PORTRAITS OF GOD: THE SUN

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield...” (Ps.84:11a)

As the light of our sun brings life, illumines our way, and dispels the darkness, thus does God, our spiritual Sun.  He is the source of life—without Him we could not survive.  He shines to show us the way—without Him we would stumble and be lost.  He overwhelms the darkness of sin and death.  It cannot stand before the majesty of His glory!

The sun which is the star at the center of our solar system, is far from the largest, brightest, hottest star in the universe.  That cannot be said of God, the Sun. He is a Sun who eclipses all other suns.  Ancient peoples worshipped the sun, moon, and stars as gods.  Yet, these are all created things, and our Sun is the Creator of all things—the only true and Living God.

This is our seventh and final portrait of God in the Psalms.  There are others, but we will end our study here.  The big question is why do we have all these word pictures?  Because God is so great that merely a few words cannot adequately describe Him. Yet, it is imperative that we know Him, for we will worship something, and only the knowledge of the true God will save us.

Do you know Him today?

PORTRAITS OF GOD: THE ROCK

“He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.” (Ps.62:7)

David knew what it was as a fugitive to flee to a rock for refuge, when King Saul was trying to kill him, out of jealousy.  He knew, as a warrior, the solid ground a rock could give to stand against a foe.  As he wrote this Psalm, David painted a portrait of God as his Rock.  Ultimately, he knew that it was not a material refuge that he needed, but the spiritual refuge of God.  His salvation was not in seizing the high ground—as strategic as that was militarily—but, planting his life on the Rock of Ages.  As the old gospel song asks,

“Where could I go, oh where could I go?
Seeking a refuge for my soul
Needing a friend, to help me in the end
Where could I go, but to the Lord?”

Jesus told a story about two builders—one foolish man who constructed his house on a foundation of sand, while the other man—the wise man—built his house on a foundation of stone.  Then a storm came, battering both houses. The house with the foundation of sand was demolished, while the one anchored on the rock stood firm.

Is God your Rock of Refuge? Is He your strong and sure Foundation?

PORTRAITS OF GOD: THE HELPER

“Behold, God is my helper...” (Ps.54:4a).

What fools we are to think that we can figure out our perplexities and fix our problems. Sooner or later we discover that no matter how smart we are, how much money we have, how talented we are—that you may as well stand in the path of a tornado and think you can throw a lasso around it and drag it into a hole—than to overcome the enormous troubles that arise.

I humbly admit my weakness and cry to God for help—and that is where my hope is found.  I am not sharp enough to know what to do or when I know what to do I am not strong enough to do it.

The wonderful news is that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and an ever present help in time of trouble!  Whatever you are facing today—no matter the magnitude of the problem, God is your Helper, and He is more than able!

PORTRAITS OF GOD: THE SHEPHERD

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Ps.23:1).  

This is one of the most precious of portraits hanging in the gallery of God. The author, David, grew up shepherding his father’s flock. He drew from that imagery to remind us of how God cares for us. We are God’s flock.  How He loves His lambs!

We shall not want in life—The Shepherd feeds us in green pastures and leads us beside still waters, restoring our soul. The Lord always guides us on the right path, for our good and the glory of His name.

We shall not fear in death—He walks with us through that dark valley.  As we come to the end of life, the Shepherd that has faithfully been near will not abandon us then. He will bring us through!

We shall not perish in eternity—dwelling in the Lord’s house forever.  How long is that?  To be in a place of breathtaking beauty, and supremely, to be in the manifest presence of our Shepherd, safely in His fold—that is something to joyfully anticipate!

THE MERCY AND LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 86:15)

I heard a story about a notorious criminal who was behind bars.  His trial would begin the next day.  He asked the prison guard to summon the chaplain.  Arriving at the prison cell, the chaplain was surprised to see the man reading his Bible. The preacher commented on that and the man behind bars replied, “I’m looking for a loophole!”  The convict, then asked the chaplain to pray for him.  The preacher asked, “Do you want me to pray for justice to be done?” Horrified he yelled, “No!  Pray for mercy!  I need mercy, and not justice!”  That’s true for all of us.  Thankfully, the God of justice is also a God full of mercy and one who is long-suffering.

That is what I need.  It is what you need. It is what we may have if we will repent of our sins and seek the Lord.

THE JUSTICE AND WRATH OF GOD

“in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

What percentage of sermons yesterday focused on the wrath of God? Less than 1%? That is just a guess, of course. One thing I am confident of—there were not many.

