YOU ARE WORTHY, O LORD!

God alone is worthy of our praise. Heaven abounds with His worship. He is the Creator of all and the existence of all creation is not only by Him, but for Him. The Lord is the originator of all things and the object of all thanksgiving.

God alone is worthy to receive GLORY. Glory is the very essence of His being and the vocal expression of our blessing of Him. He is altogether glorious.

God alone is worthy to receive HONOR. He is the Most High and merits our highest praise. He is above all. 

God alone is worthy to receive POWER. Omnipotence is the theological term. God is all-powerful, for so the word means. He is the Almighty.

Our worship will be the order of eternity. So, on earth we are to rehearse for that heavenly chorus that we will join someday!  I pray that you reflect on God’s glory, honor, and power today, then on the Lord’s Day assemble with God’s people in His house to give Him the worship He desires and deserves. Thus, you will get a foretaste of Heaven!

ELOHIM: GOD IS GREAT

As a child, I learned a prayer of thanksgiving for my meal which began, “God is great; God is good,” and indeed He is!  It is a prayer so simple that a child can express it, yet contains truth so profound, that adults cannot exhaust it.

The first name we find concerning God is the Hebrew word, “Elohim,” in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.”  You will find around 2,750 uses of that name in the Old Testament text. It speaks to the greatness of God—Creator and Sustainer of all.

It is a word that is a composite word—the root being El. El is used in the Hebrew Bible by itself to describe God, such as in Genesis 7:1–and about 250 times total.

Elohim is a plural word. Might it be that this is an allusion to the plurality of God—one God in three persons?  We do find this in the creation narrative, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Gen.1:2b)—describing the creative work of the Holy Spirit.  Then, we find God calling all into existence by His word. The New Testament tells us that Word is Jesus, and that, “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made...” (John 1:2-3). “Then God said, ‘Let Us [plural] make man in Our [plural] image, according to Our [plural] likeness...” (Gen.1:26a).

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.” (Ps.145:3). Amen and amen!

THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD: THE TRUTH WE CAN KNOW

Scripture is quite clear—from Genesis to Revelation—that God is omnipotent.  In Genesis, He speaks and by the sheer power of His Word, He calls all that we see into existence.  In Revelation 19:6, we find the only use of the word omnipotent, “Alleluia!  For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”  70 times, God is identified as the Almighty.  God is so identified with power that the two words are used interchangeably. “Jesus said, ‘I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” (Mk.14:62).

Whatever God wills, He works. “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,”(Eph.1:11).  We cannot ask for anything too large and cannot think of something that would strain Him.  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” (Eph.3:20).

This is a basic attribute—and harmonizes with God’s other attributes.  For example, God is eternal—so it is impossible for Him to age and die; He is holy—so it is impossible for Him to sin; He is all-knowing—so it is impossible for Him to be mistaken; He is faithful and true—so it is impossible for Him to lie. That doesn’t contradict the truth—each attribute complements all.

HIS POWER IS SEEN IN CREATION.  “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?” (Isa.40:12).

HIS POWER IS SEEN IN GOVERNANCE.  “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.” (Isa.40:15-17).  Even Satan is under His control (as seen in the book of Job).

HIS POWER IS SEEN IN SALVATION.  “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken....  O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” (Isa.40:3-5, 9-11).  God did the impossible in a virgin bearing a child—God made flesh.  Jesus wrought miracles, bore the sins of all, conquered death, ascended to heaven and will return in power and glory!

HIS POWER IS SEEN IN JUDGMENT.  “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.” (Isa.40:22-24).

And so I join the multitude in heaven exclaiming, ““Alleluia!  For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

GLORY EXPRESSED

Everything—absolutely everything is meant to declare the glory of God. The sun and stars shout of His splendor from the sky, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Ps.19:1).

Although this world has been degraded because of sin, it still is full of glory, “And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’” (Isa. 6:3).

It is God who shines into the darkness of sin and dispels it with His glory, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.” (Is.60:1-2).

The people of God have a duty to declare God’s glory to all mankind, “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” (1 Chron.16:24).

There is nothing for us to boast in—our glory is in the Lord, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’” (1 Cor.1:26-31).

Perhaps the most fundamental principle relates to this,
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor.10:31).  May God help us to be guided and governed by the goal of His glory!

