Attributes of Heavenly Father #3

“But now, Oh Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

God, our Father, wants to mold us into His image.  Most earthly fathers have that same dream for their sons.  For some it is to take up the same profession or to excel in the same sport or past time.  For others it is to mold men of character and men of courage.  Some fathers know how to go about doing this while still allowing the child their individual personality and freedom to become who God created him to be.  Others try to force their ideals and dreams upon their offspring and either break their spirit or cause rebellion to swell up. 

 

 God chooses to mold His children first through a great sacrifice then with His great words of wisdom that transform and also by the Holy Spirit that lives within us to convict, train, comfort, teach, rebuke, and love us.  It is through the Father’s modeling of grace and mercy and compassion and forgiveness that we learn grace, and mercy and compassion and forgiveness.  It is through His words that we learn the road to righteous living.  It is the Holy Spirit that disciplines us, guides us, encourages us , and keeps us on the narrow path.

Oh Lord, that You would mold my heart to look like yours.  No greater compliment could be given than that I am like my Father! 

 

 

Attributes of Our Heavenly Father #2

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him…He is mindful that we are but dust.”

Psalm 103:13

 

God is a Father of compassion.  Compassion, according to Dictionary.com, is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

I love that God tags on the statement that “He is mindful that we are but dust.”!  God knows that in this world is suffering and sorrows.  He feels deeply our hurts and our pains.  He desires to alleviate that suffering!  His mindfulness that we are but dust is to reassure us that He does not expect us to be perfect, to react perfectly, or to  not have to suffer in this world of decay.  And when He sees our suffering, He cares.  So often we blame our suffering on the Almighty when it is really Satan and Satan’s world system that brings about our suffering.  Or our suffering is caused by our own sinfulness.  Either way, God did not cause it!  But He has compassion on us in and through it. 

Listen to 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ are our in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”  So He is the Father of mercies and comfort.  Sounds like compassion to me!

What about this fearing God part?  This is not the fear of a robber waiting for judgment.  No!  We have been redeemed, reconciled, justified.  We do not fear the judgment of God but rather we stand in awe at His holiness and reverence His authority and position and being.  And thus He is our everlasting Father who is a God of compassion and mercy.

 

Attributes of Our Heavenly Father #1

“…but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him…” 2 Samuel 7:14-16
 “He shall be called…Eternal Father…” Isaiah 9:6 

First attribute as God as our Father is that His love is everlasting.  Because His love is not based on our actions, but on our position, He loves us with unconditional love.  He will never disown us or deny us of our sonship!  What is our position?  John 1:12 says, “…to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.”  We were not born Jewish (of the blood), nor could we earn the right by the works of our flesh, nor could we just decide that we want to be a child of God by our own volition and efforts.  No, we became a child of God only as we believed on His name and were born of God.  Belief is a tricky word.  The demons believe and yet they shudder.(James 2:19)  Belief has to go deeper than giving a mental assent to something.  Rather, this belief is mental acknowledgement put into action.  We believe it to the point of putting our lives into His hands, surrendering up our desires and resting in Jesus, and denying ourselves the right to be in charge of our own lives.  Then we are truly children of God, born of God. 

And once born we cannot be unborn.  God’s love and promises are everlasting.  We are His.  Now, we do still have the ability to decide how we will spend this life.  Some will go into heaven limping and wounded and crawling and prideful.  Others will go leaping and rejoicing, joyful and praising and humble.  I want to be the latter!  And oh, the joy this side of heaven of walking with our Father, listening to His words and knowing His great love!  It is a love that we can count on.  It is a love that will not change.  It is a love that is deeper than we can understand.  It is an everlasting love.

 

 

God, Father of the Israelites?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

John 1:12

This verse is the first reference to God as Father or anyone being a child of God except for God saying that Solomon will be a son to Him forever which was a prophesy of Jesus. This makes sense if you think about it since Jesus was the first born.  God’s revealed relationship to the OT Jews was as God.  They needed to establish that they would obey Him as God before He could reveal Himself to them as Father.  And they really struggled with God as God!  Idol worship was very real and tempting and the children of Israel fell to it over and over again. 