Among books written for the church world, you will find many categories devoted to favorite authors, best sellers, family life, Bible study, spiritual growth, and such. Rightfully so. But, you are not going to find many books on the wrath of God.

If you are listening to popular Christian songs, how many even mention the wrath of God?  A few, but they are the exception.

Candidly, it is not something I enjoy thinking about. I find no pleasure in preaching on the subject. But, if I am going to be faithful to Christ and to my call, I cannot neglect the topic. Did you realize that Jesus said more about hell than He said about heaven?

Yet, most preachers shun the topic and many Christians are uncomfortable discussing it.  If we are going to have a proper understanding of God then we can’t avoid it.  So, the justice and wrath of God will be our focus in this week’s study. May God use this truth to drive us to our knees in repentance and disturb us concerning those without Christ, so that we share the Gospel with them.

THE TRANSFORMATIONAL ASPECT OF GOD’S HOLINESS

“as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”  (1 Pet.1:14-16)

Believers are already holy positionally—that’s who we are in Christ.  Peter spoke of that previously. “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (v.2-3).
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We will be holy perfectly—that’s what we become when we see Jesus.  Again, not the Apostle’s words, “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”(1:4-5).

What Peter is calling us to in v.14-16 is to be holy progressively—that’s our response to the grace that saves us and the glory that secures us—the godliness that sanctifies us.  We are not to live as we once did, for we are not what we once were!  The Holy Spirit indwells us to purify us.  Peter speaks of “obedient children” who take on the Father’s likeness.  We are not to be conformed—our conduct shaped from the pressure of our peers, but be transformed—by a renewed mind (see Rom.12:2, as contrasted to “your ignorance.”)

We have discovered the liberating power of truth!  The Psalmist said, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. ” (Ps.119:11). The more we get the Word into us, the more it will get the world out of us.

THE FUNDAMENTAL DEMAND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” (Heb.12:14).

Here God sets the fundamental demand for a relationship with Him.  Yet, we recognize that we fall far short of that standard—unless we try to deceive ourselves and make ourselves better than we are.

Heaven is the holy habitation of God and none can dwell there without holiness.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matt.5:8). Yet, I find my heart is desperately wicked!  Jesus demands, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt.5:20). How hard it would be to measure up to the religious standard of the Pharisees, and yet Christ says we must exceed it!

How good do you have to be to get to heaven?  You must be as good as God and as perfect as Jesus Christ!  There is only one way that can be—the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.... For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Rom.5:1-2, 6-11).

A holy God hates sin and it must be punished.  God visited His wrath upon His Son so that we sinners might be forgiven—and Christ’s righteousness given to those who place their faith in Him!  We can never measure up to God’s absolute standard by our own religious zeal.  We don’t have to.  For this I have Christ!

THE ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTE OF GOD

“‘Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?’” (Exodus‬ ‭15:11‬‬)

The holiness of God is beyond our imagination and human vocabulary.  Any type of false god—the product of man’s thought—no matter how great, cannot compare to the greatness of the true and living God. He is uniquely holy.  It is His chief attribute and the pinnacle of perfection—absolute purity.

There can be no comparison—the holiest of people have a holiness that is given to them by God’s grace and the holy angels have a holiness that was created in them by God’s design.  God’s holiness, however, is the essence of all He is and the ultimate expression of Himself.

God’s holiness neither increases nor diminishes—without it He would not be God.  In Isaiah 6:3, the seraphim encircle the throne and continually cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” Though holy beings relative to us, in relation to God, they cover their face, such is the holiness of His person. The seraphim do not sing, “Omnipotent, omnipotent, omnipotent,” or “Eternal, eternal, eternal,”—though they might.  Instead, they are overwhelmed by this most glorious holiness.

God does not measure up to a standard of purity—He is the standard!  It is the crowning glory of all God’s perfections.  His power is a holy power or God would be a tyrant.  His wisdom is a holy wisdom or God would use it to plot our destruction.  His patience is a holy patience or it would be indulgence.  His wrath is a holy wrath or He would be a monster.  Holiness is all God is and does—the essential attribute of God.

To be in awe of His glory is to be amazed at His grace—that we could ever approach Him and abide with Him.  Yet, that is the very thing Christ, in His holiness, has attained for us!

THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD

“‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You....Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah‬ ‭32:17, 27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Is anything too hard for the Lord?  Of course not!  God has all power.  That is what the word omnipotence means.

