Attributes of God

Thou Taught Me to Say

Dan

It was my observation that some men experience a lifelong struggle trying to reconcile the success of wicked and the struggles of the godly with the nature of God (holiness, justice, goodness, and mercy). Solomon takes a look at this issue in Ecclesiastes.

He wrote — There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. So, I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it (Ecclesiastes 8:14-17, NIV).

Solomon set the pace for his thoughts with a classic thesis-antithesis message. Good people get what evil people deserve, the evil people get what good people deserve. Why? He immediately starts talking about being content with what you have. Huh?

Consider this. I once read about a lawyer named H Spafford. His investments and assets were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire; then his son died from scarlet fever. Planning a missionary trip to Europe with DL Moody, he sent his wife and four daughters ahead on a ship. Several days later, he heard from his wife – ‘only I survived’ an accident at sea. Devastated, Spafford sailed to join his wife. As he approached the deadly location, he pondered on his family and created the song, “It is Well with My Soul”. He wrote, “When peace like a river attends my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.”  Spafford was standing in the eye of a Hurricane.

Solomon knew we suffer greatly from time to time. He was honest by saying it does not seem fair. The wicked seemed to live happily as if they had been rewarded, we the troubled, the run-down, the abused, we struggle to find stability. Then he changes our focus. We should let God be God. We should not be second guessing his actions. We need to focus on his will for us, not for everybody else.  When we say too much about others, we quickly move towards accusing God with unjust behavior. Please understand the larger situation — Free will makes life messy. Not all things happen the way WE desire.

We are wise to look closely and focus on the concrete things God has done for us. We are wise to carefully remove the rather large sticks from our eyes and leave the splinters in other people’s eyes for the professionals to remove. Furthermore, we should be extremely aware that the things of this world are not the best stuff to rely upon for happiness and peace. We are wise to seek the things of God. If the things of this world were extremely useful for us to pursue, then God would not have distributed so much of the worldly things to his enemies. I think we are wise to find troubles as an opportunity to serve God. We are unlikely to understand the goodness of God without living through the struggles of life.

Our plan? We should not spend time fretting and grappling with the trouble of the day, the only outcome of that effort will be uneasy angst. Rather we are to quietly accept our situation and stay in the eye of the hurricane — focus on God. We should take pleasure in the things that God has given us. Unnecessary striving suggests that you have become unsatisfied with Gods gifts. We should be content with God’s gifts. Be careful with the things you think about – the things you desire. Please be careful.

I choose Jesus.

The appearance of Justice

Dan

It has been my observation while reading scripture on God’s mercy that Justice also appears. We know that Mercy and Justice are attributes of God. We know they both existed before creation; we know they are part of who God is, was, and always shall be. The one true living God has always engaged in mercy when handling our problems and he has always employed justice (fair jurisprudence) when managing cases where his mercy has been rejected, trampled upon, and despised. This was the plan when Jesus walked on earth and he is doing it today, it shall be forever. for as long as we can visualize the future, Elohim will continue – He is God. God’s mercy is not a temporary thing but a strong dominate attribute of the one true living God.

Consider what Micah 6:8 says — He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God [ESV]. When deciding what to do, I think we should start by saying — but for the grace of God, I could be the one to be judged. When we are wronged – we usually have a choice: (1) seek justice or (2) forgive and strengthen the person involved. In general, with mercy, we restore a relationship and move forward towards a positive outcome. The proper outcome of justice should be the same. The notion of walking with God involves finding a proper balance between justice and mercy in a way that advances the cause of Jesus.

I spent many years running a company and was compelled in several cases to explore the relationship between justice and mercy. Justice is rendered when people receive their due. Within the operations of my company, an act of justice typically was causing people to keep their word in agreements. Mercy, on the other hand, was an exercise in forbearance, grace, and compassion (let them off the hook).

I recall a case where I had a client that needed some graphics support for several images in a federal proposal. I reached out to a friend of mine and gave him the subcontract. I defined the requirements and provided a few samples. He did his best, they were not acceptable, I requested and obtained edits to the images, still not good enough. I was starting to push against a due date with no product to deliver. I reached out to another friend, provided the requirements and original samples, he made good stuff, and I delivered the products. Now, what to do with failed graphics. I could not in good faith charge my client for the failures only for the success. I wrestled with paying my failed sub (subcontractor). I knew the failed sub needed the work and I had overestimated his skills. I talked with him, showed him the final results, talked about his mistakes and how to do it better next time, and then paid him. I made the contract with my sub, I concluded I was not clear enough on the acceptance criteria, I took the blame and moved on. I helped him find a job with a local company to get the skills he needed.  Justice? Yes.  Right decision? Absolutely.

