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God Speaks To/Through His People
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)
From where I sit every morning I can look out and see my wife’s flower garden and the tops of some mountains. I’m reminded daily of the beauty in this world. Life is good.
I’m also reminded of something else every morning—my body is not as fit and flexible as it was. The warranty on this body seems to have expired, and one by one its parts are wearing out. Some day it will need to be turned in for an upgraded version.
It’s not only my body that seems to be falling apart. I see or hear the news and note that most of it is bad. Local television news operates on the principle of “if it bleeds, it leads”. National and world news focuses on war, weather, political fights, and scandals.
You and I know that it’s the same “news” that has been recycled in every generation. Every now and then, though, we read or hear of heroic and inspiring actions. Blessedly, some good news is included or we would despair.
Good and bad. Beauty and ugliness. Inspiring truths and depressing “news”. What’s going on? Is there any way to make sense of all this?
This is The Human Condition. We experience what every generation has experienced. We seek answers to the same questions everyone else asks: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going when this life is over? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Why is there evil? Why do I do things which I know are evil? Is there any hope for forgiveness and for a happy future? Is there a solution for this human condition that I myself am in?
Fortunately, there is a solution. And, there is a source to which we can go for answers to all of these “ultimate questions”. The source which has provided answers for millennia is the Bible. The answers we seek are there. Sometimes they are explicitly stated. Sometimes they are imbedded in stories, and we have to discern them as we read and re-read those stories at different stages of life. Sometimes the answers are hidden from plain sight, and can only be found with careful study and reflection.
To get to specific answers to particular questions, it helps to get the big picture first—to see the overall theme in the Bible. There is a grand story or plot that will keep us on track as we look at the smaller sections.
Simply put, the theme of the Bible is that the same God who created us loves us, and keeps reaching out to us even though we rebel against Him. Having reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (see II Cor. 5:18-21), God makes us partners in extending His love to others and in helping to make right what is wrong in the world.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to us in so many different ways. We offer ourselves for you to speak and act through us, revealing God’s love for all. Amen.
This theme has been communicated in many different ways over the centuries, even as Hebrews 1:1-3 states. To make it clear today, my wife and I will borrow a device from a modern scholar, N.T. Wright, for the Sunday School class we teach at Calvary Baptist Church in Denver; and we will look at the Bible as if it is a play—a drama in five acts (Creation, The Fall, Israel, Jesus, and the Church). It promises to be a great way to get the big picture or overall theme of the Bible, and then be better able to understand the smaller segments of Scripture as we study.
This theme will be studied in depth week by week as we post the lesson material on my blog at www.antlehope.blogspot.com under the title of “God Speaks To/Through His People. Feel free to join in and even make comments. In any event, as God speaks to us through the written Word, let us embody that Word as we reach out to others.
Rudy Antle
Layman
Calvary Baptist Church
Denver, CO |
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