The Bible - Part II

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus

I understand it has been a bit long after the previous post, but some work has been making me unable to spend more time blogging. In the previous part, Part 1, we learnt that unless God takes the initiative to disclose what is in His mind, we shall never be able to find out. Unless God makes Himself known to us, we can never know Him.

Now let us learn and understand how He reveals Himself to us.

My thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

For so as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and snow come down from heaven,

and return not thither but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

-Isaiah 55:8-11

The Way of Revelation

Even though it is reasonable for God to reveal Himself, how has He done so? He has revealed Himself, in principle, in the same way that we reveal or disclose ourselves to one another, that is, by both works and words, by things we do and say.

Just as creative arts has always been the chief means of human expression, God is said to have "formed" or "fashioned" the earth, and mankind to dwell upon it (Gen 2:7; Ps. 8:3; Jer. 32:17). Moreover, He Himself is seen in His works. "The heavens are telling the glory of God," and "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Ps. 19:1; Is. 6:3). Or, as Paul writes near the beginning of Romans, "What can be known about God is plain to them (the Gentile world), because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made" (Rom. 1:19-20).

In other words, just as human artists reveal themselves in their painting, sculpture, or music, so the Divine Artist has revealed Himself in the beauty, balance, intricacy and order of His creation. From it we learn, therefore, something of His wisdom, power and faithfulness. This is usually referred to as natural revelation because it has bee given in and through nature.

Though this is not what prophet Isaiah text refers to in Isaiah 55:8-11, he refers to the second and more direct way in which we make ourselves known to one another and God has made Himself known to us, namely, through words. Speech is the fullest and most flexible means of communication between two human beings. Speech is the best means of communication and speech is the main model used in the Bible to illustrate Go's self-revelation. Notice in thee text, verses 10-11: "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and ... water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be." Notice the second reference to heaven and earth? It is because the heavens are higher than the earth that the rain comes down from heaven to water the earth.Notice also that the writer goes straight from the thoughts in the mind of God to the words in the mouth of God: "So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall... accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it." The parallel is plain. As the heavens are higher than the earth, but the rain comes down from heaven to water the earth, so God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, but they come down to us because His word goes forth from His mouth and thus conveys His thoughts to us. As the prophet had said earlier, "The mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Is. 40:5). He was referring to one of his own oracles, but described it as a message coming out of the mouth of God. Or, as Paul wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is God-breathed (the literal translation of theopneustos)" (2 Tim. 3:16). That is, Scripture is God's Word, issuing from God's mouth.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus

In the previous session, we understood that God's thoughts are so higher than ours that we cannot comprehend them without His help and allowance. Now we understood two ways in which God reveals His thoughts - one though the natural works of His hands which shows the grandeur and magnificence of hiss thoughts and secondly, through the Holy Scriptures, which is the Bible. In the next session, we will understand some of the qualifications of hos God spoke His Word.

May the Lord Almighty bless you and guide you to walk along His paths, and please do keep this sinful brother in your prayers.

Your Brother in Christ Jesus

Jobin George

P.S. You may contact me with your suggestions, recommendations and views on jobin.george2012@gmail.com

Source: The Bible - Book for Today - John Stott