The average person is often amazed at the people who join a cult and wind up giving their lives for their charismatic leader and his beliefs. But this is exactly what the Christians of the early church and some in different oppressive parts of the world have done. What makes the difference? Is Jesus a cult leader? The answer to this is a resounding “No.” What makes Him different? The answer might surprise you.
Some may judge others as cultic but are in a cult and don’t even know it. The first cult leader is Satan. He is the father of lies and cultism—these questions we will explore over the next few articles.
In our search to understand Cults, let’s start with the English definitions. Webster’s Dictionary has five ways the word can be used. The second use of the term has three subsets.
1. A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious. Spurious means “not appearing to be what it claims to be.”
A religion that doesn’t fit the mainstream or majority of religions.
2. a.) Great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book.).
Musicians, actors, politicians,and other famous or infamous people would also fit here. A band and its members who are, in effect, worshiped and adored fiercely. They come before anything else.
b.)The object of such devotion
This appears to be non-living objects or non-philosophical, e.g., cars and activities such as travel. I am still pondering the exact meaning of this definition.
c.) A usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
The critical concept among the subsets (a, b, c) is “devotion.” From this first definition, a cult is not just the classic understanding of religious cults. A person devoted to other people, activities, or anything of great devotion can be considered a cult under this definition. That sounds like quite a few categories, not just churches.
Webster continues with the definitions:
3. A system of religious beliefs and rituals also: its body of adherents
The key word here is “system” It is a programmed set of rules, ideas, and activities required and obeyed by its “adherents.” The Bible refers to such cults in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. We will explore this later.
4. Formal religious veneration: Worship
The key word here is “formal” and “veneration.” The act of showing great reverence and respect in a formal pastoral setting.
5. A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator. A promulgator is a person or organization that promotes an idea to make it popular. An example would be health cults,
Summary
From these definitions, cults are all around us. While religious cults are most widely recognized, non-religious people can also fall into a cult but try to call it something else. According to these definitions, the key elements of a cult revolve around the concepts of devotion, beliefs, and rituals. This sounds like most mainstream religions of the day, including the many subsets of Protestantism, i.e., denominations.
RELIGIOUS CULTS
That is the subject of this article. What makes up a religious cult? Are they easily identified?
Can a mainline denomination be a cult and not realize it if they have unfounded devotion to their charismatic pastor, priest, etc., above Jesus? Do they depend on him or her for answers to Biblical questions or direction?
Author
Famous cults are led by strong, charismatic, deceptive, controlling, narcissistic men and women. Here are just a few that most people would recognize.
1.) The Manson Family
The infamous 1969 family of young people controlled and mesmerized by Charles Manson was persuaded to murder at least nine people in the Hollywood area of California. The followers of Manson lived communally in a movie ranch outside of Los Angeles.
The elements of a cult are here:
Charismatic, strong devotion of the adherents, deception, control, beliefs about the corruption of Hollywood people, and narcissism even though religion, per se, had nothing o do with the motivation and lifestyle of the followers.
2.) Heaven’s Gate
Founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Nettles, they recruited adherents through the Internet. They believed that the end of the earth was near.
The followers believed they would be beamed into the “Next Level” in their living bodies into an alien spacecraft. When Bonnie Lu Nettles died of cancer in the mid-’80s, Applewhite changed his philosophy: Death would be necessary to climb to the Next Level of existence. In March of 1997, 39 cult members were found dead in their commune, all arranged in excellent order and wearing Nike running shoes. A later autopsy showed the male members had been castrated. The group had strict rules against sex.
The elements of a cult are here. First, a strong follower recruits vulnerable people to participate in a new order of belief that leads to death on the word of a charismatic leader who talks and establishes a set of beliefs with authority.
3.) David Koresh’s Branch Davidians
Koresh claimed to be the Messiah. What he said was the law. He believed he had a special revelation from God, and God was directing him to have sex with many different women. He annulled all earthly marriages by his word alone.
He believed and taught that the world’s end was imminent and that there would be a great battle between good and evil before that time came. For the Branch Davidians, the end of the world came on February 28, 1993, when the ATF using its power of a search warrant and looking for a stockpile of weapons, gave up on negotiation and used the force of military-type weapons on its target…a home filled with women and children. Seventy-seven people, men, women, and children, died in flames or gunfire.
It could be said that there were two cults involved here. One was religious in nature, and the other was the police agencies. Strong leaders lead both with their own set of beliefs. But unfortunately, its leaders’ use of control, stubbornness, and lack of common sense led to death.
The Peoples Temple
Jim Jones, a former Methodist Minister, founded it. The church and its members had the noble goal of freeing people from racial segregation and poverty. Most of its members were black, inspired by the message of Jones.
Jones promised a utopia in Jonestown, but the rules were strict, and mock suicide drills were common. Eventually, after continued rumors of financial fraud and physical abuse in the congregation, 909 people took their lives at Jones’ command with a “Kool-Aid” mix laced with cyanide. Approximately 300 of the dead were children.
We could go on and on and discuss the many other easily recognized cults in our society,
*NXIVM, led by Keith Raniere;
*The Children of God started as Teens for Christ in Huntington Beach, California, in the late 1960s by a man named David Berg
*The Rajneeshees Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was an Indian guru with thousands of disciples who lived in a commune near Antelope, Oregon. Rajneesh lived a good life. He owned 93 Rolls Royces. He believed sex was fun, materialism was good, and Jesus was a madman.
Acceptable and Superious Cults
Webster’s forensic definition gives us a framework for understanding cults, but the cults themselves provide detailed characteristics.
The cults listed above have these 6 simple things in common.
1.) A strong charismatic leader with definite or evolving beliefs. They are narcissistic and materialistic while teaching ideals to others.
2.) Strong, charismatic leaders often benefit through sex, wives, riches, or power. The followers devote all they have, including money to their leader to the exclusion of family.
3.) The followers adhere to these beliefs, usually without a Biblical basis. They are missing something in society and have little self-worth. They exhibit naivety and lack common sense or the ability to think on their own. They find their mission and purpose for life in the group.
4.) The adherents are controlled by tough rules. If a person doesn’t pay by the rules, they are “excommunicated.”
5.) They would die for their beliefs.
6.) There are no options for choice or doubt.
There is a fine line between cultism and not, as there is between truth and error.
Next time, we will look at modern religions that have the characteristics of a cult and those that don’t. We will also explore the Bible’s warnings against following anyone other than Jesus. We will discover why Jesus is the anti-cult leader and what makes Him so.
A predominant word used in today’s politics and legal circles is “tolerance.” Tolerance is defined as:
“the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular, the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.
What does it mean to”tolerate something?” It means to:
“allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.”
To tolerate different opinions should be in the heart and mind of every American who understands that this country arose from the ashes of religious and civil intolerance in Europe. The driving desire of the settlers of America was to create a nation of tolerance and acceptance because of their experience with intolerance and persecution in the “old country.”
During the Reformation era, as the Bible became more and more the source of faith for individual believers, it conflicted with the teachings of the powerful church in Europe, and persecution soon followed. The followers of Jesus and the Bible during these tough times longed for the freedom of conscience and to worship without being claimed a heretic or facing death. But, the ruling class and the powerful Roman Catholic church forbid any thoughts different than its own dogmas and traditions. Throughout its history, the papacy leveraged the power of the state to enforce its will upon the masses. Thus, a forbidden marriage of the church and the political power of the state combined to enforce its religious decrees.
Millions died who were not “tolerated” by the church/state. These people were not “allowed to exist” because of their Biblical views. The history of persecution and death from the papacy over the controversy of who should be the final source of truth (Jesus and the Bible or the Pope and its commentary called the Catechism) is the classic definition of intolerance using the power of the state. Millions of dissenters from the church were destroyed because the Pope did not want them to exist.
“From the birth of Popery in 606 AD to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians that more than fifty million of the human family have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors, an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery.”
— “History of Romanism,” pp. 541, 542. New York: 1871.
The founders of America wanted a nation without a pope or a king. Why? Because they had come to learn the importance and rights of all to have views and to be allowed to exist, particularly Christian Biblical views.
Of course, to have a nation like this, the Christians would have to live by their own words and “tolerate” other worldviews.
Does Disagreement With Someone’s Religion or World View Necessarily Mean They are Intolerant?
If we understand the word “intolerant” and the history of “intolerance,” we know the answer to this question to be “No.” The deciding factor in turning the answer into a “Yes” are the actions taken by those with the power to force the dissenter to either not exist or to persecute them in some way.
The Christian who believes that Jesus is the only truth and does not accept a different view is not intolerant in their beliefs any more than the Muslim who feels the same way about Mohammed, but it becomes intolerant when one of the groups persecutes the other.
The apostle Paul expressed the concept of “tolerance” in the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 when he said,
“Love suffers long and is kind….endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13: 4,7
A follower of Christ must be tolerant and loving even though they are compelled to make known the truth as found in Christ.