GOD’S GOODNESS DEMONSTRATED

“So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Mark‬ ‭10:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Only God is inherently and utterly good. He is the source, substance, and sum of all goodness. Jesus was not denying His goodness here, but affirming His deity. If He is good, then He is God, for only God is good.

• Demonstrated in Creation.  In the Genesis 1 record, we find God fashioning the world and at the end of each creative day declaring His handiwork “good,” until day 6, and the completion of it all with the pinnacle of His creation—man made in His image—and pronouncing it all, “very good.”

What else could a good God do but good and very good? We see even in a fallen world that it can be breathtakingly beautiful—a golden sunrise and a blazing sunset; a majestic mountain and a verdant valley; a lovely lily and a beautiful butterfly—and on we could go.  God gave us eyes to see in color, a mind to comprehend what we see, ears to hear a baby’s laugh and fingers to touch their soft skin.  God could have made everything gray and made all food taste like gruel—but chose to demonstrate His goodness in creation.

• Demonstrated in Redemption.  In Creation, God exhaled a breath, but in redemption, He expended His blood.  He was not content to leave us in our sin, but His goodness sent His Son and sought us out.  His goodness demanded punishment on the guilty.  A good judge does not let a criminal off.  Instead, our good God enforced that good justice by pouring out His wrath on the Son of God—and our good Savior was willing to suffer in our place.  The good Holy Spirit sought you out.  What good was there in you to commend you to God?  None! The good was all His!

• Demonstrated in Providence.  “Divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things.” (www.gotquestions.org) Study the story of Joseph in Gen.37-50 and you will see God’s providence in bringing Joseph from the pit to the palace, from ruin to reign, and from suffering to glory.  Here is the New Testament phrasing of this truth, “And we know that all things work together for GOOD to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom.8:28, emphasis added).

God, you are so very good!

GOD’S RULE OVER THE CREATION

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.” (1 Chron.29:11-12).

God claims dominion over all that He made.  David declares the comprehensive nature of it in these verses.

God rules over creation because:

• HE CAUSED IT.  Because God brought all things into existence, He exerts the right to rule over them.  If I make something, it is mine to do with as I please.

• HE CLAIMS IT.  Isaiah and Jeremiah in the Old Testament (Isa.29:16, 45:9, 64:8; Jer.18:1-23) and Paul in the New Testament (Rom.9:1-33; 2 Cor.4:7; 2 Tim.2:20) use the analogy of God being the Potter—shaping the clay according to His design.

• HE CONTROLS IT. Because He has made all things, His control extends to every facet of nature.  Not a raindrop falls from the sky, not a bolt of lightning descends to earth, not a blade of grass grows, or a breeze blows except by God’s command.  He is Lord over the angels, as He is called the Lord of Hosts.  He is Master over the demons—even Satan has to report in (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6).  But, He isn’t a tyrant, “a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Ps.45:6; Heb.1:8).

It’s comforting to know this day what I learned from a song, long ago as a child, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

GOD IS TRIUNE

Although the word, “Trinity,” is never found in Scripture, the concept of God as Triune is found throughout.  The first Hebrew word used for God in Gen.1:1 is Elohim and it is a plural word.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
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This doctrine of the Trinity is seen in the opening chapters of Genesis—with God speaking the world into existence and the Holy Spirit hovering over the face of the waters—as a mother hen would nest and hatch out her chicks.  “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (v.2).‬

The New Testament writers add that Christ was also part of that creative process—as much as the Father and the Spirit:

“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, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John‬ ‭1:1-3‬).

Thus, we have the one God speaking as three Persons who says, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Gen.1:26a, emphasis added).

Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 are Old Testament messianic prophecies where Jesus is presented as God—just as much as God the Father.  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”(7:14‬). The name, “Immanuel,” means, “God with us.”  Then in 9:6, we read, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Jesus is called, “Mighty God.”

Tomorrow, our intention is to examine some of the New Testament teaching concerning the Trinity.

THE PATHWAY TO KNOWING GOD

Read Exodus 34:5-8.

  Moses had met God on Mt. Sinai some forty years prior to the events recorded in our text, (see Ex.3:1-15).  Last week we considered the name of God, “Elohim,” the all-powerful and ever-faithful One, and now we hear Him called, “Yahweh,” I AM WHO I AM.  It speaks of underived existence.  No human, angel, or demon can make that claim.  There was a time when I was not, but there was never a time when God could not say, “I AM,” and always will be.

