Blog Archives - Created through Him

Created Through Him

Creator is the Maker

12/31/2011

15And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. 16LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only (2 Kings 19: 15-19).

2 Kings is, at times, difficult to read. Israel and Judah are separate kingdoms and they both struggle with being faithful to God-they generally do very poorly. Hezekiah King of Judah is an exception; he follows the commands of the Lord. In this passage Hezekiah is praising God as Creator, ‘ thou hast made heaven and earth’. Hezekiah compares the Creator God to the gods of Assyria-there is no comparison.
The Creator God is able to deliver because he exists and is the maker of Man. The gods of Assyria do not exist and are the makings of Man. The distinction is profound. Profound distinctions are usually important. The importance to us is to distinguish between the gods of this world, and the God that made this world. We like Hezekiah should praise the maker of heaven and earth, the one true God.

Creator is wisdom

12/30/2011

7And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days (1 Kings 3: 7-13).

A few days ago we discussed knowledge. Today’s passage discusses wisdom. There is in my mind a distinction between knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom takes knowledge a step farther. Farther in the sense that wisdom is the application of knowledge to a given situation or given situations. In this passage from 1 Kings, Solomon is asking for wisdom. Solomon is asking for wisdom so he can make decisions that are just and discerning. Solomon truly desired to make righteous decisions. This was pleasing to God.
God as creator is the source of wisdom and as such is the granter of true wisdom. True wisdom is something we should all ask God to grant us. The granting of wisdom by the Creator to the creature (us) is an awesome gift. A gift of greater value than riches, or power; the value is inherent in the gift of wisdom itself. The gift of wisdom is ultimately a gift created by God for his people so they can make wise decisions. When God’s people are wise, they are able to discern truth from error. Discerning truth from error is The Creator’s wisdom and the discernment He gives allows us to make righteous decisions in our lives.

Creator is forever

12/29/2011

15But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever. 17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David (2 Samuel 7: 15-17).

This passage is a promise to King David. It is also a promise that the people of Israel would rely on in times of trouble. It is promise for a permanent kingdom. The people of Israel expected a future messiah based on this promise in 2 Samuel, and they knew that the messiah would rule the kingdom.
There are several attributes of the Creator that can be gleaned from this passage. The Creator is a God of promises and He is a God that is everlasting (forever). The God that spoke the world into existence has a plan for redemption of humanity. The plan of redemption involves a kingdom and a King without end. We know now that Christ is the King that sits on the throne of David. He is the Creator King, and He is forever. We should rely on the everlasting King to rule our lives.

Creator is knowledge

12/28/2011

1And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2: 1-3).

In this passage, Hannah is praising the Creator. Hannah had requested of the Lord a son; a son that she would dedicate to the Lord. Her request was granted, and her son Samuel became a great prophet to Israel.
God is described in this passage as holy, as a rock (of salvation), and as a God of knowledge. All of these descriptors of God are very important, however today I want to focus knowledge. God as creator is the source of all knowledge. Knowledge was and is created. The Creator is therefore the benchmark or standard that all of creation should look to for knowledge. In a world that ever increasingly seems to think that Man is the source of knowledge, we should be advocates of the true source of knowledge. Since God is the true source of knowledge, we can abide and trust in Him, and proclaim His knowledge to the world . The Creator is knowledge and our standard to which we look.

Creator is faithful

12/27/2011

11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: 12And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman (Ruth 4: 11-12).

The above passage is a profound messianic prophecy. Boaz would take Ruth as his wife and their son would be in the direct family line (grandfather) of David, and ultimately in the earthly Messianic family line. Both Ruth and Boaz were Godly people. The circumstances of their relationship is a case study in the ‘there are no coincidences when God is involved’ phenomena. Ruth was from Moab (not from the House of Israel), and she was a daughter-in-law of Naomi. Through a series of deaths, Ruth and Naomi were left without someone to provide for them. Eventually Naomi returned to the land of Israel, and Ruth although not related by blood, returned as well. Ruth did not want to leave Naomi alone; Ruth was faithful. Faithfulness led to a blessing. This is often the case with the Creator God. In the passage above, the people ask God for a blessing, and it is assumed He is able to carry out the request-only One who is in control of the Universe could answer such request. The Creator answered the request of the people in way that no one could have imagined: He sent the Savior, born in Bethlehem, to be the light of the world. The Creator God is faithful.