“♦…today a new definition of tolerance is systematically being foisted upon the minds of all people. For example, Thomas A Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity states, ‘The definition of new tolerance is that every individual’s beliefs, lifestyle, and perception of truth claims are equal…Your beliefs and my beliefs are equal, and all truth is relative.”
So the modern, historically uninformed college student is encouraged to erase and rewrite “bad history” hope to adopt an exaggerated form of tolerance where all philosophies and world views are equal. I can’t help but think of the words of a classic rock song,
“Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.”-Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth.”
In the context of an equal and relative truth, these lyrics could also read,
Nobody’s wrong if everybody’s right.
But, here is the immediate danger in this new definition of tolerance….the real truth becomes lost or eliminated if we discern truth by our feelings and whatever we desire it to be. Under this thinking of relative truth, everybody is right!
♦The misconception about relative truth assumes that truth is inclusive, that it gathers under its wings claims that oppose each other. The fact, however, is that all truth is exclusive---at least to some degree---for it must exclude as false that which is not true.
For instance, it is true that Washington D.C. is the capital city of the United State of America. This means that no other city in the United States is that country's capital. In fact, no other city on planet Earth or anywhere in the universe can lay legitimate claim to being the capital city of the United States. One city and one only fits the bill and that's Washington D.C.
Simply because just one city is the United States' capital does not mean that the people who affirm this truth are therefore intolerant. They may like scores of other cities and even live in different cities themselves. They may even live in different countries and prefer their country to America. Accepting the exclusive truth claim about Washington D.C. does not make a person tolerant or intolerant---it simply makes him or her correct about what the capital city of the United States is.
The same is true about Christianity. If the claims of the Christian faith are true---and many people accept them as true---these people are no more intolerant for their belief than those people who accept Washington D.C. as the United States capital. They are either correct or mistaken about how God has revealed Himself in the world.
The main problem with the all-inclusive view of truth is that it also stifles the follower of this philosophy from seeking the truth. The Christian will tell you that the source of truth is found in God’s word and in the life of Jesus. To test this or any other claimant of truth, must have a starting place. That origin of entry for truth must be historical with eyewitness accounts and proof that the truth works on a practical plain.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6
He made many other claims. He clearly stated that the Tanakh (Old Testament) was about Him:
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 5:39
He explained to the uninformed and confused and misunderstanding disciples how the Tanakh “testified of Him.”
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Luke 24: 44, 45
But many people are afraid to “Search the Scripture” to see if what He claims is true or not. Why? The only reason can be FEAR.
Fear of being wrong. Because of pride, people resist the admission of having the wrong idea, philosophy, or worldview.
Fear of Change or Lifestyle. They reason their life won’t be as fun and enjoyable.
Fear of Accountability. Things they practice may have consequences.
Fear of Losing Friends. Accepting the truth may push away friends and family.
It was these types of fears and misconceptions about tolerance that kept the people of Noah’s time from getting on the boat and saving their lives. In the end, failing to pursue truth regardless of what one might think to be truth will keep many from eternal life as promised by God and Jesus Christ.
Nothing has changed since the days of Noah. People continue to avoid the pursuit of truth because of fear.
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man:
Luke 17:6
To conclude this short discussion on tolerance and its relationship to truth, an appropriate story (from the book Great Controversy) about the pursuit of truth comes from a man called Gaussen, who was influenced by the prevailing truth of the day (18th and 19th century) i.e., rationalism. It is definedas:
A belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response.
But, as he studied Jesus and the prophecies…his life changed. He wanted to tell the adults in his part of the world about what he discovered in the Bible but found them resistant, so he taught the children to see if they could understand the information. The results were unexpected.
Many today claim to be tolerant and have an open mind. There is no human with a mind more open than a child. Jesus knew this when he said,
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3
♦As he (Gaussen) pursued his investigation of the prophecies, he arrived at the belief that the coming of the Lord was at hand. Impressed with the solemnity and importance of this great truth, he desired to bring it before the people, but the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are mysteries and cannot be understood was a serious obstacle in his way. He finally determined—as Farel—had done before him in evangelizing Geneva—to begin with the children, through whom he hoped to interest the parents.
“I desire this to be understood,” he afterward said, speaking of his object in this undertaking. “it is not because of its small importance, but on the contrary because of its great value, that I wished to present it in this familiar form, and that I addressed it to the children. I desired to be heard, and I feared that I would not be if I addressed myself to the grown people first.” “I determined, therefore, to go to the youngest; I gather an audience of children; if the group enlarges, if it is seen that they listen, are pleased, interested, that they understand and explain the subject, I am sure to have a second circle soon, and in their turn, grown people will see that it is worth their while to sit down and study. When this is done, the cause is gained,” I. Gaussen, Daniel The Prophet, vol. 2, Preface
The effort was successful. As he addressed the children, older persons came to listen. The galleries of his church were filled with attentive hearers. Among them were men of rank and learning and strangers and foreigners visiting Geneva, and thus the message was carried to other parts.
The understanding of God’s word is simple— provided the person is willing to pursue the truth no matter where it leads and with an open mind free of preconceived ideas. Fear will be replaced with joy and confidence. But a person will never know unless they start…they will never receive from God if they desire their own pleasures.
You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:3
The new definition of tolerance (all ideas are equal and true and, therefore, should be accepted) is false, and it is dangerous. To believe the truth found in God’s word and the exclusive claims of Christianity is not intolerance. A true follower of Christ will demonstrate acceptance of the person in love but reject what they know to be false and detrimental to that person. They will encourage the pursuit of truth out of love and no other reason.
In modern America, the country of religious freedom, it is the founders of tolerance (Followers of Jesus) who are now being forced through legal actions to accept the beliefs of people they know to be in error. The courts want to control the beliefs of Christians regarding sex and their worldview. This is persecution. No other religion is being sued and harassed, as are Christians. So, I end with this question. Who are the people who are intolerant? Who hates those who don’t accept their beliefs? Who desires for the other group to not exist?
Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
Luke 6:22
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testifyofit that its works are evil
John 7:7
♦The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell
“Now, these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
1 Corinthians 10: 7-9
A Personal note:
As I read Gideon’s story, I asked myself this question to make it more meaningful to my own Christian experience:
Are the actions of Gideon ones I should emulate? Can I follow his example in my relationship with God? Or was his story one written to caution me about testing God?
Gideon’s experience with God starts off badly but ends up with one of the most remarkable examples of God’s leadership and might. God is the center of the story. It is all about faith and trust in Him.
Gideon would eventually learn and trust in God and become a picture on the great wall of faith found in Hebrews 11. But before He got there, he was a man of doubt and mistrust.
Learning From Mistakes-God’s Grace
The Lord has preserved the stories of the people of God in the Old testament primarily to help future generations learn from their mistakes. God’s people were, by no account, perfect, even those who are mentioned in Hebrews 11‘s people-of-faith chapter. Many started off on the wrong footy but would eventually find the narrow path of faith in Jesus. Most often, they learned by trial and error with God. Faith, my friends, is the only path that leads to life. It is a trusting relationship with the One who made us and rescued us! May we learn from the mistakes of ancient Israel and our own!
Gideon is a victorious warrior who struggles with trust in God’s word, much like many of us. But eventually, He would learn to trust God. Paul puts Gideon among the other great people of faith.
Gideon’s story is one of the longer and more detailed ones in the Bible. Paul seems to say that with these words.”
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon
Hebrews 11:32
Testing God
Before Gideon became an illustration of a man of faith, he had a crisis of faith when he “tested” the Lord. This is something we should not do, as God points out in the passage above.
We should not test Christ, as some of them did. The question remains for us. Do we test God…even unconsciously?
In so many words, Jesus said the same thing first:
Then said Jesus unto him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe John 4:48
Signs and Wonders in Ancient Israel
Throughout the history of God’s dealings with ancient Israel, signs and wonders were prevalent among the people of God. Perhaps the most famous came from the rescue of the Israelites from Egypt.
Their history with God was an unending circle of prosperity and blessing, rebellion, enslavement, repentance, and God’s rescue through both prophets and signs and wonders. Once they were comfortable, the cycle would start over again.
Had they consistently remained faithful to God alone, even in the tough times, they would have been blessed, protected, and prosperous. Despite their circumstances, trust was God’s ultimate goal for Israel and is the same for us today!
Thought Question:
Is my experience with God consistent, or do I go through a similar cycle as the children of Israel? How does this affect my witness for Him?
The Egyptian Experience: Miracles, Unbelief-Gripe, and Complain
Before the experience of oppression with the Midianites, Egypt had enslaved God’s people. Egypt became Israel’s oppressive, racist master for 40 years (Numbers 32:13). The children of Israel’s unbelief led them to adjust and accept their new way of life. They became comfortable with slavery. They began to look, talk, and walk like Egyptians. The promised people had gone so far from God that their unbelief would follow them through the desert of their escape despite the miracles God performed, starting with the ten plagues that fell on Egypt but not on them! (Exodus 8:22, Exodus 9:4, Exodus 9:11
Despite the miracle of escaping through the Red Sea that God parted just for them, then closed up on their drowning enemies (Exodus 13:18, Exodus 15:4), they griped and complained throughout their entire escape. They wanted to go back to the comforts and rich foods of Egypt.
