy some time with the Lord Jesus before calling it a day. See you tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Who Turned Out the Lights? – Part 2
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven [Matthew 5:16].
Yesterday we noted the distinction in Matthew’s gospel narrative, when compared to the other three gospel accounts. Only Matthew makes reference to the “kingdom of heaven”. The other three accounts refer to the “kingdom of God”. Both expressions refer to God’s kingdom. The difference between them lies in the words “God” and “heaven”. Let’s continue our vetting of this topic now.
The context for Matthew is that he wrote to the Hebrew people, while the other three wrote to the Gentiles (i.e., everyone else). To understand why Matthew refers to God’s kingdom as the “kingdom of heaven”, we need to examine the understanding of the Hebrew people of the day. This is to be discovered in the Old Testament.
The Gentiles didn’t know or even have the Hebrew Scriptures, so they weren’t influenced by its theological instruction. The Hebrews were steeped in their Scriptures however. Consequently their entire comprehension of theology and anything spiritual was formed from the instruction found in the Old Testament. So let us betake ourselves to a brief overview of the Old Testament.
The Lord saw that all the peoples of the world walked away from Him to do their own thing. They twisted the truths He taught mankind about Himself and eternity, creating their own set of beliefs about gods and idols and religion. All mankind became idolaters and heathens, falling into the most despicable degradations imaginable.
So the Lord called one man out of all the peoples of the world, Abram by name, and created a new nation from him. That would be the Israelites, by the way. He served as their King and gave them His laws, the Law of Moses. He also gave them some real estate to serve as their national location, viz., the Promised Land.
This land was located smack dab in the middle of the two major empires back in the day, viz., Egypt and Mesopotamia. Israel was the Lord’s witness to the world about the truths of the one true God. The rest of the world’s peoples could have “read” the Israelites to learn the truth about God and what He expected of mankind.
Alas, but the Israelites were sinners just like all the Gentiles. It wasn’t long before they stopped reading their Scriptures and obeying the Word of God. Soon they were indistinguishable from the Gentiles, and God’s witness was as non-existent in Israel as it was in all the world.
So the Lord sent His people, the Israelites, into exile in Babylon. Before that time the tent of meeting and later the Temple served as the location of the Lord’s visible presence on earth. Of course this location was in the midst of the camp of Israel and later within the confines of Israel’s geographical borders. Its final site was in Jerusalem atop Mount Moriah (aka Mount Zion).
When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, they sacked the city and burned the Temple. Ezekiel had a vision of the Lord leaving the Temple and returning to heaven. Thenceforth King Yahweh (aka the Lord) no longer dwelt on earth in His kingdom of Israel. The light of the world went out when the Shekinah glory returned to heaven.
Accordingly the Israelites no longer knew God’s kingdom as the kingdom of God on earth. Thereafter they recognized His kingdom as existing no longer on earth but in heaven because King YHWH exited His throne in the Temple and returned to heaven. Ergo, to the Hebrews back in the day, God’s kingdom was the “kingdom of heaven”.
We must desist now and take our rest. We will finish this topic on the morrow. Enjoy your time with Jesus now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Yesterday we noted the distinction in Matthew’s gospel narrative, when compared to the other three gospel accounts. Only Matthew makes reference to the “kingdom of heaven”. The other three accounts refer to the “kingdom of God”. Both expressions refer to God’s kingdom. The difference between them lies in the words “God” and “heaven”. Let’s continue our vetting of this topic now.
The context for Matthew is that he wrote to the Hebrew people, while the other three wrote to the Gentiles (i.e., everyone else). To understand why Matthew refers to God’s kingdom as the “kingdom of heaven”, we need to examine the understanding of the Hebrew people of the day. This is to be discovered in the Old Testament.
The Gentiles didn’t know or even have the Hebrew Scriptures, so they weren’t influenced by its theological instruction. The Hebrews were steeped in their Scriptures however. Consequently their entire comprehension of theology and anything spiritual was formed from the instruction found in the Old Testament. So let us betake ourselves to a brief overview of the Old Testament.
The Lord saw that all the peoples of the world walked away from Him to do their own thing. They twisted the truths He taught mankind about Himself and eternity, creating their own set of beliefs about gods and idols and religion. All mankind became idolaters and heathens, falling into the most despicable degradations imaginable.