Paul says (Ephesians 2:4-6) — because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, … made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by [God’s] grace you have been saved. [For] God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms [NIV].

The deeper truth – it is hard to embrace God’s justice, generally we are not able to fully trust he will deal with the sins committed against us – we want to become part of the vengeance. It is hard to embrace God’s mercy because we are not sure he will accept our meager request for forgiveness, we are not sure he will put away our grievous sin’s. For both viewpoints, there is only one answer. A cross with streaming red blood dripping onto the ground. A tomb with nothing remaining but the empty clothing of a risen Jesus. His mercy and justice will be perfectly applied to close the issues. He will do the right thing. He will never break a bruised reed. He is far more merciful than we can ever imagine.

I choose Jesus.

The Goodness of God.

Dan

It was my observation while creating this essay that I smiled a lot. The goodness of God is an amazing theme to consider. Yet it is difficult to find the language to define what it means for us.

In a world of troubles — learning God is kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will towards his creation — is remarkably peaceful. Elohim is extremely tenderhearted; he is full of sympathy. In his goodness he presents a strong cheerful outlook, which is frank (respectful) and friendly. Imagine a world leader taking the time to help you clean your backyard, cook dinner for you, and help your children with their homework – all without us asking for help. This is God’s nature. He is inclined to be helpful.

Blessings follow Elohim wherever he hangs out. If we accept the fact that Elohim is always in all places, blessings happen everywhere all the time. He takes extreme pleasure filling our life with blessings from him. His goodness is the force behind all our blessings. If God was not the definition of goodness, I doubt we would be able to see a distinction between kindness and cruelty, mercy and justice, or love and hate.

Psalms 100:5 says — For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations [NIV]. Goodness is for all people, God’s goodness is infinite, perfect, eternal, has always been present in God. His immutable nature means his goodness never varies. He will never be more good than he is now, he will never be less good than he is now. He does not have favorites; he brings the sun and the rain to all of us. The cause of his goodness is found in his essence. His goodness is offered to all without regard to compensation (reward for good behavior).

James 3:17 says — wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere [NIV]. Goodness of God is not based upon human conduct, not even in the most pure or best conduct. Rather, goodness is based upon God’s actions, God’s wisdom offered freely to all.

Isaiah 41:13 says — For I am the Lord your God [who] takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you [NIV]. Goodness overcomes fear. Sin brings us to a timid and self-conscious state of mind. We have a history of rebellion against God that drives fear. We are conditioned to embrace the fear rather than the blessings from God. We find it difficult to trust the goodness and kindness of God; we are unsure that the past will not be held against us. What do we do?

Psalms 145:8-9 says – The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made [NIV]. God’s goodness is absolute. Jesus walked on earth that He might show us the true nature of God. He taught us about the Goodness of God. From Jesus we learn how God acts toward people. Our penitent hearts encounter God’s mercy and goodness; the crushed will find His kindness overwhelming. The frightened will find shelter and forgiveness; for the lonely, they will find companionship.

The goodness of God is infinite, an overflowing font, yet God will never force His hand upon us. When we arrive as the prodigal, the feast is put into motion. The legalists slink about, seeking to disable this goodness offered, but the Father — he smiles as we enter his gates. The greatness of God brings respect, the goodness of God brings peace. We feel accepted. We fear (respect) God but are not afraid of God because of his goodness – this paradox is one of the deep mysteries of our faith.

I choose Jesus.

Answering for our actions

Dan

It was my observation while researching God’s mercy, there exists within the nature of Elohim a characteristic to be actively compassionate. We call this God’s mercy. Consider this – we were once alienated from God by our disobedience, we were destined to face God and answer for our actions. Now, within the new covenant, we are part of the family, adapted into Abraham’s family. We walk with God. In the past we had earned banishment, now we are part of the community of God.

Isaiah 65: 16-19 says — Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more [NIV].

Consider what Isaiah wrote — See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind [NIV]. It is possible to say Isaiah 65:17 teaches we will not remember much of our life on earth. He seems to be saying our memories will be purged. The preceding sentence (Isaiah 65:16) says — For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes [NIV].

Together, I think these two verses means, in God’s mercy, upon resurrection, our memories will be cleansed of the strife and troubles we experienced. But the good stuff remains in our memories. This is why John can write (Revelation 21:4) — He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away [NIV]. God’s mercy gives us a pass to heaven – Selah!