In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16: 1-3
They saw the miracle of manna falling from heaven to feed them (Deuteronomy 8:16, John 6:31); the pillar fire provided light and direction (Exodus 13:21). Even their clothes did not wear out, nor their feet swell (Nehemiah 9:21). Can you imagine having 40-year-old garments that looked like you had just purchased them yesterday or walking all day and your feet felt fine?
Despite all this, they did not trust and obey! Consequently, those who escaped their captors through the might of God’s hand never reached the promised land, except for a few. This is because they did not take God at His word, which led to a lack of trust in God. They had failed the test of faith and trust in God.
Thought question:
Has unbelief and not trusting God made me a person who complains, gripes, and is a weak follower of Christ? If so, how do I increase my faith?
Preconceived Scenarios-A Trait of God’s People
At the time of the Messiah’s arrival, rescue from the Romans was choreographed in the Jews’ minds as a military action complete with swords and multitudes of people led by a mighty king or general. But because they believed more in their imagination than the word of God, they slew their Messiah, who would have made them a great nation of evangelists had they simply believed (trusted) Him in His word.
Perhaps their biggest mistake was not knowing God or His word for themselves. They depended on professional teachers of the law, the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. Here was the source of misinformation!
All of this came honestly to the people of Christ’s time on earth, but it had its roots in their ancestry.
Enslaved Again!
In chapter 6 of Judges, we see the children of Israel at the cycle point of enslavement again. This time, enslavement came in the form of oppression by the Midianites. The reason for the oppression is found in the first verse of this chapter (6):
Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
Englaved again! And again, they cried out for deliverance. God heard and was prepared to deliver them. But here starts the story of their deliverer-Gideon. Rather than trust God in His word and promises, Gideon wanted assurance of God’s guidance through signs and wonders. But even these signs did not increase his faith for long.
A Rebellious People and God’s Grace
Through an unnamed prophet, God sent a reminder of their miraculous delivery from Egypt. God would soon deliver them similarly through Gideon by destroying the Midianites, as He did in Egypt.
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you and drove them out before you and gave you their land.
Judges 6:7-9
Because of God’s love, grace, and mercy, He would (yet again) deliver them. God would do more than stop the persecution. He would give His people the land of the Midianites and bring peace to the people for 40 years! Wow! God always goes beyond our expectations!
But, before God powerfully used Gideon, Gideon went through phases of doubt and unbelief. Because this story was recorded for posterity, we can learn lessons on faith from Gidon and the bad decisions of the children of Israel.
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (instruction) upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10: 11
Thought Question: Will I react differently to difficult daily living and thought decisions that must be made? How about the worldwide time of trouble? Will I repeat the people’s sins of unbelief as recorded in the Bible?
Gideon’s Had Good Reason For Doubt
Gideon had reasons to fear and doubt that God would deliver the children of Israel. His brothers had fallen during the battles with the Midianites. He was the only remaining son of Joash. Also, the Manasseh tribe was the weakest of the other twelve tribes. But it was Joash”s remaining (only) son who would deliver the enslaved Israelites. Because of these circumstances, Gideon had doubts:
“O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
Judges 6:15
“Gideon was the son of Joash, of the tribe of Manasseh. The division to which this family belonged held no leading position, but the household of Joash was distinguished for courage and integrity. Of his brave sons, it is said, “Each one resembled the children of a king.” All but one had fallen in the struggles against the Midianites, and he had caused his name to be feared by the invaders. To Gideon came the divine call to deliver his people.” Prophets and Kings, p. 546
God Sends Encouragement-Unbelief Example #1
To encourage Gideon to trust His promise of deliverance (as He did with Egypt), God sent both an unnamed prophet (Judges 6:8) and the Angel of the Lord (Judges 6:12).
“….the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel
Judges 6:8
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Judges 6: 12
The Angel of the Lord reminds Gideon who he is, a “mighty man of valor‘ brave and strong. But despite this powerful compliment, Gideon complains to God! He instantly becomes a man of complaints against God and doubt.
Gideon said to Him, “O my lord IF the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” v.13
Was God responsible for their troubles? Had He forsaken them? Remember verse 1 of Judges 6. They had left God and went after other gods and did evil in plain sight of God!
Nothing has changed since the beginning of time. People who doubt God, even His existence, always fall back on the IF and Why reasoning. Example: IF God cares or exists, then WHY (fill in the blank)…why is there suffering and war? Or Why did He let my child die?
Thought Question:
Often, I bring trouble upon myself, or others bring pain and suffering to me. I often don’t want God around, so I separate myself from the protection offered to me because things don’t go as I thought or planned. How can I change this?
God makes a promise to Gideon.
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” v. 14
These words of the Lord should have been enough. But Gideon doubted again even after the compliment and encouragement from both a prophet and an angel of the Lord. This led to unbelief example #2.
Unbelief (Doubt)-Example #2
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” v. 15
Instead of trusting God and taking Him at His word, Gideon looks at His weak family, and he points out to God that he is the least of the weakest! What a pity party!
A famous saying of Christians is, “God said, I believe it, and that settles it.” But that is usually stated in the comfortable pew with other believers in good times. So in difficult times, how often do we doubt instead of simply believing what God has said?
But Gideon’s doubts don’t stop here. He tests God by requiring a sign from Him. Example #3
Unbelief and Doubt Example #3
Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. Judges 6:17
Instead of trusting God, taking Him at His word, or (at the least) knowing God enough to acknowledge His character of love and mercy is sufficient, he looked for a sign. Is our relationship with Him based on signs or simply knowing Him personally? Which is more important? Signs or trusting God at His word?
An offering of meat and bread.
The Angel of the Lord instructed Gideon to put the offering on a rock and pour the broth over it. Then fire came out of the rock and consumed it. God did the same with Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38. This impressed Gideon. It was a clear sign of God’s power. But he still had doubts.
Tear Down the Alters
Later that night, God tested Gideon’s faith by commanding him to tear down the altar to Baal and the wooden image beside it. Then Gideon was to build an altar to God and put an offering (bull) along with the wood from the image he destroyed! But Gidon was still not strong in his faith. He was so afraid that he took ten men to do the work, and they did it with the cover of night! Again, a similar experience for Elijah in 1 Kings 18:32
Before God could deliver the Children of Israel, they had to get some things straight in their own lives. Worship God and Him only! Tear down the idols in their lives. Gideon successfully had the altar and wooden image destroyed.
Thought Question:
Are there cherished alters in my life that need to be torn down? Idols that affect my witness for Christ… Things that take my eyes off of the only true God…things like money, position, tradition, or cherished unbiblical beliefs?
When the city’s men discovered what had happened to their offering and idol, they demanded to know who it was. Joash, Gideon’s father, told them,
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself because his altar has been torn down!” Therefore on that day, he called him Jerubbaal,[ saying, “Let Baal plead against him because he has torn down his altar.”
Judges 6: 31,32
These are some pretty snarky and bold statements form Gideon’s father! But notice that Gideon did not boldly tell them, “It was me!” Instead, his father (Joash) exhibited confidence in God in the face of the city’s men! Joash’s argument against idols has long been, “let them take care of themselves if they are as powerful as you think.”
But Gideon’s doubts don’t end. He demanded another sign despite four already given:
1.) The encouraging words of an unnamed prophet.
2.) The appearance Angel of the Lord reminds Gideon that he is a “man of valor.” The Angel tells the encouraging story of God’s salvation of the people from Egypt;
3.) The sign of the offering being consumed.
4.) The destruction of the idols and His father standing up for the true God instead of Baal.
Unbelief and Doubt-The Sign of the Fleece Example #5
“So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said….” (Judges 6:36) There is that word again, “IF.” This fleece was not the will of God. It was a test by Gidon to seek assurance and instructions that God had already given Him! God had already said the victory was his! Gideon did not trust God. He wanted a sign! Let me repeat it again!
It was a test by Gidon to seek assurance and instructions that God had already given Him! God had already said the victory was his! Gideon did not trust God. He wanted a sign!
Author
God, in his mercy for this doubter, answered the request as Gideon requested.
Look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said. V. 37
And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.” V 38, 39
But the doubt kept coming.
Unbelief and Doubt-The Sign of the Fleece-Part 2- Example #5
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” V 39.
And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground. V. 39
Testing God
Gideon was not a believer that subscribed to trusting God in His word. He did not express faith in a God that He should have known. Instead, like the “wicked and adulterous generation” seeking signs and wonders, Gideon demanded signs like the religious leaders in Jesus’ day.
Thought Question:
Is the story of Gidon our example or a lesson of His mistakes we are to learn from? Is asking for a sign a practice of doubt when making tough or seemingly impossible decisions?
How the Story Should Have Gone in Three Words:
Grace, Faith, and Obedience are three in one. It is understanding the grace and character of God that is the solid foundation for unshakable faith or trust in God’s promises that leads to obedience.