Creator is deliverer

12/26/2011

3And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines (Judges 13: 3-5).

This passage is describing the birth of Samson. There are some clear parallels to the future birth of the Messiah. For example, the angel of the Lord appears to announce the future birth of Samson, and the idea of a deliverer for Israel is discussed. There is a notable difference though as well. Samson is destined to begin the process of delivering Israel from the Philistines. The future Messiah would deliver Israel from all enemies-the greatest of which is death. Also noteworthy in this passage is the term the angel of the Lord. The sentence does not say an angel of the Lord, but THE angel of the Lord. This angel of the Lord may very well have been the pre-incarnate Christ. Remember Christ was present in the beginning and creation was brought into existence through Him. He is interested in His creation and He is the ultimate and consummate deliverer of the creation.

Creator is present

12/25/2011

13And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. 14And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan (Joshua 3: 13-17).

God as creator commands all of creation. God is in control. And as Creator, He has intervened dramatically at certain times in human history. In Joshua, as the people of Israel are about to cross into the land promised to them by God, God acts to part the waters of the Jordon River-at flood stage I might add. There are several reasons God may have chosen to miraculously act on behalf of Israel. One possible reason is to remind Israel that it is God that delivers his people when they are in need; no action by the people would be effective in certain situations. Another possible reason was to show God’s might and power before the people of Jordon River Valley. A third, and I think perhaps the most intriguing reason may have been to simply provide a path for His people to follow Him. The Ark of the Covenant was the presence of God; God provided a path for His people to follow His presence. This too was a foreshadowing of the Creator God’s redemptive work in Jesus Christ. Christ is the very presence of God in our midst, and He parts the troubled waters of our lives so we can follow Him. Remember when you face a raging river in life, that seems too difficult to cross on your own, your Creator is also a mighty deliverer-follow Him wherever He leads.

Creator is Lord

12/24/2011

32For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? 33Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? 34Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him (Deuteronomy 4:32-35).

We are a special creation. God the Creator made Man; in His image, He made us. We would do well to remember that as a special creation of God, we are a people made by Him and for Him. And although the image of God in Man is blurred by sin, God does not create junk. Man as a being, is eternal; and has infinite worth-albeit ultimately only in relationship with God. This has both ethical and moral implications for us, as we should want all people to come into a relationship with the Creator God and we should respect all of God’s creation- it has been created by God himself.
In the people of Israel, God chose a people for himself. Israel was a foreshadowing of things to come. As Moses declares, it is God that chooses and God that delivers. For us, the greatest miracle in creation is God’s sovereign selection of us as a people unto Himself. In the Creator’s choosing, we are delivered; and He is revealed as Lord. This is very good news and is the essence of the Gospel.

Creator is sovereign and holy...He provides

12/23/2011

6And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. 7And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also (Numbers 20: 6-11).

I find the book of Numbers one of the most difficult books within all of scripture to understand. The book chronicles a period in Israel's history in which Israel is complaining about their circumstances and the ability of Moses and Aaron to lead the people. The story of Korah's rebellion is documented in Numbers, and there are many passages in which the anger of the Lord is displayed. This calls for reflection on our part, and it speaks to the idea of the Creator as sovereign and holy. We should not miss this, the Creation is the Lord's, and we should subject ourselves to Him, and not try and subject the Lord to our will. Numbers 20: 6-11 shows how God is sovereign over all of Creation: He makes water flow from a rock in order to provide, and this is often so, even when we are less than obedient. Our Creator is sovereign and holy, and He provides for us. Our response must be one of gratitude and worship. Please worship the Creator that makes water flow out of a rock, it is living water.

Creator is the Sabbath rest

12/22/2011

3Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings (Leviticus 23:3).

The book of Leviticus, the third book of the Pentateuch, describes in detail the ordinances and commands of the Lord. The Creator God is a God of infinite detail. Inherent in the detail, is the idea of purpose and design. There is nothing beyond the notice of our Creator. The idea or command for a sabbath has a purpose. During the creation week God rested from His work on the seventh day, not because he couldn't work any longer, but so we would learn to rest in Him. There is something in the verse above that should not be missed, the Sabbath rest is holy. So the purpose of the Sabbath is to rest in the Lord who is holy. The Creator God is the Sabbath's days rest. The God of detail calls you to rest; rest in Him.

Created Through Him