So the Lord called one man out of all the peoples of the world, Abram by name, and created a new nation from him. That would be the Israelites, by the way. He served as their King and gave them His laws, the Law of Moses. He also gave them some real estate to serve as their national location, viz., the Promised Land.
This land was located smack dab in the middle of the two major empires back in the day, viz., Egypt and Mesopotamia. Israel was the Lord’s witness to the world about the truths of the one true God. The rest of the world’s peoples could have “read” the Israelites to learn the truth about God and what He expected of mankind.
Alas, but the Israelites were sinners just like all the Gentiles. It wasn’t long before they stopped reading their Scriptures and obeying the Word of God. Soon they were indistinguishable from the Gentiles, and God’s witness was as non-existent in Israel as it was in all the world.
So the Lord sent His people, the Israelites, into exile in Babylon. Before that time the tent of meeting and later the Temple served as the location of the Lord’s visible presence on earth. Of course this location was in the midst of the camp of Israel and later within the confines of Israel’s geographical borders. Its final site was in Jerusalem atop Mount Moriah (aka Mount Zion).
When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, they sacked the city and burned the Temple. Ezekiel had a vision of the Lord leaving the Temple and returning to heaven. Thenceforth King Yahweh (aka the Lord) no longer dwelt on earth in His kingdom of Israel. The light of the world went out when the Shekinah glory returned to heaven.
Accordingly the Israelites no longer knew God’s kingdom as the kingdom of God on earth. Thereafter they recognized His kingdom as existing no longer on earth but in heaven because King YHWH exited His throne in the Temple and returned to heaven. Ergo, to the Hebrews back in the day, God’s kingdom was the “kingdom of heaven”.
We must desist now and take our rest. We will finish this topic on the morrow. Enjoy your time with Jesus now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Who Turned Out the Lights? – Part 3
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven [Matthew 5:16].
We concluded our study yesterday by noting how the kingdom of God on earth used to be located in Israel in the Temple in Jerusalem. Because of Israel’s idolatry the Lord vacated the Temple and returned to heaven. Thenceforth God’s kingdom was no longer on earth. It was in heaven.
This is why Matthew, in writing his gospel narrative to the Hebrews, makes reference to the “kingdom of heaven” and not to the “kingdom of God”. Once upon a time God’s kingdom on earth was Israel, but no longer. Back then the Hebrews referred to the kingdom of God, but no more. So neither did Matthew.
It was quite otherwise for the Gentiles, however. They were never a part of God’s kingdom. Only Israel was. Any Gentile who wanted to be a part of God’s kingdom back then had to convert to Judaism and become a full-fledged Jewish proselyte. He had to renounce being a Gentile of whatever nationality and become a Jew, period.
All peoples of the world, back then and still today, recognize a god or gods of some sort or other. Everyone knows their god has his kingdom. The phrase the “kingdom of God” is therefore universal. This is why the three gospel writers other than Matthew identify God’s kingdom by the phrase “kingdom of God”. They wrote to the Gentiles.
When Matthew recorded the Sermon on the Mount, he wrote how Jesus referred to the Father “in heaven”. God no longer was on earth. He now ruled from heaven because the time of the Gentiles was in full swing on the earth.
God’s people, the Israelites, were no longer a sovereign nation. At the time the Romans ruled them. King YHWH (the Lord) vacated His throne on earth as chastisement to His people for their idolatry. Until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, God’s kingdom will continue to be in heaven, not on the earth.
This doesn’t mean that God is no longer in control on the earth. It means His visible presence is no longer on the earth. It used to be so in the tent of meeting in the midst of Israel’s camp. Later His visible presence appeared in the Temple in Jerusalem.
But not until the end of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus to the earth will God’s kingdom be on earth again. That time will signal the end of the time of the Gentiles. At that time the Lord Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem and rule the earth with a rod of iron. He will take up His people Israel once again, and every promise to the Israelites not yet fulfilled will be fulfilled during the Millennium.
These are exciting realities taught in the Bible, dear friends. I trust your heart is palpitating from such revelations. I do hope you are excited for this to transpire and watching for it. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our study yesterday by noting how the kingdom of God on earth used to be located in Israel in the Temple in Jerusalem. Because of Israel’s idolatry the Lord vacated the Temple and returned to heaven. Thenceforth God’s kingdom was no longer on earth. It was in heaven.