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” God desired Gideon would know Him and His word enough to trust Him through a simple request or prayer rather than testing Him with fleece. We are not to tempt the Lord (Test the Lord) through signs and wonders. We must know God enough that He will do what He says,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11: 6
“You shall not tempt( test) the Lord your God as you tempted (tested) Him in Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken. Deuteronomy 17: 16-19
…whatever is not from faith is sin Romans 14:23
In a sense, we should have an advantage over the people of the Old Testament. They had signs and wonders; we have examples of their mistakes despite the miracles.
It is a high spiritual experience not to be this type of Gideon, but rather have faith like the gentiles who trusted in God’s willingness to answer prayers. “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Luke 5:12. No signs, no wonders requested, only trusting in God’s will. The miracle for the Leper came at the choice of God after he trusted in God’s will.
Of the approximately 35 miracles performed by Jesus, there was no fasting, no signs, and no wonders, no fleece test. Instead, it was faith that God desires of us. He wants us to know Him…to trust Him! In the final analysis, to require a sign is an act of doubt, not faith.
But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these, I delight,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:24
Gideon’s Eventual Victory
In Judges Chapter 7, we will see the crossover from a doubter to a mighty man of valor. What made the difference? Was it all the signs and wonders? This we will examine next time!
A popular phrase in the sports world today is expressed in the acronym G.O.A.T., which means “greatest of all time.” For example, Tom Brady is considered the greatest of all-time quarterbacks in American football He is arguably worthy of the title, having won 7 Super Bowls.
Jesus designated John the Baptist as the greatest of all time when he said,
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist;.”
Matthew 11:11 (a).
But Jesus didn’t stop there; He added another thought-provoking statement…
“but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Matthew 11: 11 (b)
Wow! Who of us is greater than John the Baptist? It is those who are the least in the kingdom of heaven! Isn’t it just like Jesus to encourage the least of us by calling us greater than the spiritually powerful, well-known messenger of God? He was always the champion of the small and unimportant in society.
It leaves me with questions: How can this be? What made John the Baptist the G.O.A.T. among men, and what makes the least in the kingdom of heaven greater than the G.O.A.T.?
Who was John the Baptist?
John the Baptist was a prophet. But even more, he was also a part of the prophecies about the first coming of Jesus. For example, Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1 and applied it to John…and rightly so…
“For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”
Matthew 11:10
Often when a dignitary of the Roman empire traveled, men would go ahead of the caravan and remove brush, fill in holes, etc, to allow for a smooth ride. But John’s preparation for Jesus was a spiritual preparation…He was an introduction to the “lamb, which takes away the sin of the world” John 1:29.
John made the way for the coming of Jesus through His message in the wilderness. A message of repentance and remission because the (Messiah) would soon appear. Even today, the message of repentance and remission of sins makes way for the Lord to come into the lives of sinners.
John’s birth and his greatness were prophesied by an angel to John’s father, Zacharias. The angel also disclosed the message John was to proclaim.
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord,…He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Luke1: 15, 16
Luke 1:15
John’s Message
Although Zacharias was not able to talk because of his doubt, he would later open his mouth in faith and further prophesy about John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (v. 67-79)
What a powerful spiritual resume John possessed!
The emphasis of John’s message is made clear in the angel. His purpose was to give knowledge of salvation to “His people.” Yes! God had His people who, like the children of Egypt, needed to escape bondage. This bondage was not a foreign power but their sins.
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Mark 1:4
The way of escape was through repentance (the Greek word is metanoia-a change of mind) and the remission of their sins. Remission, in Greek, is aphesis, which literally means release from bondage and imprisonment. God’s people must have considered forgiveness and freedom almost hopeless since the religious leaders had made up so many man-made religious rules. They added to the word of God that made it almost impossible for a person to feel free and forgiven. They were the marketers of rules related to sin. John was to give God’s people knowledge of salvation, giving them freedom of spirit.
The repentant’s immersion under the water by John (baptism) was an outward demonstration of an inward transformation. It was not another man-made rule to save them; it was the ceremonial public display of the act they had already performed through the conviction of the Holy Spirit: Repentance. They came up from the water free from the bondage of the guilt of sin. Remission. They were now free from the guilt of sin and would learn to walk (live) in a new way, led by the Spirit and not by the flesh.
Being baptized was their very first act of obedience, but now they obeyed God’s will out of a transformation (born again) rather than the bondage of man-made rules and requirements. There remained “rules,” but they were God’s and not additions of sinful religious men’s requirements for righteousness.
John taught salvation by faith, not through works. Works have their place, but not as a means to salvation. But faith must have an object; otherwise, it is just a word. This faith was to be placed in the coming Messiah,” the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.” This proclamation was the capstone of John’s message.
This message of freedom from sins (salvation) via repentance and remission and the substitutionary death of Jesus paved the way for the coming Messiah, who would then magnify the kingdom of God.
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John’s Doubts
No prophet had a greater privilege than that of being the personal herald of the Messiah at His first coming. Any prophet would have desired to be in John’s place. He, therefore, was great in the sight of the Lord in this sense. He was “more than a prophet.“
Yet John had doubts. Doubts are common among Jesus’ followers, especially when experiencing trauma, broken bones, and hearts.
There is no prophecy (that I know of) that predicted the imprisonment of John. This trauma likely discouraged John because it was unexpected and painful. It seemed to go against the benefit of the message of Jesus to release those who were captive. This allowed a bit of doubt to creep into John’s heart. (Sound familiar?) So he sent a message via his disciples to Jesus to help clear the air about the Messiahship of Jesus (Matthew 11: 2-3).
His question suggested confusion.
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Matthew 11:3
Jesus told them to…
“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up,and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Matthew 11: 4-6
Jesus’ message to John was to remember the source of his faith as found in Scripture. Jesus described the ministry of the Messiah, which was also Bible prophecy. The works of the coming Messiah are described by many prophets, including Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1, 29:18, 35: 4-6)
The fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Jesus should strengthen our faith in God. Jesus put it this way;
Now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
John 13:19
Prophecy gives us reason to believe and be faithful. False prophecy, however, takes faith away. But, notice something else…Jesus’ answer for John’s disciples was a non-traditional picture of the coming Messiah.
Jesus’ altered the traditional understanding of the Messiah’s mission in His response to John’s messengers. Instead of a political messiah who will bring judgment on the enemies of the Jews and break the yoke of Roman imperialism, Jesus is the Messiah who is socially, spiritually, and personally conscious of the needy; He heals, resurrects, and proclaims good news to the poor.
Andrews Study Bible, p. 1264, commentary on Matthew 11:4-6
Those creators of additional rules also skewed scripture to paint a picture of a king who would come and free them from the bondage of the Romans. But Jesus, the Christ, came to them in a way they did not desire…lowly and meek for the purpose of freedom from the bondage of sin.
Even John may have been confused by the popular understanding of the work of the coming Messiah. Jesus had not set Himself up as king, and nothing dramatic on the political front was happening in Jerusalem. So it is today. Much of the world expects Jesus to direct in the building up of literal Israel and become their king.
When John’s disciples returned to him with Jesus’ message, It contained a blessing and a hint of rebuke.
And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Matthew 11:6
Are we offended by Jesus? Do we want Him to make a more dramatic display related to the political world? Since we are not as important and powerful as some, are we ashamed of the gospel of Christ? It seems sin, and the world have a louder voice than Jesus.
The Faith of John
You and I are not in prophecy as succinctly as John the Baptist, but yet we are greater than him? How can this be?
After the messengers departed, Jesus spoke to the crowd concerning John. He asked questions that highlighted the spiritual character of John.
““What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. Matthew 11: 7-9
A reed, blown to and fro by the wind, was a fitting symbol representing those swayed by the winds of popular opinion. Such reeds were well-known in the area because they grew by the Jordon River and were moved by every slight breeze. Likewise, those whose foundation is based on the ways of the world and its definition of greatness are easily manipulated. John was not one of these.
Paul knew this metaphor as well. He gives us additional understanding. In his message to the Ephesians, Paul said there are..
“…children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, Ephesians 4:14
John was firm in his understanding of God’s word but was open to the additional light Jesus proclaimed. The priests and their schools did not educate John. His heart and mission were prepared by the Holy Spirit and personal knowledge of God’s word. He embraced time in the desert that allowed for God’s voice to be heard, and he avoided strong drinks that could have clouded and confused his mind. The human mind is God’s pathway to the heart. It must be kept clear of rubbish if a person desires God’s voice to be heard.
We have the same opportunity as John to know the truth directly from God’s word. The fewer channels God’s word travels, the purer the message. If we are spoon-fed once a week through someone else, even our pastors, our faith is weakened by dependence on others.
As we commune with God, we should be listening for personal application through God’s voice in moments of prayerful solitude. By determination to apply God’s will in our lives within the context of His written word, there will be a more solid foundation for faith and avoidance of fanciful interpretations of the plain word of God…even if it goes against our tradition and denominational beliefs. It is critical that we seek the Holy Spirit to “guide us into all truth.” John 16:13
As a result, we will be resolute in our faith in Jesus, as was John. Doubts may creep in, especially during times of trauma. But Jesus heals the brokenhearted and provides living bread and water for revival in our hearts. Broken bones will heal back stronger. So will the testing of our faith.