What did Moses do to find God?  Nothing—God revealed Himself to Moses or he could not have known Him.  But God wants us to know Him.  God reveals Himself to us in basically four ways:

• THE SKIES.  Psalm. 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.”  We know the Creator through the creation.  “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.”

• THE SOUL.  His law is written on our heart—the sense of right and wrong.  Romans 2:15 speaks of those, “who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness... .” We are born with an innate awareness of God’s existence.

• THE SCRIPTURE. This Book is about God.  Psalm 119:15 states, “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.”  The ways of God are found in the Word of God. Jesus taught how all the Old Covenant testifies of Him, Luke 24:27,44. The New Testament text has been breathed out by God (2 Tim.3:15-17) and instructs us in salvation and sanctification.

• THE SON.  The Incarnate Word (John 1:1-3). Jesus said, “Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt.11:27).

The pursuit of God becomes the passion of the Christian who comes to know Him through Christ.  We are commanded to know the unknowable (Col.1:9-10).  Paul practiced what he preached (Phil.3:7-10).  Also see Jer.9:23-24.  Even better—God knows us! (Ex.33:17).  Moses’ response and ours should be worship (Ex.34:8).

THE GOD WHO OWNS EVERYTHING

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"In the beginning God created THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH” (emphasis added).

Creation testifies of the Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Ps.19:1‬). All creation is designed to give God glory.  Isaiah wrote, “The whole earth is full of His glory” (6:3b).

The creation narrative strikes against the idolatry of the times in which Moses, the author of Genesis, wrote—the worship of the sun, the moon, the animals. The material universe is seen as God’s creation and the Creator deserves exclusive worship.  A.W. Tozer declared, “The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.”

The Maker owns His creation and has the right to dictate its proper use.  Man has been placed as a steward of God's creation and is himself owned by God (Gen.2:7, 15-17).  If He made it, it belongs to Him. God calls humans, who are the pinnacle of His creation—those made in His image—to account for the use of our time, talent, and treasure.  This is His world. We belong to Him.  All we are and all we have is God’s and meant for His glory.

Is that how we are living?  What are we doing with God’s stuff?

THE GOD WHO IS ETERNAL

"In the beginning God CREATED the heavens and the earth” (emphasis added).

God is before all things. When the beginning began, God already was. If He created all things, then He Himself is eternal and uncreated.  There has never been a time when God was not and will never be a time when He will not be. This deals with the false doctrine of naturalism—that creation essentially created itself.

God is above and beyond all things.  He is transcendent.  Although He is involved with His creation and present throughout His creation, as the Creator He is not in the creation in the sense of being in the rocks, the trees, the skies, the seas, even though there is no place you may go where He is not present.  This is a great paradox. This deals with the false doctrine of pantheism—that deity is one with the creation.

The Eternal God is the only one who can give eternal life, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).  Knowing about God isn’t enough, although we must know about Him. From the knowledge about Him, we must come to know Him, personally.  We can through Jesus. When we could not get to Him, He came to us.  This deals with the false doctrine of deism—that God is aloof from creation.

Now, have you come to Him by faith in Christ?

CAN I TRUST THE BIBLE? The Internal and External Evidence, Part 2

Today, we will turn to THE AFFIRMATION OF ARCHAEOLOGY concerning the trustworthiness of the Bible.  The more digging is done in the Middle East, the more archaeology affirms Scripture. 

Weigh the words of Isaiah 40:8:

The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

It isn’t that Satanically motivated men have not tried to destroy the Word of God.  No Book has been so attacked, burned, critiqued, and dissected as the Bible.  That, itself, is a powerful testimony—it endures!  Each Lord’s Day, millions of people gather to open and study the Bible.  They don’t do that for Aesop’s Fables or Shakespeare, as good as those are.  The Bible is unparalleled in popularity and influence.  But, can we trust it?

In 1947, a shepherd threw a rock into a cave in Qumran, near the Dead Sea.  He heard a crash.  On further investigation, it was a clay pot that shattered and inside were scrolls of Scripture, dating back a couple of centuries before Christ.  There are fragments of almost every Old Testament book, including a complete scroll of Isaiah. It was one of the preeminent archaeological discoveries made connecting our Bible today with the text used by the ancients.  Compared to the Old Testament texts we have, there is no substantive difference in them.  The promise of Isaiah 40:8 has again been affirmed! The Dead Sea scrolls say what my Bible states,

The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

Volumes have been written on archaeology in its relation to the Word of God.  Many proofs have been unearthed.  I will discuss three.

