Do You Know God's Mind?

The creation narrative in the Bible might seem impersonal, even for believers...then again...

God actually spoke to His created beings.

And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.
--Genesis 1:28-30

In this blog I am not as concerned with the content of what was spoken, but rather the fact that God spoke to man. Not only does his speech demonstrate intelligence and purpose as well as authority and power (see last week's blog, "He Has Spoken!"), His spoken word is personal.

By comparison, I have built a few things out of wood in my lifetime. Yet, I have never spoken to the things I've made. They are mere objects, impersonal; inanimate objects created for my purposes.

Again, the Creator spoke to His created beings which He made in His own image.

The Old Testament prophet Amos wrote something meaningful about what God has spoken.

For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind
And declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who makes dawn into darkness
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The LORD God of hosts is His name. 
--Amos 4:13

The Bible does not 'contain' God's word, it IS God's word; his thoughts written for created man.

Why do you speak to people?
Why do you reveal your thoughts to others?

God has revealed his thoughts to mankind. In dong so He has revealed Himself to us. God is not silent; He has not hidden Himself. He has opened His heart while reaching out to man.

We must remember that the Scriptures are not just any words. The source of these words is our Creator. We can know the mind of God.

To this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit,
And who trembles at my word.
--Isaiah 66:2

Mark Stinnett

He Has Spoken!

The creation narrative in the Bible gives us answers, but also makes us curious. As with the magician's sleight of hand, we might find ourselves asking, "How did God do that?"

Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
--Genesis 1:3

God made no wild movements to wield a powerful external force; no flourishing movement of a magical wand drawing from other-worldly powers; no electrical discharge erupting from outstretched hands.

Read it again.

Stop...think...

The Creator spoke.

God spoke understandably and rationally: Intelligence and purpose.
God spoke, and it came about by His spoken word: Authority and power.

I may be curious about things that I cannot grasp, but I cannot help but stand in awe of what has been revealed as true.

The 29th Psalm follows below. Give careful attention to the 'voice' of God.

Give unto the Lord,
    O you mighty ones,
    Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
    Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
    The God of glory thunders;
    The LORD is over many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
    The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,
    Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon*.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
    Lebanon and Sirion** like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
    The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.***
The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,
    And strips the forests bare;
    And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
    And the LORD sits as King forever.
The LORD will give strength to His people;
    The LORD will bless His people with peace.

How extensive is the LORD's authority?

How great is His power? 

What does He accomplish with His voice?

It is only in the final verse that attention is directed toward God's people. 

How do you think He will 'give strength' to His people?

How will He 'bless' His people?

God IS, and He has spoken!

By His voice He created.
By His voice...

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
--Proverbs 9:10

Mark Stinnett

*Lebanon: A region north of Israel, well-known for cedar trees.

** Lebanon and Sirion: Refers to the mountains of Lebanon; and Mount Hermon, another name for Sirion, both north of Israel. The meaning is that God gives life to these mountains.

*** Kadesh: A wilderness region south of Israel toward Egypt.

Not Knowing God

Have you ever had a 'friend' boast about knowing you, but then they said something that was not descriptive of you at all?

How did that make you feel?
Not a true friend...right?

They know you, at least to some degree, but they do not really 'know' you. You might say that they just know about you.

Many people claim to know God. Yet, they say things about God that do not accurately portray God as He is described in Scripture. Or, they do things that stand in contrast of His divine character of love and holiness. It is not that you are being judgmental, you just recognize that they really do not know God.
The ancient Israelites were once in a similar situation...and God became angry, very angry.

They cry out to Me, "My God, we of Israel know You!"
--Hosea 8:2 (NASB95)

The problem with their claim; actions speak louder than words. They knew something 'about' God and His instruction in the Law of Moses. So, they offered sacrifices to God. But, would you believe that they also worshiped other gods!?

The Book of Hosea was a prophetic warning to the people of Israel. God was about to take action against his own people, the chosen nation of Israel. God was ready for them to 'return to Egypt,' that is, become captives again to a foreign power.

So, how is it that they knew 'about' God, but they did not 'know' God?

Hosea answers:

The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt. Israel has forgotten its Maker and built great palaces....
--Hosea 8:13–14 (NLT)

The core problem: They had forgotten their Maker. It was not that they had forgotten the 'facts' about God. Rather, they no longer regarded God as Creator. They had lost their awe and reverence for God. They were thinking along the lines of "God AND...." In other words, they were happy to offer sacrifices in worship to the God of their forefathers. Yet, they also decided to place others things (gods) on an equal plane as God their Creator; God AND other gods. Yet, the Creator is God alone!

Known, but not known!

"In the beginning God...created...."

With God as the focal point man finds meaning only in the context of God as his Creator. In your life, do you really 'know' God?

To find meaning and understanding in life you must begin with God. However, to truly know God, you must also bow to Him, and Him only, as your Creator.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
--Proverbs 9:10

Mark Stinnett

You Are Here!

Before the GPS and smart phones we used road maps. (Kids, road maps were large illustrations of land areas printed on paper and neatly folded so they would easily fit in a car's glove box. Refolding a map could be entertaining or quite maddening.) As I drove, my trusty navigator, my wife, would scan the map for highway numbers or street names that I called out. She would announce, "I've got it; we are right here," and she would point to a location on the map that matched our current location.

Nowadays our smart phones have built-in GPS systems that point to a position on an electronic map. (Bonus: You can choose the accent of the navigator's voice.) The result is the same. A marker displays your current position; a kind of "You are here!" pointer.

Walking into a large multi-level, multi-winged mall for the first time you might stop at a large display of the mall posted near the entrance. There is usually a bold marker with an arrow pointing to your current position on the illustrated display: "You are here."

We often need a point of reference in order to find our way. Maps of various kinds allow us to step back and view ourselves in relation to the things around us. They help to provide meaning and navigation in our current surroundings. Without the "You are here" pointers we would be better described as explorers or wanderers (other ways of saying that we might be lost).

Let me show you the bold "You are here" pointer in life. It is found in the very first verse of the Bible:

"In the beginning . . . God . . . ."

The phrase 'in the beginning' gives us a point of reference in time. It is the first point of reference with mankind as the object. The biblical creation narrative goes on to tell of the beginning of mankind, and while mankind is central to the story line, he is not really the focal point. The focal point is God.

We need to be able to find ourselves within 'our surroundings.' We need to be able to step back and view ourselves in the context of God, not the other way around. Only then will we find meaning. Only then will we be able to confidently navigate life.

God himself is the point of reference from which everything in life is to be understood. If you start your thinking in the wrong place, you are bound to end up in...

Oh wait! Look around.

Our society (world) today is largely the product of those who have started their thinking with man. It is as if the 'you are here' pointer points to man!

Start with man and try to understand the universe.
Start with man and try to understand man's presence in the universe.
Start with man and try to understand man's purpose.
Start with man and try to understand God, religion, faith.
Start with man and try to understand...anything!

In the beginning...God.
You are HERE!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
--Proverbs 9:10

Mark Stinnett