Saturday, May 20, 2017

The Saturday Series - 15 - "A Heart More Beautiful, More Mysterious"


(Friends:  Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto.  I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you.  Glen).


The Saturday Series - 15

"A Heart More Beautiful, More Mysterious"     
  
  
  Apart from Biblical revelation, we would never conceive of an all-powerful being who created other beings with the freedom to rebel against Him.  Scripture teaches that one third of the angelic host and all of the human race misused their God-given freedom to disregard their Creator's rightful Lordship and possession, leading to untold misery and the failure to be who and what God made angels and people to be (Genesis 3:6; Revelation 12:4).

   Again, what would lead the Lord to create beings who are completely dependent on Him for existence, but who nevertheless turn away from the Life of their lives?   Moreover, in His foreknowledge, He knew that such rebellion would take place.  "His understanding is infinite" (Psalm 147:5).  Most wondrously, the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's beloved Son, would be required to redeem fallen creation.  Given these solemn facts and our Heavenly Father's perfect knowledge of them, why would He proceed to create despite the grave realities of sin, death, and hell that would ensue?

   I do not have the foggiest notion of an answer, nor have I encountered anyone who seems to have any more insight into this question that escorts us deep into the heart of God, but still leaves us nearly blind.  We do know the book of Revelation teaches that God created all things for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11).  However, this still leaves us in wonder: how can the creation of beings that would rebel against Him and cause the suffering of His Son lead to pleasure in the heart of God?  This is especially true when we consider that human beings also bring terrible grief to the their Maker: "And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them" (Genesis 6:7).  A great enigma thus lies before us in the Bible's declaration of God's sensibilities regarding creation.  As A.W. Tozer wrote, we must always "make room for mystery" when we consider the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  "His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3).

    The question we ponder seems to speak of some glorious goodness that will always beckon us to come further, dive deeper, and fly higher into the glory of God.  Knowing that we cannot fully understand the heart and mind of God should thrill our souls.  Indeed, to the degree His light about Himself illuminates, it also blinds and bewilders.  As Job discovered in his sufferings, things exist that are "too wonderful for me!" (Job 42:3).  It is enough to know that when our Heavenly Father chose to make conscious beings, He determined freedom to be a necessary component of their being.  This confirms that God is not a tyrannical master, but rather a loving Father who seeks relationship and fellowship with the beings He made.  Perhaps this is as close to an answer as we can come, proclaiming a Heart more beautiful, more mysterious than eternity will allow us to fully know.  

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"
(Romans 11:33)

Weekly Memory Verse 
  But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
(II Timothy 2:23)   
   

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