Genesis 1 features the creation of the universe, where we read of God speaking all things into existence in six days and resting in that finished work on the seventh.  The ancient city of Nineveh, in modern Iraq, was excavated.  There was found the library of King Ashurbanipal of Assyria who reigned in the 600’s BC. The library consisted of a multitude of clay tablets—seven of them known as the “Creation Epic.” Although that ancient retelling of the Creation is marred by polytheism (the belief in many gods), it is fascinating to note that it presents creation in six days, with the deity resting on the seventh.  The epic parallels Scripture in that the creation begins with the cosmos in chaos, the beginning with light shining into the darkness, followed by sun, moon, and stars put in place, and on to the culmination of Creation—the making of man. 

Then, there is the Epic of Gilgamesh—a Babylonian flood story.  It features an heroic figure called upon by the gods to build an ark, where his family and all kinds of creatures would be preserved.  In the end, he sends out a dove, a swallow, and a raven.  Archaeologists have unearthed thirty three such flood stories from varying cultures, only two that do not parallel the Biblical story of Noah found in Genesis 6-9.

Next, examining the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, we find the affirmation of archaeology in an ancient monument from Ur of the Chaldees—also located in Iraq. It depicts King Ur-Nammu, who was commanded by the gods to build a tower reaching into the heavens.  Those towers were known as ziggurats.

“Interestingly, a clay tablet was unearthed that tells how the gods were highly offended and in a single night they destroyed what had been built, and the people were scattered abroad and their speech made strange. Again, the most reasonable explanation is that the story of the Tower of Babel did in fact take place.” Lutzer, Erwin W.. 7 Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible (Kindle Locations 907-908). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

The skeptic would argue that the writer(s) of Genesis took the ancient stories and put their spin on them.  While that might be possible, it is highly improbable.  The predisposition of those who give their take on such stories is to embellish them, rather than simplify them.  They add details instead.  It is much more likely that the true story as revealed by God to Moses in Genesis shares a commonality with these ancient legends because they were all rooted in the truth—a message that pagans distorted in their plunge into false religion.

We could explore other archaeological finds that affirm Scripture, but I have chosen these in relation to Genesis, because of all the books contained in the Bible, it is likely the most frequently assailed.  Really, it is foundational, and if Genesis is not true, then the rest of the Bible means nothing.  Someone has well said, “If you can accept the first four words of the Bible, ‘In the beginning God…’ then everything that follows should give you no problem believing.”

TEMPERATURE RISING?

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, 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, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  (Rom.1:20-25)

As the physical temperature rises in summer, it often corresponds that our spiritual temperature cools.  The creation that emerges in full glory and splendor—as birds sing, flowers bloom, grass and leaves green and grow, waves roll onto white sand, rivers ramble across rocks, children run and play, and more—sometimes we move from focusing on the Creator this points to and become fixated on the creation itself—and that is idolatry.

Should you think I am some church curmudgeon trying to spoil your summer vacation, you are wrong.  Sabbaths are part of God’s design.  They should be observed on a regular basis for the good of our mind, body, and soul—don’t forget that last part.  How can we take a vacation from God?  I am thankful He doesn’t take a vacation from us!

The danger is that we neglect our Bible reading and prayer time because we are pursuing leisure.  Our gathering for worship with the saints lessens as a priority because we may be away from home.  I mean—who will know if I don’t show up for church?  It is a subtle temptation to take the dollars meant to fund the mission and ministries of the kingdom of God and spend them at the Magic Kingdom.  Fishing is a wonderful diversion, but fishing for souls must be an ongoing passion.  Taking a swim in the pool can be refreshing, but diving into God’s presence is the ultimate.

So, enjoy your trip and thank God for the blessing of being able to do so.  Take a hike into the woods or lounge in a beach chair at the ocean.  Look at the splendor of summer.  Smell the smoke and hear the crackle of a campfire.  Don’t feel guilty about it at all.  We need a break from the daily grind.  Just be cautious and don’t take a break from God.  Fall will come next—and it might mark a spiritual fall.

