Hi there, Trust your week is going great.
What you see is basically a reflection of what you see through. The medium through which you see either enhances your ability to see better or the inability to see properly or not to see at all.
If you gaze at the stars at night, you would pretty much see some stars scattered around and probably a crescent moon. You could make conclusions such as: “there are about 100 stars in the sky” or, “the stars are so small in size”. You see this with the naked eye, and you are not totally wrong in making those conclusions independent of any scientific knowledge or discovery, you are just limited by the eye. Looking through a telescope would definitely change how you look at the sky. All of a sudden you start moving it around on its pivot, looking at different sections and parts of the sky you have never seen before. The telescope revealed things that were not visible to the naked eye.
A microscope would do something similar, revealing micro organisms around you that you couldn’t see with your naked eye. That atom was present all along, they never just saw it except with something else.
Ever wondered why the manufacturers of cars implemented wipers for the wind shield. Imagine a car without a wiper on a rainy day, the driver’s vision is terribly skewed, he would have to park till the rain subsides.
How do we see God, How do we understand Him? God has been very misrepresented. They say He is good, the say He also kills. Some say He gives and takes away, others say He gave the sickness so that you could learn one or two lessons. It is just a paradox of actions.
It seems like we don’t know what to expect, He is just this mysterious person whom no one understands.
Before the discovery of the telescope it was okay to say that “up there”, we have some bright lights like big fireflies and a moon, but because the telescope came, you can’t say that anymore.
It was once okay to say that the moon went to sleep after the sun came out, but once scientific discoveries told us that it is in-fact the earth that moves, then it would be very wrong to say those things now.
John 1:18
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
The word “seen” is from the greek word horaō: to properly stare at, to discern clearly(physically or mentally). It’s beyond physical sight. It is more of a complete knowledge as a result of a relationship. The next sentence He makes explains it more, He says…I am the only begotten son (this was before He died and resurrected, that’s why John could say we have seen Him(1 John 1). We are all begotten of God when we come into Christ), I have declared Him (declare meaning, to tell, to unfold).
Matthew 11: 27-30
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the oneto whom the Son wills to reveal Him. –
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The first verse shows the intimacy between the Father and the Son. Christ also call us into that intimate relationship with Him. John says that “our fellowship is with the Son”, Paul says that our lives are hid in Christ and Christ in God. (1 John 1:3, Col 3:3)
So looking at God through any other eyes before Christ came would have been Okay, But Christ has come…it would be criminal to still view God in another light apart from Christ.
Christ is the revelation of God. God is known in Christ and no one else.
John 14:6:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
No one knows God, except through Christ.
So, is God a killer? Well, look at Christ, Was he a killer? Does God punish with sicknesses or some bad events? Look at Christ, Did he do any of those.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. – James 1:16-17
James says that God is the father of Lights and there is no variation or shadow of turning. This means that.
- God is not a variable. He is consistent in character, behaviour and action.He doesn’t have mood swings. He is not happy with you today and sad with you tomorrow. He rejoices over us consistently.
- He is the father of Lights. There is no darkness in Him…not one tiny minute spot of darkness, unfairness, wickedness. He is light through out.
Scripture points out that the mercy of God endures for ever, that He wishes everyone comes into the knowledge of truth.
I know there are some scriptures in the Old Testament that look like they contradict all these. We see a lot of deaths and judgement in the Old Testament. Let me just show you something.
1 Sam 24: 1-2
Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
And Joab said to the king, “Now may the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it.But why does my lord the king desire this thing?
1 Chro 21:1-2
Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”
And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
This is the same account told by 2 authors. One says it was God that moved David to count Israel, the other says it was Satan.
This shows clearly that some actions were wrongly attributed to God. Does that invalidate these books? No it doesn’t. It just means that there is a greater truth to some of these issues.
1 Cor 10:9-10
nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
In verse 10, Paul refers to an event that happens in Numbers 16:41-47. Paul says that the people that complained were destroyed by the destroyer, you know what numbers says:
But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’S people.”
It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,
and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!”
Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.
He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.
But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.
Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.
Paul brings a higher revelation that these 14700 people were actually destroyed by the destroyer. In our day and age many people still attribute various acts that are not of God to God.
God is 100% good, 100% and 100% grace.
Looking at God through Christ would change how you see Him and His effect In your life.
Feature Image by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash
4 Comments
Thanks alot for sharing. Many times we imagine God, while we could have seen Him through Christ our perfect model.
God bless you.
Thank you.
Thanks for the exposition sir. Really insightful.
Thank you.