Probably the most powerful force in nature I have ever experienced was Hurricane Hugo.  It roared onto shore near Charleston, SC on Sept.22, 1989.  The storm had lost none of its fury when it reached our home near Charlotte, NC.  Transformers exploded as power lines fell. In the darkness, you could hear the windows creaking as the winds pushed against the glass.  Then, massive trees were uprooted, shaking the house as they fell.

Yet, that was one storm.  God sent a storm to arrest a fugitive named Jonah who was fleeing the will of God.  Jesus spoke to a storm on the Sea of Galilee and demanded it to hush—and there was instant calm.

Is anything too hard for the Lord?  No matter what your need, despite the lack of resources you have, there is infinite power in the God you call upon. Rest in that!

THE GOD YOU SHOULD KNOW: Knowing the Unknowable

Read Exodus 33: 18-23; 34:5-8.

What is God like?  Here is a definition: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism) That is a good answer, insofar as it goes—the trouble is that it doesn’t go far enough.

In fact, we cannot fully describe the indescribable.  When we ask, “What is God like?” the reality is that He is not like anything or anyone.  “‘To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? ... To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?’ says the Holy One.” (Isaiah‬ ‭40:18, 25‬).  God is in a category all by Himself.

God is so far beyond what our finite minds can conceive, or human terms can describe, that while we can describe something of His nature, character, and attributes, we are still unable to grasp all that God is.  "Can you by searching find out God?" (Job 11:7)

Yet, God has revealed much to us that can be known, and this we ought to contemplate with awe. Eternity will be required to explore the boundless wonder of an infinite Being!  Let’s begin this great adventure today by praying as Moses did, “Please, show me Your glory.”

MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE TO REFLECT HIS GLORY

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made….  (Psalm 139:14a)

We are created in the image of God to reflect His glory.  There are attributes of God we can share.  These include: love, righteousness, and veracity.  Other attributes are excusive to God alone.  Some of these are His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.  In all that God is, humans are created in His image to glorify Him.  That is what the psalmist leads us to do in Psalm 139.

We glorify God in His omniscience (v.1-6).  God is all-knowing. He is never surprised, caught off guard, or startled in the least.  Every eventuality is planned out.  All His purposes are mapped out.  None can thwart Him.  God knows our deeds before we do them (v.1-2a).  God is acquainted with our every activity.  He knows our thoughts before we think them (v.2b).  He knows more than our activity; He knows our attitude—not just what we do, but why we do it.  God knows our steps before we take them and knows our days before we live them (v.3).  God knows our words before we speak them (v.4). He hears every word—even if whispered.  God puts a hedge of protection about us—to keep His sheep from straying and to keep predators away (v.5)!  His strong, but gentle hand rests upon us.  How can we grasp a God so great? He is beyond our imagination and vocabulary (v.6)!  It is remarkable how He who knows us best, loves us most!

We glorify God in His omnipresence (v.7-12).  God is ever-present.  If we go to the highest point—heaven—God is there (v.7-8). If we go to the lowest point—sheol—God is there.  In heaven, the face of God is our happiness, but in hell, the face of God is our horror!  An inescapable date with judgment is fixed.  If I go to the east (the wings of the morning where the sun rises) or to the west (the Mediterranean Sea as located in reference to Israel where the sun sets), God is there (v.9-10).  God has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us.  Nothing obscures his vision (v.11-12).  God sees the tears on the saint’s pillow and transgressions sinners seek to conceal.  Secret sin on earth is open scandal in heaven.

We glorify God in His omnipotence (v.13-18).  He is all-powerful.  Our organs are designed by Him—the incredible functions of the body’s systems (v.13-14).  Every life is a special creation of God.  Only God can do this. God is like a weaver pulling the threads together.  Even when we were but a few cells forming, God saw us and mapped out our DNA (v.15-16).  Ultrasound may not have detected us, but God knew all about us. The lowest parts of the earth is symbolic language to describe how God formed us in secret—as a precious gem formed and then “mined.”  Even the number of our days is predetermined.  Isn’t it astonishing that the great God would condescend to give such individual attention to the least among us (v.17-18)?  God’s grace is boundless!  It is as constant as His moment by moment care.  Every day, when we awake it is a gift from God.

Because God knows all, is always there, and has total power, He is the only One qualified to judge people (v.19-24).  He is holy.  What is expressed here by the psalmist is righteous indignation, calling upon God to magnify His holiness.  Let us pray for God to remove our sins and stresses.