CHRIST, THE WORD OF GOD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (John 1:1)

What would the world be without words?  You could not read this any more than I could write it.  Communication would only be grunts and gestures.  Imagine no cards or calls, letters or lyrics, e-mails or text messages, no on could write a book or read one.  Words are vital.  They reveal things.  Words express thoughts.  They communicate who we are.  John, thus, has chosen to present Jesus as the Word of God.  The Son reveals the Father.  He expresses God’s nature perfectly.  Christ communicates the mind of God clearly.

Jesus is the Word in THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION (John 1:1-2).  The first chapter of this Gospel takes us back to the first chapter of Genesis.  We find the Word to be preexistent, “In the beginning was the Word….”  When the beginning began, Christ already was.  Since He was already in the beginning when all creation things began that means He is eternal and uncreated.  There was a time on His mother’s side when He was born the Son of Man, but on His Father’s side He has always been the Son of God!  We find the Word to be personal, “the Word was with God….”  There is only one God, yet Jesus is a distinct person in the Trinity.  The term John uses means, “face to face” with God, conveying an intimacy we cannot fully grasp.  In the face of Jesus we see the face of God.  This means the Word is powerful, “and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.”  He is the great I AM, the Lord, the Almighty—all power resides in Him.  That power is available to us as we are in union with Christ!  (see Col.2:9-10)

Jesus is the Word in THE BIRTHING OF THE CREATION (v.3-4).  John uses simple terms to express sublime thoughts.  The Word has birthed the natural creation (v.3).  This material word was spoken into existence.  Scripture teaches that the Triune God—Father, Son and Spirit were all involved in that creative act.  The Word also births the new creation (v.4).  The natural creation fell under the curse—in the darkness of sin and death.  Jesus came to make a new creation and bring light and life.  In our natural birth we are sinners stumbling toward Hell. By a new birth we are made saints suited for Heaven!

Jesus is the Word in THE BATTLE FOR THE CREATION (v.5).  This verse suggests a conflict as darkness tries to extinguish the Light, and a conquest as the Light overcomes the darkness and dispels it instead.  The Light of the Word discloses Satan.  The Old Serpent would prefer to slither in the shadows and strike the unsuspecting.  John tells us the Serpent’s spawn do likewise.  Jesus, however, exposes evil and error.  The Light of the Word defeats Satan.  Christ became flesh and was subjected to all the temptations we encounter, but overcame them all. Since the Wicked One could not defile Him, he tried to destroy Him.  He moved in the hearts of his henchmen to nail Him to a cross and seal Him in a tomb.  Darkness fell on the earth as He hung on the cross.  Despair gripped the disciples as He lay in the grave.  But, on the third day, He arose—bursting through the darkness in unconquerable light!  We can enter the Light and experience liberation!

God has spoken through His Son.  Will you hear and heed Him?

THE FIRST NEW YEAR’S DAY

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.  So the evening and the morning were the first day.  (Genesis 1:1-5)

The best place to begin is the beginning!  Here we are in a brand new year, and launching into a year of reading our Bible through.  Our point of departure is the first chapter of the first book of the Bible.  On this New Year’s Day, we consider the first New Year’s Day—and it starts out with a bang!

In the first sentence, we are introduced to the Author and Subject of this Holy Book.  There is no attempt to prove His existence—logic would dictate that everything made was made by someone—and this Someone is God.  When the beginning began, He was already there—eternal and uncreated.  There is no hint of a spontaneous explosion, where nothing became something, and through eons of time, random events and mutations brought this vast complexity of the universe and all it contains into being.  Rather, we have the determinative act of an Almighty and Sovereign Designer, fashioning all things.  He does as He pleases and directs as He purposes.  Nothing inspired Him but His own will and nothing can thwart that will—and every bit of it for His glory.

From the formless mass, chaos becomes cosmos—the Spirit of God brooding over the primeval oceans as a mother hen hatching her chicks.  Suddenly, by the sheer power of His spoken Word, light erupts from the darkness.  Happy New Year!  Happy new everything!  God said it was good—and so it was.

There would come a day of cosmic sorrow, however.  From bright beginnings, sin’s curse would degrade this good creation—life yielding to death—Satan the usurper claiming dominion relinquished by man’s disobedience.  Remember this, however:

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.  (Maltbie D. Babcock)

Some golden daybreak, there will be the dawn of paradise regained, “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’”  (Rev.21:5a)  Happy Eternal Day!