 

The OT refers to the Jews as children of Israel, never as children of God.  Interesting!  That relationship seems to come through the New Covenant.

There were individuals, however, in the OT that related to God as Father.  We see Elijah calling out to his Father, “’My Father, my Father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ (2 Kings 2:12) And he saw Elijah no more.”  These words were repeated at Elisha’s death, but I am not sure if Elisha said them or Joash said them to Elisha. (2 Kings 3:14)

David refers to God as a father to the fatherless and a judge for the widow in Psalm 68:5.  This was not revelation of that relationship, but rather an observation.  David also states in Psalm 103:13 that “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”  Again David had a glimpse of this relationship. It is more of a metaphor and a simile rather than a statement of fact.

Isaiah mentions that “…a child will be born…and he shall be called Eternal Father…” (Isaiah 9:6)This is another foreshadowing of Jesus.  Isaiah does seem to experience this revealed relationship with God however when he says, “But now, Oh Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and you our Potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

Jeremiah is another OT prophet that refers to God as Father of Israel: “Without shame or repentance after following idols, Israel calls to God, ‘My Father, You are the friend of my youth.  Will He be angry forever…’”  Here the Israelites want to claim the relationship as Father/child and experience the benefits of that relationship, but have denied the power and covenant of that relationship by following idols.  In Jeremiah 3:12-19 God does seem to state His relationship to Israel as Father: “Return faithless, Israel…I will not look upon you in anger.  For I am gracious…acknowledge your iniquity that you have transgressed against the Lord your God. Return, O faithless sons…I will set you among My sons and give you a pleasant land…and you shall call Me, My Father.”  Again this is a prophesy of later times after God puts shepherds after His own heart over them and they find knowledge and understanding.

Jeremiah gives another prophesy of future times in Jeremiah 31:1-9:” …I will make them walk by streams of water, on a straight path in which they will not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”  The verbs here are a little confusing.  God says He will be and that He is.

Last OT reference that I found for God as Father is in Malachi 1:6.  God is saying, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master.  Then if I am a father, where is my honor?  And if I am a master, where is my respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name.”  Again it is an assumption of fatherhood by the Israelites and not a declaration from God.  He actually calls Himself Lord of hosts which is His battle name.

But God…and the New Testament begins.  And John says that, “… as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

Seek Him as Father – gracious, loving, kind, desiring your good, wanting to give good gifts, and molding us into His image.

God the Father

In the late night hours last night, God led me to begin a study of His Word on His Fatherhood.  So far it has been very interesting and very enlightening.  I will be sharing with you some of this study over the course of this week and maybe beyond!

It is interesting to note that the first time that God calls Himself Father is not until He and David are discussing the building of a temple.  David wished to build a permanent structure for God’s worship, but God tells him, “No.”  He says that David’s son will build the temple and that “I [God] will be a Father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him…Your [David’s] house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:14-16 (Also found in 1 Chronicles 17:13, 22:10, and 28:6-7.)

Why did God not call Himself Father to the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness or even to Abraham?  (I will check and do a word study on “children” tomorrow and see if God calls Israel His children during this time).  I think, maybe, that God had to establish Himself as God first.  The Israelites were still drawn to and worshipping false idols.  They had to recognize God as God and Lord even though He desired to be their Father which denotes  relationship.  (We will see God’s desires in Jeremiah later!)  God gave the Israelites the Law.  This was for their protection and provision.  The same reasons that our earthly fathers gave us rules.  So even though He did not call Himself Father, He stood before the people as their Father.

 When God does reveal Himself to David and eventually to Solomon as “Father”, it is in regard to the future promise of Jesus Christ (“Your throne shall be established forever.”)  Something to ponder.

This passage shows God as Father.  He will discipline and correct but,  He will never leave!  God the Father is a forever Father!!!