Our challenge is to trust God regardless of the circumstance and how bleak it may appear.
What Heaven Calls Great
But, is our knowledge of God and our mission greater than John the Baptist? Personally, I can answer, “I hardly think so.”
The definition of great by the world versus heaven’s meaning is stark.
The world describes greatness through wealth, popularity, rank, nobility, intellectual gifts, and athletic abilities. But the estimation of heaven places greatness on the ones who love God and mankind as himself. These two attributes will lead to actions just like Jesus’ prophetic ministry on earth, e.g., feeding the hungry, visiting those in prison, providing clothes for the naked, etc. (Matthew 25: 34-36)
He (John) refrained from seeking honor for himself, but pointed all to Jesus as the Promised One. His unselfish joy in the ministry of Christ presents the highest type of nobility ever revealed in man.
Desire of Ages, p. 219
So if John possessed all these things, how can the least in the kingdom of heaven be greater?
John’s life was lonely in some respects but not in other ways. There is no record of John ministering to the poor or healing the sick. His message was great but mostly one-dimensional for a purpose. The spirit of God was upon him. He never lacked the comforting presence of God. But John “was not permitted to see the result of his own labors. It was not for him to see the blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the dead raised to life. He did not behold the light that shone through every word of Christ, shedding glory upon the promises of prophecy.” Desire of Ages, p. 219
The least of us, however, have seen the mighty works of Jesus and heard His words through the accounts of those who knew Him best. In this sense, we are more privileged and greater than John the Baptist.
The works of Christ will compel us into a ministry to a dying world. Our inspired work of healing the sick, feeding the poor, and visiting those in need will not necessarily be miraculous. We might never see the results of our ministry. But, like John, one day, we will see the full-grown plants of the planted seeds. In this sense, the least of us is greater than John…we minister in the name of Jesus. We have so many more ways to talk to crowds. But that ministry must also include preparing the way for Jesus. A ministry to those in need without pointing them to Jesus is on the same level as the work of the atheist or humanist.
A ministry to those in need without pointing them to Jesus is on the same level as the work of the atheist or humanist.
Author
John and Elijah
The last generation before the return of Christ will bear a message like Elijah and John preparing the world for the coming of Christ (the second time). His coming, this time, will not be by a river. It will be a spectacular event where every eye will behold Him, and it will be destructive to those who are not hidden “in Christ.“
Will you be great in the sight of heaven? Think in terms of spirituality and ministry, not the size of your church. We will do the same work as John, Elijah, and Jesus. Try not to think about the miracles He performed but rather the character and love He had for those who needed Him the most. If this leads to their connection with Jesus, the title of G.O.A.T. in the kingdom of heaven belongs to you. But you will cast that crown to the ground because it was Jesus who did the work in you and through you.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will also do; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
John 14:12
So if you are small, humble, and invisible to the world but doing the works God has assigned you, you are part of a greater work and greater than the greatest on earth. You are great in the sight of heaven. Our greatness is not ours. It depends on God in us and through us. Then out of us to others. In Christ, you, too, can become the G.O.A.T. in the kingdom of heaven.
Back in the mid-’70s, I was an evolutionist bicycle rider. I was fulfilling a dream trip by riding cross-country from LA back to Nashville. As I rode along in the open deserts of Arizona, I had plenty of time to think and observe the beautiful scenery.
One day, as I peddled across the high desert towards Flagstaff from the Grand Canyon, I could feel the strength in my legs and my circulatory system working in harmony with all parts of my being. I felt strong and happy. My eyes could see the far-off snow-capped mountains outside Flagstaff (San Francisco Peaks). The blue sky was incredible, and the feel of the cool high desert air on my skin and in my lungs led me to ponder the complexity of life. I began to extrapolate my thoughts.
I reasoned that if I had never seen a clock before but studied it, I would discover a few things. This study would take a while, but initially, I would see that the hands of the clock corresponded to the daily cycle of the sun.
I would discover quickly that the parts of the clock were precise…working together to move the hands exactly to measure time. Ah! Here is its purpose. All that I learned would tell me there must be a CLOCKMAKER. I didn’t know who or where he lived, but I knew he was out there somewhere. I had never met him, but somebody probably had. So, if I wanted to know more, I would (theoretically) start some research and learn as much as possible about the CLOCKMAKER. While the clock and its workings are interesting, it is the punctilious CLOCKMAKER, the originator of this instrument, that is more fascinating.
My extrapolated thought process continued. Our bodies, how we were born, how we are sustained and have the ability to pro-create is far more complicated than a simple clock. I reasoned, there must be a punctilious PERSON MAKER! When I came to that conclusion, I said the first meaningful prayer in my life, “God, if you are out there, please reveal yourself to me.” Well, He did in a way I had not anticipated. The prayer was forgotten as my trip progressed. It was not until many months later that I remembered it.
When I returned from my trip, Julie (the mother of our children-may, she rest in peace) was attending evangelistic-type Bible studies. She seemed different. Calmer. I made fun of her so much that she finally threw a dare at me. She said,
“take my notes and prove me wrong.”
This appealed to my scientific, history-loving, college-educated mind, so I took her up on it. She was crafty to draw me in like that. I knew what she was up to, but I believed I could easily find the errors in the Bible and discount Jesus and the whole world of religion in a few sentences. After all, I was educated. She only had a high-school diploma. But, I would learn that wisdom doesn’t require a Ph.D. behind your name.
To make a long story short, I studied Jesus and the entire Bible for months like I would study a book about the CLOCKMAKER I had never seen. In the early and mid-70s, there was not the madness of the internet, so I researched the church’s history and the Bible’s prophecies at the downtown library in Nashville. Wow! What a journey. My research revealed I knew very little about the Bible, Jesus, and the journey of the Jews.
My conclusions?
Jesus was all He, the prophets, and his disciples claimed Him to be!
Author
Jesus was the prophetic Messiah on a mission to save the world from eternal death and offer us eternal life. He is also part of the Godhead and is, therefore, our Creator God (See John Chapter 1: 1-14. Colossians 1: 15-18, Hebrews 1: 1-2).
I would not have known if I had kicked the clock away with no interest in how it worked. What I learned changed my life and direction eternally, as it has millions of others. I discovered there is a spiritual side to us and not just physical. Jesus said,
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
John 6:63
Needless to say, Julie was happy and amazed at my transformation as I was amazed at her change! In my efforts to prove her wrong, I found her God!
My point is this…the physical world we see had a beginning and a Creator. None of us were there. While we can’t see the Creator (like I couldn’t see the clockmaker), God put within us all His Spirit to tap into and give us the desire to know Him. Yes, we can know the great Creator.
“…let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:24
We can know about Him through the prophets. creation, and Jesus in the Bible. Even without the Bible, creation is the evidence of His design that gives us faith in Him. In fact, the Bible’s definition of faith is based on evidence and substance:
“Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1.
We can have reasons to believe. It doesn’t have to be blind.
The Bible, written by over 40 different authors with the same God experience, is deeper and more accurate than INTERPRETIVE science because there is a God bigger than His creation. Not in size but in complexity. The inspired writers (2 Peter 1:21) moved by God’s Spirit, point our eyes to the heavens to see the power of the unseen Creator.
“For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been CLEARLY SEEN, being understood from what has been made, so that people are WITHOUT EXCUSE.
Romans 1:20
(It would have been silly for me not to believe there was a clock-maker because the evidence was right there in front of me. The same thought holds true for God-the, Creator.)
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1
(We can learn about God in His creation which is the work of His hands)
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
Psalm 8:3-4
Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33: 8-9
(We are so small when we look at the universe. It is because we are created. He is the Creator.)
How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”? Isiah 29: 16 NLT
One last point. As Moses writes in Genesis, God did all this in 6 literal days (evenings and mornings). This is outside the realm of science and their calculations based on things as they know them and their assumption that …
…all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
2 Peter 3:4
Creation from nothing is only possible from an eternal Creator. Our week of 7 days testifies to creation week. Why not a 10-day or 5-day week?
If you are having trouble with belief, I recommend you get to know the CLOCKMAKER.
At a certain point in my studies and discovery, I prayed the second meaningful prayer in my life:
“Lord, I don’t know what you will do with me. I have made so many mistakes and sinned so much. Would you forgive me? Please put me to work. I don’t want to be a pew warmer.”
He answered this prayer immediately.
I was baptized and began a journey of ministry. What a ride it has been! Julie was very happy. But the enemy of souls does not give up easily, nor does the flesh.
These last 48 years have been a battle, but God is faithful never to leave me nor forsake me despite the war raging around me. Battles have been won and some lost, but I am thankful for the strength of the CLOCKMAKER …” because the one who is in (me) is greater than the one who is in the world.; 1 John 4: 4
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law;but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7: 21-25
If you are having trouble with belief, I recommend you get to know the CLOCKMAKER.
