Bob Allen

Beholding God in the Bible – Wk 3

Week Three DVD – Beholding the God of the Bible

Introduction: People who doubt that God cares or that God exists have not considered all that He has done to reach out to mankind since Adam first stepped away from God’s counsel and direction.  God could have left us to our own desires as we are prone to do with those who go against our wishes.  However the greater One reaches down to the lessor ones in an act of complete kindness.  Knowing we were created to find our purpose for living in Him, God knew that we would be aimless and restless without His revelation about Who He is and What He is like.

The Bible is the story of history of how God chooses different people such Abraham or Moses and each time that God steps into the lives of others, God provides more and more revelation about who He is.  This is why the Jewish culture holds their scrolls in such high regard, because this reminds them that God reached down and choose them.  We have become so accustomed to having easy access to the Bible that at times the Bible might seem ordinary or normal.  We should not take the privilege of availability to God’s word for granted.  There are many parts of the world that divide up a Bible when they get a copy because there are not enough Bibles to go around to each Pastor, let alone each member or believer.  This week, we are examining how to approach the Bible appropriately.

Day One:  Searching out the Immutable God Are we willing to adjust our lives to whatever God reveals of Himself in the coming days?  There are many who believe that because the Bible was written so long ago it is not practical to spend time to pursue an understanding of it.  Although many might admire the Bible not many seriously examine and apply the precepts that are taught in it.

It might be reasonable to consider the Bible an “interesting book” if it were not for one very important fact, the God who is revealed in the Bible does not change.  Everything else and everyone else changes.  How many times do we stop to think about how much the world has changed since we were children?  God cannot change from within nor can He be altered by anything outside Himself.  This is what is referred to as the immutability of God.  If God were not immutable, the study of God would constantly change and the ancient text would have no real value for today.  The things we learned about God today might not be true tomorrow.

Remember these two things:

  1. An attribute is something that is essentially true of God.  He doesn’t have to try to maintain this character trait.  God does not exert energy or thought in order to remain unchangingly perfect.  It is who God is, not merely how God acts.
  2. Each attribute in in perfect union and harmony with every other attribute.  God has no parts.  He is single.  We might discuss the different parts of God’s character but in reality they cannot be separated.  Each attribute aligns with all the others even if they might appear to us to be diametrically opposed.

 

 

Some Verses to Study:

  • Job 23:13 – 14a: “But He is unique and who can turn Him?  And what His soul desires, that He does.  For He performs what is appointed for me,’
  • Psalm 102:25-27:  “Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.
  • Isaiah 46:10-11 — Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”
  • Isaiah 25:1 – O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.
  • Malachi 3:6 – “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, [l]are not consumed.

One of the mistakes often made by NT believers is to think that the God of the NT is different than the God of the OT. That He is more forgiving, kinder, or even more reasonable. What are some ways that we find ourselves thinking that the God of the NT is the newer and better God?

Day Two:  A Study in the Life of Job God said some pretty remarkable things about Job.  For example, God said that there was son one else on earth like him. And yet, even this man of God was lacking.  Job’s understand of God’s character was not complete.  The story is well known to us, but can anyone summarize it?  Near the end of the book of Job, God enters the discussion with Job.  With every encounter with God, the end result is one of humility.  In chapters 38-42, God reveals Himself to Job through a series of questions. The workbook grouped them together as follows:

  1. Creating the Earth (38:4-5)
  2. Commanding the Sun (38:12)
  3. Controlling the Seas (38:8, 10-11)
  4. Controlling Rain, Providing for All Creation (38:25-27, 34)
  5. Sustaining All Animal Life, Equipping the with Wisdom (38:39, 39:19, 26)
  6. Humbling the Proud (40:9-12)

Job’s Responses to the questions are seen in two passages:

  • 40:1-5 – Read the passage
  • 42:1-6 – Read the passage

Job was seeking an answer to his suffering.  God answered with a revelation of His character.  Job was reintroduced to God through revelation.  The God, whom Job believed that he knew, was in fact far beyond Job’s understanding.

Day Three: A Study in Isaiah 40 In Isaiah’s day, the nation had become arrogant about God’s protection.  The King (Hezekiah) had permitted the bad boys of the neighborhood to take a tour of the temple and the king’s palace and riches.  In his pride, he didn’t realize he was putting a temptation to big to resist in front of the eyes of the Babylonians.  Isaiah warns the King that these very people will one day sweep in and take the nation of Judah hostage.  After the warning, God provides a measure of comfort through the prophet about an eventual return to the land. But hidden from many in this passage were references that proved to speak of the coming Messiah.  The passage contains some very insightful looks at the God of all Creation.

  1. God Compared to His Creation – 40:12-14
  2. God compared to the great nations – 40:15-17
  3. God contrasted with the idols – 40:18-20
  4. God and the world’s great leaders – 40:21-24

The conclusion to this passage is in verse 25: Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.  This passage is well known for the promise that follows these descriptions of God (40:31).  But claiming the promise of this passage without knowing the truth about God is worse than eating soy bacon.  It just doesn’t work.  When we skip over the descriptions of God, all the promises, warnings, laws and precepts become weightless for us.

Day Four:  The Adventure Begins The God who is without limit and cannot be altered has: 1) given you a revelation of Himself in a book and 2) commanded you to come and know Him through His Son.   This is the adventure.  Heaven is not the main blessing for the believer – Knowing God is the primary blessing for us.  These is our inheritance and our richest blessing, to know the God of all Creation.

Self Examination:

  1. The Self-Exam of Neglect – Are we reading our Bibles?  How much time are you spending in the Bible?
  2. The Self-Exam of Misuse – What are our goals when we read the Bible?  Are we trying to find something to quote, something to comfort?  Or are we pursuing our relationship with our God and Father?
  3. The Self-Exam of Stewardship – How are we doing with God has already shown us about Himself?  Have we applied the knowledge we have or are we afraid if we apply what we know we should that we have no idea what direction our lives will take?
    1. The book spends some time on the process of meditation – what is meant when Christians speak of Meditation?

 

Day Five: Bringing Others with You – especially members of your family.