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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Pastoral Ponderings: The Invisible God Most Certainly Speaks

          Whenever I hear someone say that they cannot believe in God because they can’t see him, and they cannot believe the Bible because it was written down by men, I want to ask them this question: if there really was an invisible God,[1] and he had a Son who was his glorious image,[2] and a Holy Spirit who expressed whatever this Father and Son thought and desired,[3] and this God had created man in his own image and likeness,[4] what exactly would it have looked like for this invisible God to convince this now sinful man that he was real, and that he was inviting him into plans and purposes that were for his good?[5]

          Wouldn’t this invisible God have to present himself to us through his Son who is his image (how else would we know he was presenting himself)?[6] And, if this image of God came into the world in the image of man,[7] the word of God becoming flesh so he could dwell among us,[8] that expression of God’s work would bind him to physical laws so that he could only be in one place at one time. That would mean that only some people would see him, or hear what he had to say, and would have to write those things down for other people to read in order for them to enter into the wonderful gift the invisible God was offering them.[9]

          So, if this invisible God sent his Holy Spirit to carry men along into revelations of the divine heart and will,[10] and these men lived at all kinds of different times that God was doing his many works of grace and mercy, wouldn’t we end up with a collection of writings from different periods of time, with different expressions of characters and cultures, and yet woven together with thoughts too big for any of these men to factor in to their work at a purely human level?[11]

          And, if this work was really from the invisible God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and his Holy Spirit was personally breathing out the words of the Father through the minds, and hearts, and souls, and personalities of the men who served as his messengers, wouldn’t it be perfectly fitting if he would make promise after promise of what was ahead, and give such details of things that would speak of realities no one had ever heard of, and then show these very things to many other people, verifying that they were fulfilled in minute detail in every instance so that every future generation could know that this was indeed the word of the invisible God calling people to the image of the invisible God, through the regenerating work of their Holy Spirit who joyfully applies into our lives all that the Father and Son had determined?

          My contention is that, instead of thinking that the fact we cannot see the invisible God means he does not exist, the books of Scripture reveal very soundly that man could never have come up with such an intricately detailed expression of thoughts that would require hundreds of people to come together time and again to carry out the precise words that had been spoken hundreds of years earlier. Considering how even God’s fiercest enemies participated in the fulfillment of these prophecies, giving all the more credibility to the God they were rejecting, adds even more substance to the weight of evidence for the invisible God’s hand in everything, including the writing of Scripture itself.[12]

          Look at the wonderful way that the book of Revelation is introduced:

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.[13]

          Notice the relationships: The invisible Father gave the revelation to his Son, Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. Jesus made the revelation known by sending an angel (a ministering spirit[14]) to his servant John. John bore witness to the word of God, to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all the things he saw through the angelic tour of heavenly things, writing down in a book all that he was given. Now there is a blessing on all those who come together where this book is read aloud to the congregation, the congregation hears what is read to them, and all together they keep the words that were written down, the words coming directly from the invisible God who sits on heaven’s throne.

          All these thoughts actually began with this verse: “And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”[15] The invisible God appeared to Moses in a visible way, a thick cloud (this included thunder and lightning, a loud trumpet blast, and plenty of fire and smoke[16]). This visible expression of God’s visitation to Moses was so that the people would hear when God was speaking to Moses. God had to give Moses something for the people, and so he made sure that the people would know that the things Moses was teaching them were from God.

          God’s intention in this grand display was that the people would believe Moses forever. Why would God want his people to believe Moses? Because the invisible God of eternity, in order to communicate to his people who were bound up in space, time and matter, had to come to them in something that was visible and material. That meant that this would be an experience that could not be repeated over and over again (since God had other things to do for his people). It had to be a once-for-all event that would continue to speak to all God’s people for all remaining time. This visitation on the mountain, certified by the thick cloud and other manifestations, would have to suffice for every future generation who would live under that particular covenant.

          To meet the needs of every future generation (including us), God chose to do something that would be so gloriously reliable that every generation of God’s people would be as impacted in reading the words, or hearing the words read, as those who saw Moses come down from that mountain shining with the glory of God’s presence.[17]

          Now God has given us something even better: he has appeared to us in his Son. The eye witnesses who wrote about these things are so many, and their testimony so pure and true, that we can build our whole lives on the words that are written in the Scriptures, the visible breathed-out words of the invisible God who rules the universe and the heavenly realm from that one throne that stands at the center of every other throne.[18]

          From my heart,

          Monte
 

© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)

[1] “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20); “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17); “By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)
[2] “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15)
[3] 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16)
[4] 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1)
[5] 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29); This Old Testament Scripture encapsulates the heart of the new covenant, that God has come to save us, forgive us, restore us, adopt us, and lead us into his eternal home. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8)
[6] Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1)
[7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.(Philippians 2)
[8] 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1)
[9] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.(I John 1)
[10] “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (II Peter 1:21)
[11]Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.“ (Psalm 139)17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” (Psalm 139)
[12]16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3)
[13] Revelation 1
[14] “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)
[15] Exodus 19:9
[16] Exodus 19:16-20
[17] “29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
                34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” (Exodus 34)
[18] Revelation 4

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