Logical thinking would conclude that proof of God’s existence would only be possible if one searched for truth. Therefore, there must be some motivation to do so. I was one of those oddballs who started my search for the truth about God on a dare from my wife to prove her wrong. But many people begin the search for answers from God when they have no place to look but up!
The Creator God has not chosen to reveal Himself physically except through Jesus. Jesus told doubting Philip:
Anyone who has seenme has seentheFather.
John 14:9
One of the many descriptive names given to Jesus by the Hebrew writers was Immanuel or “God with us.” (See Isaiah 7:14). This reveals to us the divinity of Jesus.
Therefore, the most reliable and logical place to discover God is to study the life of Jesus through the Holy Scriptures. Jesus and His disciples used what we know as the Old Testament ( before the New Testament was ever written) as proof that Jesus was all He and His disciples claimed Him to be.
In Part 1, I listed many barriers to belief in God. No doubt, you could probably add to the list. Just one or two of these reasons would discourage most anyone from believing in a God who knows the end from the beginning. These reasons provide good excuses never to start a search for truth. Sadly, therefore, many won’t move forward or will believe a lie that fits more with their own human worldview.
In addition, a search will never happen if someone has had an unhappy, negative religious experience with humans. But, an open-minded search will produce sufficient evidence of God, especially if someone has been compelled for some reason to search. God promises that if our investigation is not casual but consistent, He will be found…and there will be plenty of evidence provided that He is pulling you towards Him!
One writer described our search journey in very plain language:
God never asks us to believe without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, and the truthfulness of His word are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason, and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have the opportunity, while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.
Steps to Christ, p. 106 E. White
This same author highlights the value of sincerity or the desire to know the truth.
In order to arrive at truth, we must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it. And all who come in this spirit to the study of the Bible will find abundant evidence that it is God’s word, and they may gain an understanding of its truths that will make them wise unto salvation.
Steps to Christ p. 110, 111 E.G. White
Jeremiah said it this way:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29: 11-13
The results of this journey for truth will succeed if we understand it is not a casual search. The determination of its success also includes a willingness to follow the truth. Jesus said,
If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me.
John 7:17
Last time, we looked at the hard evidence that would be viable in any court of law. Eyewitnesses of Jesus and prophecies regarding Him leave no doubt that God can see the future. The conclusion is that there must be an omnipotent God who is more innovative and intelligent than we are.
Because of this, we have reason to believe the gospel story of Jesus in all the books of the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. See Part 2
Often, in a court of law, there is no hard evidence such as eyewitness DNA, a murder weapon, etc. But there is a preponderance of other types of evidence, such as motive, opportunity, and character. This circumstantial evidence can be just as convicting as hard evidence. Therefore, attorneys will combine the circumstantial with the hard evidence to convince a jury.
Circumstantial Evidence-Creation and Life
Paul describes evidence we can see that will lead us to a conclusion about God.
For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen,being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Romans 1: 20
This passage points out that the world was “created.” Then God gave the laws of nature to pro-create or reproduce themselves by looking at the creation in this world and life. There are things that remain as evidence of God’s creation and His original purpose. Things like blue skies, soft wind, rivers, oceans, majestic trees, flowers, animals, the sun, the moon, and the stars all minister to life and sustain it. All are intertwined to bring the reality of life surrounded by beauty. It all points to a loving, caring God who created it all. All this can be seen regardless of your station or place on earth.
The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature, itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.
Steps to Christ, p. 10 EGW
As we consider our dependence upon the things we had nothing to do with creating, we are without excuse about the existence of God. His character (invisible attributes )are clearly seen in creation, even His unending (eternal) power and divinity (Godhead). Can you look at the complexity of life and feel sure there is no Creator? Paul tells us we have “no excuse.“
“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.
Steps to Christ, p.10 EGW
In this dangerous and crazy world, our eyes are coxed to look upon negative and disturbing scenes of everyday life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to do otherwise. Think how refreshing it is to see kind humans at work; what a change in humanity would occur if our time were spent directing our eyes to good instead of evil. Again, Paul suggested the following:
Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
By observing these things, we become changed.
To see love expressed to the unlovable. This is the nature of God. John described God as love:
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4;16
The writers of God’s inspired word were amazed at the works and complexity of God’s creation.
David asked this question twice in the book of Psalms.
…what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:4 and Psalm 144:3
The Apostle John stated the truth about God’s creation.
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:11
A close look at Scripture reveals something about Jesus that many either overlook or find too incredible. Nevertheless, it is a Biblical truth that all creation came through Jesus. Here are just a few passages:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (The Word), and without Him, nothing was made that was made.
John 1: 1-3
This “Word,” who was with God in the beginning, made everything. This Word is Jesus! John confirms this several verses later.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1: 14
Paul says the same thing in both the letters to the Colossians and the Hebrews:
He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1: 15-16
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.
Hebrews 1:1-3
Summary and Conclusion
If you want to search, you will find the invisible God through Jesus Christ. You will find truth, understanding, and peace when you find God. God is discovered only in Jesus. “No one ever spoke as this man” (John 7:46) . Nor have as many prophecies been fulfilled to the letter as were in Jesus’ life. This is how God the Father has chosen to disclose Himself. Over 40 prophets pointed to a coming Messiah, the woman’s promised seed (Genesis 3:15) who would restore fallen mankind through teaching, example, and sacrificial death to pay for the unchangeable law of sin and death.
The existence of the “invisible” God is plain to see through hard evidence of the life of Jesus and the complexity of life around us. Perhaps this is why David said,
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 53:1a
The Hebrew word for foolish is nāḇāl. It combines the English words “stupid” and “corrupt.” as evidenced by the last part of the verse.
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 51:1b
This, in a small way, demonstrates why the world is so corrupt; a majority of the world does not search for God nor follow His ways:
Today if you will yield to God’s pull to turn to Him and reason with Him, you will find…
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
In future articles, we will discover, through God’s word, the reasons for the world’s death, dying, and suffering. God, through giving angels and mankind free will and choice, planned for it.
We will understand why love does not include force. God provides reasons for love and caution against evil. True love must be based on the freedom of will and choice. You can’t be forced to love, nor can you fake it.
God the Father made Himself known as a way of escape through Jesus. This is why this author recommends a study of Jesus through the Bible as the most effective way to discover the reality of God and the plan of salvation. Unlike other books, your journey doesn’t have to start at the beginning, i.e., Genesis.
Almost any place in the Bible will lead you back to Jesus and the words, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” I recommend starting with the book of John and his other letters (1, 2, and 3 John). Won’t you begin today? Contact me if you need some guidance on starting your journey. If you want to find a simple guide to beginning your journey, click here. Blessings as you begin your search.
Beyond what the Bible says, mentions of Judean life during the Babylonian exile have generally been scarce throughout history. All of that changed in 2014 when archaeologists discovered about two hundred tablets written in cuneiform script that reveal aspects of the life of Jews who lived in Babylon at the time of the exile.
On November 16, at the 2022 Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, United States, Assyriologist and expert in Mesopotamic archaeology George Heath-Whyte discussed what the ongoing translation of the tablets reveals, what it doesn’t say, and what conclusions we can and cannot derive from those findings. The Tablets
The tablets, known as the Al-Yahudu Texts, were acquired from a seller, so the specific place and background of the discovery have been lost. They have been dated between 572 and 477 BCE. This means that the oldest seem to have been written about 15 years after Babylon’s invasion of Israel.
The translation of the cuneiform script on the tablets shows that they are legal documents written in the Babylonian language. Some of them are promissory notes — one party is required to transfer goods to another party on a specific date. There are also receipts, marriage agreements, and other personal documents. Most come from the time of Darius’s reign, Heath-Whyte explained, and reveal the existence of a Jewish community living in the countryside, in a town southeast of Babylon.
“There is much we can learn about how life was for that particular community living in Babylon,” Heath-Whyte said. “They give us a glimpse into the Judean working the land … in the land-for-service scheme. [They show that] some Jews were quite entrepreneurial. Some secured jobs in the Babylonian administration.”
Heath-Whyte said that what the tablets show fits nicely with God’s message to the exiles in Jeremiah 29:4-7, which reads, “Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
A Mismatch with the Bible?
Some scholars have been using the findings in the tablets to point out what they call a mismatch with the Bible record. They say, for instance, that even though the Bible talks about the exile as a horrible period, the tablets show the overall situation of the Jews in exile was pretty good.
Heath-Whyte doesn’t think this is an either-or situation, however. “The evidence of the Babylonian sources is being misused. It is a false dichotomy,” he said. “Were Jews living in Babylon able to advance? Yes. Were Jews living in Babylon free people? No. They had to work in a land they didn’t own and render service to a foreign king. They were not entirely free.”
Assyriologist and Mesopotamic archaeology expert George Heath-Whyte shared what the Al-Yahudu Texts reveal and what they do not. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review] At the same time, Heath-Whyte explained, the Bible is clear that even though most of the Jews living in exile longed to return to their homeland, when they in fact had the opportunity, some of them decided to stay. Also, we know that Mordecai, Nehemiah, and others achieved relatively high positions in the kingdom.