By what right do we obtain a pass to Heaven? Did we not by our sins, take part in rebellion which tried to dethrone Elohim? And did we not in times past move in this world by Lucifer’s nudge, sowing disobedience? Did we not live by the lust of our eyes and heart? How can God love us? Our struggle is with the notions of justice vs the notions of mercy. They complement each other, but one is applied more aggressively than the other in each case. Our answer to the question – how can God love us? The door pass (faith) is provided by his redemptive mercy and love which renews every morning.

Seem too simple? Could our resistance to the idea of pure mercy be part of a subtle resistance to faith. Sometimes I struggle to accept mercy being this simple. The Israelites had the same problem. Paul said, speaking of Israel — they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge (Romans 10:2). The Israelites did not understand the one thing that would make a difference in their life. Consider Hebrews 4:2 — For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us [believers], just as they [some of the Israelites] did; but the message they heard [in the wilderness] was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed [NIV].  

Goodness. To obtain mercy from God, we must believe it is achievable. It is not enough to know what he did in the past; we must believe it is available to each of us now. An endless supply of mercy – Why an endless supply? Because we know ourselves. We need an endless supply of mercy to survive. We have two choices. #1 — We starve to death, sitting on the doorstep of a banquet hall, rejecting the invitation. Or, #2 — we grab hold of God’s mercy (Romans 10:9), enter the hall, and sit down with the other brave souls who have embraced the redemptive power and mercy of the blood of Jesus.

I choose Jesus.

The Song of our Heart.

Dan

It was my observation that God’s love for us exhibits a beautiful eccentricity — he chose to bring us into his circle of friends, choosing to emotionally connect us with him. To be sure, He is self-sufficient. Yet he clearly states he desires our love and will not cease the pursuit until we acquiesce. This quest for us, on his part, is forever. This is God’s love, not that we loved God first, but that he loved us first, and permitted his Son to mediate our rebellion (see John 3:16).

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 — Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away (NIV).

Paul assures us love will remain; God is our friend; he wants to be friends with us. Please note – no man alive would be foolish enough to think we came up with the idea to become friends with God. On our best day we defy, retreat, run, and hide from him. Yet he hunts us down. Abraham never said, ‘I am a friend to God’ but we read in James 2:23 that God said to Abraham – You are my friend. A smart person smiles and says, ‘yes sir.’  Abraham was a smart person. The disciples were not quick (out of respect) to claim friendship with Jesus, yet Jesus said – You are my friends (John 15:15). A wise person, who understands humility also understands the gravity of this situation. We are wise to honor what he says, and act with courage when the need arises – given we are his friend. We have no reason, because of this redemptive love, to hide in the brush.

Love is self-sacrifice. It considers nothing related to self but gives freely to the object of its affection. We see this constantly. A young mother, thin and tired, nurses a healthy baby, she gazes at her child with eyes of love. Jesus said – “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” God takes pleasure in His creation (Psalms 104:31). God’s purpose in creation of people was His own pleasure (Psalms 149:4). His pleasure is unmistakable when we read about his handiwork. Psalms 104 is an amazing poem about his creation, full of the delight of God for us and the things he made.

Love builds community. Elohim smiles broadly with us when we are walking with him. He is not a gloomy cranky old guy gazing down at us with a passing interest. I have found nothing in scripture that defines him this way. He is very affectionate. He is protective of us; Jesus endured the atonement process to open the door for fellowship. When we yield to the Spirit of God, he grins and reaches out to embrace us. Zephaniah 3:15-17 says — The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing (NIV).

Finally, we look at music. As you might guess – love embodies music. Speaking to Job in the 38th chapter, God asks – where were you when I laid down the foundations of the earth you are standing on, did you not hear the morning stars singing together, did you not hear the sons of God shouting for joy? (Job 38:7-9). Music is an expression of the heart, we use our hands and voice to express emotion, we communicate emotion with and without words. Music is as much about silence (gaps between notes) as it is about hearing notes. Just as God blurted out the universe bathed in love when the stars were singing – we blurt out our secrets when we create music. The things we love become the song of our heart.  We are wise to respond to the hand of God extended towards us – he is offering his friendship to each of us.

I choose Jesus.

As if Full of Fire

Dan

It was my observation when working my way through the first chapter of Ezekiel, this passage of interest is our first glimpse of the most high. All of the parts of the vision described in the previous essays on chapter one was no more than an introduction to this portion of the vision. This is the main event. Why? because now we discuss the image that appears above the throne, the figure that was like a man.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 says — Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking [NIV].

In this vision God establishes himself as the Lord of angels and overseer of events in the world, thus it is easy to postulate — whatever God either promises (positive or negative); he is able to accomplish.

