Proverbs 22:17-21
Introduction:
Man responds to truth in various ways. To illustrate
the point suppose that their were three men
traveling through a Western desert became lost.
In several days they used up their water and
food. Their horses soon died the men sat down
too exhausted to go on and having lost all hope
of being rescued. Suddenly out of nowhere appeared
an Indian and stood looking at them. The Indian
gave each man a drink of water and little food
then drew a map and pointed them in the direction
of a town he said was about a 1/2 days walk
towards the west.
One of the men gratefully thanked the Indian
who then went on his way leaving the men to
follow his instructions. The grateful man having
regained some strength stood up and beckoning
to the two other men said, "lets get going.
We can be in safety in just a few hours. However,
one of the men, said he was not going and explained
although he did not personally know anything
about Indians he did not trust them because
he had heard a lot of bad things about them.
He said I am going north because I feel that
is the where help will be. The other man too
said he could not believe that there was a town
only a half a day west and said he was going
south because he reasoned that was the best
way to go.
The first man said "Fellows, this man was
an Indian who lived all his life here and knows
the area. He gave us water and food and has
showed us the way why will you not believe?"
Both men gave various reasons which all boiled
down to feeling the Indian was wrong, not trusting
him, or reasoning that there was a better to
go.
The three men each went in the direct they
chose. That evening the first man found the
town was saved. Search parties a few days later
found the other two men dead.
Each man responded to the truth in a different
way. The third man refused to believe the truth
and rather turned to his own reasoning ability
and feelings. He refused to believe the truth
and it killed him. The second man also trusted
in his feelings and because of prejudice he
too would not believe the truth and he too died.
The first man believed the truth thus trusting
the good intentions and experience of the Indian.
All three knew the truth, yet it only saved
the first man because he believed it.
God has revealed to us the truth in His word
the Bible. It is truth and points the way to
salvation and eternal life, yet it must be believed.
We can trust it because of who God is. God's
character, His person and His attributes assure
us that He is truth.
Last week we saw that the Bible tells us that
God is the Creator of the Universe and in particular
you and I. Let's us further today look at Who
God is.
01. THE BIBLE TELLS
US THAT THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY GOD
THAT EXISTS.
A. The Bible says God is the
Only God. Note, what the Bible says about God
in the following Scriptures:
Deut. 4:35, "Unto thee it was shewed,
that thou mightest know that the LORD (Jehovah)
he is God (Elohim); there is none else beside
him." (Lord=Jehovah and God=Elohim which
refers to the redemptive work of God in Salvation)
Isaiah 44:6, "Thus saith the LORD the
King of Israel , and his redeemer the LORD of
hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and
beside me there is no God."
Isaiah 43:10, "Ye are my witnesses, saith
the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen:
that ye may know and believe me, and understand
that I am he: before me there was no God formed,
neither shall there be after me."
B. These verses teach that
God is the only God and not other gods exist
in the Universe that He created. The Bible clearly
reveals that there in only one God and He is
the Creator of the Earth and the Universe.
02. THE BIBLE TELLS
US THAT GOD IS INFINITE.
A. The Bible says God is infinite.
This refers to God in relation to space. God
created the vastness of the space of the Universe
and thus God must be greater that His Creation.
Being infinite God is not limited to space in
a material Universe. The word "infinite"
means without end or limitation.
1. His name, "EVERLASTING GOD" (El
Olam) Gen. 21:33. The Hebrew "Olam"
is used in Scripture: an indefinite time or
age (Lev. 25:32; Joshua. 24:2). Hence the word
is used to express the eternal duration of the
being of God (Psa. 90:2), and is the Hebrew
synonym of the Greek aion, age or dispensation"
(Scofield).
2. "Before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and
the world, even from everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God." (Psa. 90"2)
B. Note how the following
passages present this truth:
1 Kings 8:27, "But will God indeed dwell
on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven
of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less
this house that I have builded?"
2 Chron. 2:6, "But who is able to build
him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of
heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that
I should build him an house, save only to burn
sacrifice before him?"
Jeremiah 23:24, "Can any hide himself
in secret places that I shall not see him? saith
the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith
the LORD."
Isaiah 66:1, "Thus saith the LORD, The
heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
where is the house that ye build unto me? and
where is the place of my rest?"
03. THE GOD OF THE
BIBLE HAD NO BEGINNING AND IS ETERNAL.
The Bible says God is eternal. Genesis 21:33,
says He is the "Eternal God." This
means that God is not subject to time as are
material men in a physical world. God created
time when He made the heavens and the Earth
(Gen. 1:1-2, Heb. 1:2, 11:3). Psalm 102:27,
says "thou art the same, and thy years
have no end" (see Heb. 13:18, James 1:17).
God created time and space and exists beyond
them, and He is not subject to either.
04. THE GOD OF THE BIBLE
IS THE SELF-EXISTING GOD.
A. The Bible says that God
is self-existent. Man's existence comes from
God who is life and the giver of all life. Man
exists because of God's power. God "breathed"
life into man and he became a living soul. God's
existence is not dependent on outside forces.
This is the meaning of God's statement about
Himself in Exodus 3:14, "I am that I am."