Critics also point out that no tablet mentions that the Jews knew about Pentateuch and the Sabbath. But those are not things you would expect to find in a Babylonian legal document, Heath-Whyte explained. “The sources do not allow us to determine whether the Sabbath was observed,” he said, “even though one name that appears in one tablet is Shabbataiah.”
Others have pointed out that no tablet mentions the Jews returning to their homeland. Again, Heath-Whyte said, that is not something Babylonians would necessarily include in a legal document. “We have tablets that talk about sale of property, of paying of debts, but we can’t tell if they are connected to the Jews selling their properties before returning,” he said.
Limitations of the Sources
At the same time, Heath-Whyte acknowledged, there are many details these sources can’t tell us. The first has to do with the nature of the sources.
“People imagine they are letters, or fragments of the Psalms. But this is not the case,” he said. “These documents were written by Babylonian scribes in Babylonian legal jargon. There are large areas of the exiles’ lives that these documents do not mention.”
Also, the sources available are insufficient. “We don’t have many of them. Or not enough to paint a whole picture,” Heath-Whyte said.
Regarding the context of the sources, Heath-Whyte reminded his audience that the tablets were found and then sold. “We don’t know where they were found, or in what circumstances,” he said.
Their Given Names
What the tablets do reveal is the names of many of the Jews living in exile. According to Heath-Whyte, who studied the topic extensively, most of the names are not Babylonian but seem to be related to the biblical text and the God of Israel.
“The contents of a person’s name do not tell us what they believe, but it can show the connection with the belief in one God. You can see a sense of identity with God through their names,” he said. And, he added, “just like the Bible said, some Jews prospered in Babylon, and for at least some of them, the God of the Bible seemed to be their only and true God.”
In conclusion, Heath-Whyte emphasized, when we come across claims about these texts, we need to test them. “We must be careful not to assert what the texts don’t say, but we can be modestly optimistic,” he said. “Most of what these sources tell us fit with what the Bible says.”
These last words of Jesus nullified Satan’s plan to take the place of God and rule according to the laws of selfishness. Christ’s prophesied death on the cross ensured that the price of sin (death) had been paid for everyone through the sacrifice of God Himself. Even though the law of sin required death for everyone. The way to eternal life was solidified for any who would accept God’s gift of life.
”Satan and a Roman guard of one hundred men tried to secure Jesus’ tomb, but they were struck down by the brightness of only one angel who rolled back the stone.
An angel, at the empty tomb, told the women, who came to prepare the body of Jesus for burial, that He was not there. They left with different work and mission. Their new goal in life was to tell the disciples and the world that “He is risen!” They were some of the first human eyewitnesses. The guards were the first to understand the power of the risen Savior.
Many, including Thomas, doubted the women, but Jesus appeared to them while they were gathered behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.” They had not assembled on this first day of the week to worship but rather because of fear for their lives. Thomas was not with them. Perhaps he was grieving alone. But eight days later, he was with the disciples, and Jesus appeared to the disciples again. This time doubting Thomas was invited to touch the nail scars on Jesus’ hands and touch His side to feel where the sword had pierced His side. He fell at the feet of Jesus and proclaimed, “My Lord and My God.” John 20:28
Jesus asked the disciples for something to eat. This indicated that our resurrected body would be real (not a spirit). It will desire food and drink. It is at the marriage feast after Jesus comes again that we will eat bread and drink the vine’s fruit. Jesus has not touched the fruit of the vine since that Thursday night before his death, promising not to do so until he returns and takes us where He is now. Matthew 26:29.
Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is futile, those we love that had died have perished, and the cross would mean nothing.
“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15: 17-19
The entire Christian faith and eternal life rise or fall on the resurrection of Jesus. As shown in Paul’s argument for the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, if Jesus was not resurrected, neither will we be. But, praise God, Jesus returned from the dead and will do the same for those who accept His gift of salvation.
Jesus told John that He has the keys to unlock the grave and destroy death forever. He will bring this reward of eternal life when He returns. Like Paul, “those who love His appearing will be given the crown of life when He returns.”
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
Jesus will resurrect everyone who ever lived and died on planet earth. In the first resurrection, it will be those who died knowing Him. The second resurrection of condemnation, He will raise all who have ever lived and rejected Him 1,000 years after the first resurrection. But, this lost cursing group stands before the descending New Jerusalem with all the saints therein. They will be deceived by Satan to take the city with the Tree of Life inside. If they can get do that, they will live forever. Satan has so deceived himself to think he can actually do this! What madness!
All of mankind will be together simultaneously to understand their fate: Either eternal life or eternal death. Then, because of the reality of the situation and the beauty of God’s presence, every knee will bow and every tongue of those in heaven and those on earth confess that ” Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
Revelation 20:5-6–Blessed are those who are part of the first resurrection. You will never die again! Those who die after being resurrected in the second resurrection 1,000 years after the first resurrection will die forever (The second death).
The Complete Gospel
The revelation of Jesus Christ, given to John in vision, is not just scary symbols and beasts but the complete gospel and revelation of Jesus Christ.
The complete gospel is in the outline of these Three Most Powerful Statements Ever Made. It is the good news of the many prophecies of His first coming; His sinless life;His death for our sins that would have led to eternal death; His resurrection: His ascension to mediate for us; and finally to resurrect us (if sleeping in the grave) and lift us all to Him in the air. Then He will take us to where He is now (John 14: 1-3).
Conclusion:
All three of these powerful statements rise or fall together. If one is not true, then all is lost, but they are true! Eyewitnesses, time, history, and testimony have provided more than enough proof.
Won’t you believe Jesus today? Confess your sins and weakness and begin to learn of Him through the Bible and other sincere believers. Seek Him every day, and let your requests be known to Him. He will give you rest and peace now and forevermore.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Remember: When Jesus comes with all of heaven emptied to rescue us. He will do the following as we begin eternal life. Lord, we will need it as we consider those we loved who chose the temporary pleasures of sin for a little while rather than eternal life.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
If you have struggled to believe in the miraculous, you are not alone. Even the great heroes of faith wrestled with unbelief. Abraham was sensible enough to realize his barren wife would not produce offspring and questioned God’s promise to make a great nation out of him. Rather than rebuke Abraham’s doubt, God instructed him: “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them” (Gen. 15:5).1
To the naked eye, several thousand stars are visible. If you have been privileged enough to escape the light pollution of the city and see the sky on a clear night, you know how breathtaking it can be. Yet the incredible images of the James Webb Space Telescope remind us that what we see with our naked eye is only the smallest glimpse of the richness of the cosmos. For instance, the first publicly released image of Webb, SMACS 0723, surveys a portion of sky that is about the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length.2 When Webb peered into that tiny dark region, it revealed the light of thousands of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. I like to imagine that when God commanded Abraham to number the stars, He took him on a similar visionary experience throughout the cosmos.
Our best estimate is that there are around 200 billion trillion stars in the visible universe, though this is likely to increase. There are far too many stars for anyone to count, but that was the point of God’s exercise: Abraham needed to be reminded of God’s infinite creative power. As he looked to the heavens and tried to number the innumerable, Abraham’s objections subsided, and “he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (verse 6). Perhaps it is providential that at a time when it’s easy to doubt, we have been gifted images of the heavens through the Webb telescope to help us believe again.
How Did We Get So Skeptical?
Our modern skepticism can be traced to the Enlightenment philosopher David Hume. Hume argued that “a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature,” but as “firm and unalterable experience has established these laws,” we should reject the miraculous. But this argument is circular, for it rules out miracles by defining them to be violations that cannot be violated, failing to account for the possibility that God can act in the world contrary to our ordinary experience. Indeed, in his two-volume work on miracles, Craig Keener documents the long history of well-attested miracles throughout the world.
Nevertheless, Hume’s skepticism was widely embraced. It fits with the popular myth that now that we are scientific, we know better than the ancients who superstitiously believed barren women could conceive and dead men rise from the dead. But of course, the ancients well knew old women did not become pregnant and dead men rotted away, which is why they made such a big deal when something so out of the ordinary occurred.
Many scientists have recognized that the existence of the laws of nature is itself miraculous. In his essay “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences,” the mathematical physicist and Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner observed: “It is not at all natural that ‘laws of nature’ exist, much less that man is able to discover them.”5 Wigner uses the word “miracle” to characterize the ability of mathematics to describe the natural world. The history of science testifies to the fact that people were bold enough to look for the laws of nature precisely because they believed in a divine lawgiver. Neither under polytheism, where the cosmos is ruled by many competing gods, nor atheism, which denies any Intelligence behind the universe, would one expect to be able to discover universal mathematics laws.