Angels are presented as his servants; we mortals are his tools. Knowing he is not silent, we look above the wheels, the angels, and the platform to the throne, to the one true living God. We expect a message. Why? Because he is the one true living God who communicates that plan. He is not silent.

In other throne room visions we get the same message. God is not silent. John in Revelation 1:12-13 hear a voice, and again in Revelation 19:10 John speaks of the testimony of Jesus.

We should also note the Glory of God was above the heads of the angels. His position commands reverence and respect. The angels were under his feet as we have read in 1 Peter 3:22 that angels, principalities, and powers are made subject to him. This brings to light the amazing depth of God’s grace. He lives above the angels in this vision, but in his role as our ransom, he chose to become a little lower than the angels (see Hebrews 2:9).

When Ezekiel saw God, he was shroud in light, the color of amber, covered as with a garment. And so, in this vision, he appears in the likeness of man. Notice his lower section gave the appearance of fire, reinforcing the notion that God is a consuming fire. There were rays coming out of his hand (Habakkuk 3:4) that suggest the shielding of his full power. In Revelation 4:3 we also see a rainbow, most view this rainbow as a display of majesty, a cooling of the heat, God’s mercy and kindness, a display of graciousness (implied in Genesis 9:16, Leviticus 26:42) [NIV].

We should note that Ezekiel does not say this is how God himself appears. Rather we are looking at his glory, a translucent image, lest we see God and die. We see a mere shadow (implied in Hebrews 10:1). When he saw this image, he fell upon his face. Ezekiel was overpowered, He knew the distance between himself and God, distance caused by sin. Ezekiel went prostrate on the floor in humility and respect. He prepared himself to hear the message from God. The plan, expressed by God, was overwhelming.

I have come to know — the more we humble ourselves; the more God will make himself known to us. Everything Ezekiel saw to this point served one purpose. Prepare his heart to hear the message. Prepare his heart to hear the plan. We are taught by words from the Spirit of God and then the message is written on our heart with the blood of Jesus. Review Matthew chapter 5, make no mistake, God delights in teaching the humble to be humbler. We benefit. Prepare your heart. Embrace the fire. I choose Jesus.

Difficult to Define Him.

Dan

It was my observation, if John had aggressively declared that love is only what God is, we would be compelled to say God is what love is (see 1 John 4:8). If love is equal to God, then the God we have defined leaves little space for any other attributes, He becomes a man-made deity. He no longer is Elohim. Let us open the aperture of thought to a larger f-stop. When we examine God’s other attributes, we can learn more accurately about His love. For example, if God is self-existent, then love has no beginning; if Elohim is eternal, love has no end; if the Logos is infinite, he has no boundaries for his love; if he is holy, he is pure in love; if He is immense, His love is incomprehensible.  Now we can say his love is like a sea with no end, and we bend in silence at his grace and grandeur (see Psalms 36:5-9).

Psalms 104:30-35 says — When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. (NIV). Selah.

If we know God, we are compelled to try to speak of His love and grace. Try we must, but none of us do it very well. There are no words in my vocabulary to properly define the formidable and wonder-filled attributes of God. Children reach toward a star hoping to grab the light. Their outstretched arm points towards the love of God. This is the best we can do – encourage others to look up.

1 John 4: 13-18 says —   This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (NIV).

I am not foolish enough to say – I know exactly what love is. But I can see many things that exhibit the notion of love. We can see love pours out goodwill towards other people. Love does not wish fear for others. John said there is no fear in love. Fear is a painful thing; it grips us and blinds us to a path towards safety. It persists and grows; it smashes our hope. Yet, the moment we encounter love, fear runs away. Fear is powerless over us; that is the impact of love. My mother is many things, but her love can arrest my fear.

Our world is full of trouble and enemies. A casual examination of the news suggests that our enemies’ resolve is strong, and trouble is inevitable. Soldiers are taught to focus on the endgame, get the job done, adapt to the situation and overcome the problem. Their answer to fear is to redirect their focus. Yet, I think, the effort to vanquish fear without addressing the cause is silly. Our heart is wise enough to know as long as we trust our plan to outmaneuver the enemy, we may have every good reason to be afraid; we may have overlooked something, may have failed to ask a question we did not know we needed to ask. But, in the end, we know that fear is a liar. We are wise to focus on love – the endgame.

This is what I know – God is a God who defines love, in the secret place of our heart, we lean on Jesus. Love is not the sum total of God; but it is an essential truth of his sovereignty. Our effort to adapt and overcome fear is nothing compared to his Love. His love casts away all fear. When we embrace God’s love and mercy – fear retreats into the shadows. Nothing can really hurt us, perhaps temporarily, but not forever. Love will win. I choose Jesus.