This is why Matthew, in writing his gospel narrative to the Hebrews, makes reference to the “kingdom of heaven” and not to the “kingdom of God”. Once upon a time God’s kingdom on earth was Israel, but no longer. Back then the Hebrews referred to the kingdom of God, but no more. So neither did Matthew.
It was quite otherwise for the Gentiles, however. They were never a part of God’s kingdom. Only Israel was. Any Gentile who wanted to be a part of God’s kingdom back then had to convert to Judaism and become a full-fledged Jewish proselyte. He had to renounce being a Gentile of whatever nationality and become a Jew, period.
All peoples of the world, back then and still today, recognize a god or gods of some sort or other. Everyone knows their god has his kingdom. The phrase the “kingdom of God” is therefore universal. This is why the three gospel writers other than Matthew identify God’s kingdom by the phrase “kingdom of God”. They wrote to the Gentiles.
When Matthew recorded the Sermon on the Mount, he wrote how Jesus referred to the Father “in heaven”. God no longer was on earth. He now ruled from heaven because the time of the Gentiles was in full swing on the earth.
God’s people, the Israelites, were no longer a sovereign nation. At the time the Romans ruled them. King YHWH (the Lord) vacated His throne on earth as chastisement to His people for their idolatry. Until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, God’s kingdom will continue to be in heaven, not on the earth.
This doesn’t mean that God is no longer in control on the earth. It means His visible presence is no longer on the earth. It used to be so in the tent of meeting in the midst of Israel’s camp. Later His visible presence appeared in the Temple in Jerusalem.
But not until the end of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus to the earth will God’s kingdom be on earth again. That time will signal the end of the time of the Gentiles. At that time the Lord Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem and rule the earth with a rod of iron. He will take up His people Israel once again, and every promise to the Israelites not yet fulfilled will be fulfilled during the Millennium.
These are exciting realities taught in the Bible, dear friends. I trust your heart is palpitating from such revelations. I do hope you are excited for this to transpire and watching for it. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
God vs. the Lord God
If you open your Bible to Genesis chapter 1, you will see the Divine Being identified by the word God. In fact this word is employed through Genesis 2:3. Beginning at v.4 of chapter 2, the Divine Being is identified as the Lord God. We are to garner a goodly amount of theological instruction from this, dear friends.
From Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 the subject matter is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Beginning with Genesis 2:4 the subject matter switches to the earth, to mankind's rule over it as the Divine Being's steward, and to man's personal relationship with the Lord.
Ergo, when the word God is used to identify the Divine Being, emphasis is on His being high and mighty, far above His creation, the Creator Who is unapproachable and fearsome. When the identifier is the Lord God, His personal relationship with man is the focus, His being close to us, approachable and desirable to converse with. The concept behind the words Lord God also apply to the one word Lord.
In theology textbooks the concept of God as being far removed from man is expressed by the word transcendence. The concept of the Lord God as being close and intimate with man, as being in covenantal relationship with him, goes by the word immanence. But don't confuse this word with the word imminence, which means "at any moment".
If you will meditate on these concepts a bit, they will aid you immensely in understanding Scripture. The concepts are applicable throughout the Old Testament. In the New Testament the Lord God receives the identifier Jesus Christ. So be sure to save this mental RAM info to your gray matter hard disk and use it liberally!
From Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 the subject matter is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Beginning with Genesis 2:4 the subject matter switches to the earth, to mankind's rule over it as the Divine Being's steward, and to man's personal relationship with the Lord.
Ergo, when the word God is used to identify the Divine Being, emphasis is on His being high and mighty, far above His creation, the Creator Who is unapproachable and fearsome. When the identifier is the Lord God, His personal relationship with man is the focus, His being close to us, approachable and desirable to converse with. The concept behind the words Lord God also apply to the one word Lord.
In theology textbooks the concept of God as being far removed from man is expressed by the word transcendence. The concept of the Lord God as being close and intimate with man, as being in covenantal relationship with him, goes by the word immanence. But don't confuse this word with the word imminence, which means "at any moment".
If you will meditate on these concepts a bit, they will aid you immensely in understanding Scripture. The concepts are applicable throughout the Old Testament. In the New Testament the Lord God receives the identifier Jesus Christ. So be sure to save this mental RAM info to your gray matter hard disk and use it liberally!