A God Who Creates
Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation, for example, naturally arose from his belief in a God who created the heavens and the earth. And rather than think that it explained away God, Newton saw it as evidencing “an intelligent and powerful Being”6 who created and actively sustains the universe, believing that behind the force of gravity was “an agent acting constantly according to certain laws.”7 Newton’s view is well reflected in Ellen White’s description of God’s relationship to the laws of nature: “God does not annul His laws, but He is continually working through them, using them as His instruments. They are not self-working. God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as He pleases. Nature in her work testifies to the intelligent presence and active agency of a being who moves in all His works according to His will. . . . The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet.”
Granted, Newton’s understanding of gravity was incomplete, and we continue to develop richer accounts—from Einstein’s vision of mass warping spacetime to hypothesized graviton particles that are conjectured to mediate the gravitational force. Yet as science advances, God’s power is not diminished. Every such theory is, after all, a mathematical model describing how the universe behaves, for equations have no creative or sustaining power. God alone governs the cosmos; “in Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
As such, the Bible does not treat natural explanation and divine intervention as mutually exclusive. Rather, it often blends these two kinds of explanations, portraying God as sovereign over nature and free to use His laws to accomplish His purposes. During the plagues of Egypt, Scripture records that God brought locusts by a wind from the east, and when God relented, they were dispelled by a strong wind from the west. And when Israel was trapped by the Red Sea, “the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land” (Ex. 14:21). The strong wind explains Israel’s deliverance on one level, and God’s activity explains it on another.
Thus we should not think that just because someone has offered a natural explanation of something, it rules out God’s hand in it. Nor is God constrained by what we deem the laws of nature.
Ellen White forcefully made this point when she observed, “As commonly used, the term ‘laws of nature comprise what men have been able to discover with regard to the laws that govern the physical world; but how limited is their knowledge, and how vast the field in which the Creator can work in harmony with His own laws and yet wholly beyond the comprehension of finite beings!”9
Events such as creation, the Incarnation, and resurrection are all singular occurrences that are exceptional to God’s typical governing of the world. Just as ordinary physics breaks down at singularities such as black holes and the first moments of the universe, we should not be surprised that God’s mighty acts are beyond our explanatory power. As Blaise Pascal reminds us: “The last proceeding of reason is to recognize that there is an infinity of things which are beyond it. It is but feeble if it does not see so far as to know this. But if natural things are beyond it, what will be said of supernatural?”10
If there is one lesson we should take away from the stunning images of the James Webb Space Telescope, it is that the universe is a much bigger, grander, and more miraculous place than we often imagine. This ought to teach us that just because something is incomprehensible to us does not mean that it is impossible for God. Rather, as we struggle to comprehend the incomprehensible, might we learn once more to believe that which we had mistaken as unbelievable.
_______________________________________
1 Bible texts are from the English Standard Version.
3 David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, ed. L. A. Selby Bigge (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902), p. 114.
4 Craig S. Keener, Miracle: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011).
5 E. P. Wigner, “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences. Richard Courant Lecture in Mathematical Sciences Delivered at New York University, May 11, 1959,” Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics 13 (1960): 1-14.
6 Isaac Newton, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687); Scholium Generale (1713; 1726).
7 I. Bernard Cohen, ed., Isaac Newton’s Papers and Letters on Natural Philosophy and Related Documents (Boston: Harvard University Press, 2014).
8 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 8, pp. 259, 260.
9 Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908), p. 114.
10 Blaise Pascal, Pensées, p. 267.
Read more at: https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/believing-the-unbelievable/
And this
is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3
In the last article, we looked at the idea that it is possible to know God. Keep in mind that this is different from a complete understanding. We will have an eternity to contemplate the love of God expressed in God the Father’s sacrificial love…Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, mediation, and His creation of a new earth,
God Wants Us to Know and Understand Him
God wants us to know and understand Him, but mastery of this knowledge is impossible because of who we are (His creation) and who He is (The Creator). But, it is the basic things about knowing God that is important anyway.
The most powerful and simple intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible came from the heart of Jesus before His death on the cross. As we read it in John 17, we will begin to know the basic things about God the Father and Jesus. These elementary things are powerful and dynamic. Let’s read the first five verses of Jesus’ prayer
Jesus spoke these words, lifted His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17: 1-5
What can easily be seen in Jesus’ prayer is His acknowledgment and acceptance that His time had come. His pending painful death for our sins is only hours away. Jesus wants to avoid this death. He wants the cup of suffering to pass over Him.
Nevertheless, Jesus defers to the Father’s plan that the sorrowful cup of sacrifice is drunk to the last drop. Jesus, the innocent lamb of God who knew nothing but love, and compassion, would die the death we deserve so that we can enjoy the life He deserved. We won’t have scars on our palms or side forever. He will. The only imperfection in heaven will be those scars on the glorified body of Christ. These scars will remind us of our redemption from a sin-crazed world. That is why sin and rebellion will never raise their ugly heads again.
Jesus’ death on a splintery rugged cross would bring glory to both the Father and the Son: even though the enemy thought it would scare Jesus away. But love was stronger.
In Jesus’ prayer, we can see that authority over all of us is given from God the Father to Jesus. This is not a “bossy” authority but a protective authority. Jesus, in turn, Jesus provides eternal life for those given to Him. But this eternal life is not arbitrary, by chance, ancestry, or anything else; it is through a developed knowledge of God the Father and Jesus.
How does this life-saving knowledge come to the saved? It is by learning about God through at least three basic sources in this world. Today, we will describe the first 2:
God’s communication through His creation.
The face of a child.
The preserved word of those God inspired to write about God’s dealings with humanity from the very beginning. The story provides understanding.
The life of Christ
The faith of those who knew God.
Any of these are sufficient to create faith (trust) in a Creator God. This faith will lead to a changed heart.
His Creation
Anyone with eyes and ears can learn about God through His creation, or what we call nature. A simple walk or hike will lift the heart upward. As a young man with job responsibilities and a family, I would sometimes need to escape. This I did by hiking with a couple of Chrisitan friends for a few days in the Great Smokey Mountains or other such places near home. I can still remember the burden removed from my shoulders as I walked only a hundred yards on the path into the woods. Today, the daily habit of short walks in the country setting of my home re-connects me to the reality of a Creator God.
Paul tells the Romans in the first chapter that God’s creation is sufficient proof of God’s existence and that we have no excuse for believing otherwise.
For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Romans 1:20
Nature can help us understand the great mystery of His eternal power and even the Godhead! Wow! Think about that for a second or two. But many will reject this knowledge. Paul continues…
…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.
Romans 1:21-22
So even though the evidence is right there in their faces, they choose to be unthankful for the things that reveal God and sustain them. Their thoughts become futile and dark. They think they are wise, but they are fools—such a sad train of reasoning of the lost. But God searches for ways to appeal to their intellect. He draws them to Himself with kindness and the deep meaning of sacrificial love, as shown on the cross.
With everlasting kindness, I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:8
Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness, I have drawn you.
Jeremiah 31:3
Yes, even the modest of God’s creations tells of the character of God. Because of this, no man has an excuse to wonder about God.
“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy The word of God reveals His character. He Himself has declared His infinite love and pity.Steps to Christ, p. 10
The Face of A Child
Perhaps nothing can reach the heart of anyone like the face of a child. There in that little t face with those bright eyes is the unspoiled, innocent face of God looking back at you. The love that a Mother and Father have for a child is evidence of a loving, caring, protective Heavenly Father. The righteous feelings and pride of parents explain the necessity of the sacrifice of their own lives and the overwhelming desire to protect to the uttermost. To parents, the life of that child supersedes anything else in this world.
In the same way, God calls us adults, his children. How Jesus treated the little children of His day tells us how much He cares for us.
Once when some mothers were bringing their children to Jesus to bless them, the disciples shooed them away, telling them not to bother him.
But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very much displeased with his disciples and said to them, “Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they. Don’t send them away! I tell you as seriously as I know how that anyone who refuses to come to God as a little child will never be allowed into his Kingdom.”
Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and he blessed them. Mark 10:13-16
“Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they”
Jesus
Some of the most direct and threatening words of Jesus relate to those who would abuse a “little one.” There is good evidence in Jesus’ words that the little ones are not just children but adults who are tempted by another person
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.
Luke 17: 2-3
If you want to know God, observe the innocence of a child and how Jesus relates to them. If you want to see Satan, look at how he and his followers treat a child for selfish sake.
Jesus is our protector and the apple of His eye. He, as our Heavenly Father, looks upon us as His children. This is what we can know about God through the face of a child.
Jesus’ death on a splintery rugged cross would bring glory to both the Father and the Son: even though the enemy thought it would scare Jesus away. But love was stronger.
In Jesus’ prayer, we can see that authority over all of us is given from God the Father to Jesus. This is not a “bossy” authority but a protective authority. Jesus, in turn, Jesus provides eternal life for those given to Him. But this eternal life is not arbitrary, by chance, ancestry, or anything else; it is through a developed knowledge of God the Father and Jesus.
How does this life-saving knowledge come to the saved? It is by learning about God through at least three basic sources in this world. Today, we will describe the first 2:
Paul tells the Romans in the first chapter that God’s creation is sufficient proof of God’s existence and that we have no excuse for believing otherwise.