God's name Jehovah means "self-existent
one." The name Jehovah is made of two Hebrews
words Yehwe and Havah. It has the meaning of
the "self-existent one who reveals Himself."
ALMIGHTY GOD (El Shaddai) Gen.. 17:1-8; 28:2,3).
The all-sufficient God. "God (El) signifies
the `Strong One' (Gen.. 1:1)
B. God was not created, but
"the" Creator and is the eternal God.
"From everlasting to everlasting thou art
God" (Psalm 90:2). He is self-existent
and does not exist because of some outside power.
He is a power unto Himself. This is better understood
by the next statement about God.
05. THE GOD OF THE BIBLE
IS INVISIBLE.
A. The Bible says that God
is invisible.
Deut. 4:1-19, says that at Horeb God appeared
to Israel. God reminds them that they did not
see any form of God, but only heard His voice.
God commands them not to corrupt themselves
by making any image of Him referring to Him
as either male of female, or after the likeness
of any animal or after the sun, moon and stars.
Isaiah 40:18 states the same truth, "To
whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness
will ye compare unto him?" God does not
have gender as material men and women do. God
not being like men cannot be compared to men.
John 1:18, says that "No man hath seen
God" In Romans 1:20, Col. 1;15, 1 Tim.
1:17, Paul refers to God as being invisible.
1 Timothy 6:16, says, "Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach
unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to
whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen."
Thus the Bible is clear in teaching that God
being a spirit is invisible and cannot be seen
my material men.
B. The Bible does say however
in some passages that men did see God.
Is this a contradiction?
The answer is no. God appeared to men in physical
form so that men could see him, but they did
not see God in his true essence, but saw only
a reflection or manifestation of God. John 1:32,
says that Spirit can be manifested in visible
form. In Genesis 16:7-14, the Bible says the
angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar. This is
referred to as a "theophany" which
means an appearance of God in human form.
Exodus 3:1f says that the angel of the Lord
appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of
the midst of a bush (Ex. 3:2). Thus, the Moses
the flame in the midst of the bush revealed
God's presence, but not His true essence. The
flame Moses saw did not represent what God looks
like anymore that when God appeared as a man.
God used these forms so as to appear to men
in some visible form they could see.
06. GOD TELL US HE
IS UNCHANGING.
In Malachi 3:6, God told said to Israel, "For
I am the LORD, I change not neither are ye sons
of Jacob consumed." In other words because
God does not change His promises are eternal.
Living in Utah among the Mormons the we very
familiar with a religion whose god is always
changing and giving new revelation.
James speaking of the comfort and knowing that
God is immutable says, "Every good gift
and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is
no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
(James 1:17)
07. THE BIBLE SAYS
THAT GOD IS OMNISCIENCE, OMNIPOTENT & OMNIPRESENCE.
A. God is Omniscience meaning
all knowing.
Job 34:21: "For his eyes are upon the
ways of man, and he seeth all his goings."
Psa. 147:5: "Great is our Lord, and of
great power: his understanding is infinite."
{his...: Heb. of his understanding there is
no number}
Heb. 4:13: "Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight: but all things
are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do."
1 John 3:20: "For if our heart condemn
us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth
all things."
B. God is Omnipotent meaning
all powerful.
Job.42:2: "I know that thou canst do every
thing, and that no thought can be withholden
from thee. {no thought can be...: or, no thought
of thine can be hindered}
Psalm.115:3: "But our God is in the heavens:
he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."
Matt 19:26: "But Jesus beheld them, and
said unto them, With men this is impossible;
but with God all things are possible."
Rev.19:6: proclaims that at the Second Coming
the Lord Jesus who is God will reign. "And
I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude,
and as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
C. God is Omnipresence meaning
in all places at once.
Psa. 139:8: "If I ascend up into heaven,
thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there."
Prov. 15:3: "The eyes of the LORD are
in every place, beholding the evil and the good."
Isa. 66:1: "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven
is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
where is the house that ye build unto me? and
where is the place of my rest?"
Jer 23:24: "Can any hide himself in secret
places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD.
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD."
Acts 17:27: "That they should seek the
Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from every one
of us"
CONCLUSION:
This message clearly teaches us who God is
and that we are responsible to Him. He is our
Creator and our wondrous and Almighty God. His
nature and attributes tell us of His greatness
and compels us to believe and put our trust
in Him.
The last verse we read in Acts 17:27, tells
us something that is beyond our understanding.
"That they should seek the Lord, if haply
they might feel after him, and find him, though
he be not far from every one of us"
The Marvelous God who made, who is greater
than our ability to imagine....is always there...seeking
us...never far from us....only a prayer away.
At the Jesus's Transfiguration God spoke from
heaven and said, Matt 17:5 "While he yet
spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them:
and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
hear ye him."
Jer. 15:16 "Thy words were found, and I
did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy
and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called
by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Paul said, Roman 1:16 " For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
God has told us in His word, He has reveal
to us His plan of Salvation and that is simply
to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in
any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
"Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts
4:12)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life . . . He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of
God abideth on him" (John 3:16, 36)
SOURCE WITH THANKS FROM:
Pastor. Cooper Abrams
http://bible-truth.org/
