I am currently in Edinburgh in Scotland ('Edinburra' - - love the way they say it) to support my Daughter and the Queen Mary Theatre Group's appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/qmtheatreco/?hl=en they are good!
I do this for only one reason: I am devoted to my kids (ok, two reasons... lol, I love the arts, ;)). But seriously, listening to some of us believers in YHWH, we can get the wrong impression of God. Like Eliphaz the Temanite in Job 22, we say high and pious sounding 'nonsense' that only serves to further the opposite of YHWH's will for mankind. For example, all of Eliphaz's high-sounding words (sample below) and those of his colleagues were debunked by YHWH as a false representation of himself!
“Can a man be of benefit to God?
Can even a wise person benefit him?
What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?
“Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?
Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins endless?''
In fact, not only were they wrong, they managed to get God mad at them!
'After Adonai had spoken these words to Iyov (Job), Adonai said to Elifaz the Teimani, “My anger is blazing against you and your two friends, because, unlike my servant Iyov, you have not spoken rightly about me.' [Job 42:7 CJB]
I know I do go on and on about worship, prayer, and Bible reading, however, it is so that you understand the heart behind God. He truly does care for our success, because he really does love us.
'God Loves you' is not just a spiritual 'junk' mantra that Christians use to get you into an unpleasant 'killjoy' controlling cult they call 'Church'. No! YHWH truly does love you and what he calls us to is not just a religious group, but a real living relationship with himself. I KNOW because I do have that! A relationship that does beyond the constraints of any building, denominational regulations, or religious leader.
Let's look at YHWH's relationship with humans outside all the rules. The best historical account that we do have is the Bible/Torah.
In Genesis 1:26, the introduction to HUMAN (Adam really means human or humankind):
'Then God said, “Let us make mankind
1) in our image,
2) in our likeness,
3) so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
[I don't know about you, but God's words fill me with tears of gratitude and amazement at his love and nature. The unforced words of a man reveal the heart of the man, the words of God reveal his heart.]
The intention of YHWH for creating man cannot be plainer: he wanted heirs to his creation.
One of the simplest definitions of a child is ''a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age''[ vocabulary.com]
An offspring is generally defined as ''the young born of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or, in the case of sexual reproduction, two organisms.''
Well, YHWH is Spirit, so he obviously does not reproduce as a human or plant. So how does God reproduce? By his Spirit: ''Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed (sniff out/blow) into his nostrils the breath (force/soul/spirit) of life, and the man became a living being.'' Genesis 2:7
As you read the formation of Adam (the first human) in Genesis, what strikes you is the personal care, extra thought/deliberation, and artistry that went into his making. He was not just spoken into being, there was deliberation in the highest counsel about who he should be modeled after (YHWH) not only that, he had the life of YHWH directly breathed into his nostrils - just how much more can you be personally invested than that?!
Humans were made to be God's image and likeness, i.e. to be mini-Him as his offspring, overseeing everything he creates.
Some say we exist for his pleasure and they are right. Where they get it wrong is they do not understand how he derives that pleasure. God derives pleasure from our godly, righteous (just, good) governorship and rule! As every good parent can testify, our children's success is our joy!
Though Adam failed and handed over himself to Satan, YHWH did not give up. He found a way through another 'Adam' - his Word made human - to give birth to children. So that ''those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ''
So as Paul explained, to these 'born of God': ''The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.'' Romans 8:16-17
So for YHWH, it's still so very personal. He is invested in our progress in this life and in that to come. He is at every meeting, every event, every prayer, every test, every high mountain, or the lowest valley! And He is not just there watching, He is rooting loudly and actively for your success!
Yay! Go QM Theatre company!!!
Comments