Give Your Best

This is kind of deep, but God showed this to me this morning.

In Leviticus chapter 4 God gives His regulations for the sin offering. This is what God says about unintentional sin.   If the anointed priest sinned, he was to sacrifice a young bull.  If the whole congregation sinned, they were to sacrifice young bull.  If a ruler sinned, he is to sacrifice a male kid of the goats.  If anyone of the common people sinned, then his sacrifice was to be a female kid of the goats. Notice the digression from the priest to the common man.  In other words, God required what they had to give.  The more responsibility one had, the more expensive was the offering.  Chapter 5 verse 5-7 requires a lamb offering for one who hears an oath and does not make the matter known or touches something unclean, or swears.  But verse 7 says that if he is unable to provide a lamb, then two turtle doves or two young pigeons would be sufficient.  Again, they were to give what they could afford.  Later in chapters 6 and 7 we read that grain offerings were acceptable for some offenses as well.

I was taught, I believe falsely, that the reason Able’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was not was because Cain did not offer a blood sacrifice.  But as I read Genesis 4 about Cain and able, I read that it was not the offering, but the heart that was the problem.  First of all, this was before the law was given to Moses, but God actually was present and talked directly to Cain and Able.  Cain was a farmer and brought the first fruits.  Able was a herdsman and brought the first born of the flock.  Genesis says that God approved of Able and his offering.  He did not approve of Cain and his offering.  Cain’s reaction gives us a glimpse into his heart.  He was angry rather than repentant or broken.  God verbally warns him of sin crouching at the door.  And Cain kills able. 

I learn from this that I am to give my best. God accepts that as long as my giving is from a pure and right heart through the blood of Jesus.  My motives are to be or worship and joy and repentance.  I pray that you are giving your best time, money, and efforts to the Lord in what He has blessed you with.  Bloom where you are planted for the day and offer it all up to God with joy!

 

God Blots

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Your compassion, blot out my transgressions.”
Psalm 51:1

I love this sincere prayer of confession and repentance of David the King.  He knows that he cannot earn forgiveness; he knows that he doesn’t deserve grace or compassion.  He throws himself on the character of the Forgiver and Grace-giving One.  It is because of God’s lovingkindness and compassion that we can ask God to “blot out our transgressions.”  There are not enough good deeds that can be done to earn God’s favor.  There are not enough sacrifices that we can make to cover over our sins, BUT God already provided the only adequate sacrifice!  It is His blood that blots out our transgressions!  It is God’s desire to blot and blot and blot.  You just have to show up and say you are sorry!

 

Conditions for Salvation

“As for me, I will call upon God,

And the Lord will save me.
Psalm 55:16

That’s so cool!  All we have to do is call to Him.  No other requirements!  He made us; He loves us; He wants us.  It’s a definite – not “if I call on God He will think about loving me and saving me.”  Nope, He promises!

 

Like a Child

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

Luke 18:17

 What does receiving the kingdom like a child look like?  Well children are not cynical.  They are trusting.  They rest in their Father’s arms.  They don’t worry about tomorrow, but enjoy each moment of each day.  Oh to see through the eyes of a child!  We were at Taco Bell yesterday.  Above this section of our town there are thousands of black birds that swarm the parking lots.  They are noisy and messy and most of us complain about them whenever we go there.  But a little girl, maybe five looked out the window of the restaurant and declares, “Look Mom,  It’s a bird wonderland!”  Oh to see life through the eyes of a child!

 To receive the kingdom of God like a child requires not only trust, but a dependency.  In our culture we worship independence.  In God’s economy, we must depend upon Him for everything.  The more we realize that all good things come for the Father and that He loves us and delights in us, we can relax and depend upon Him not only for provision and protection but for guidance.  He has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives and He is capable of getting our attention and leading us in His way.  A prominent teaching in the 1970’s was that God had a plan for your life and if you missed it then you had to settle for plan B.  I think that this was heresy.  God has a relationship with us.  He delights in our uniqueness and loves to see us make choices and plan and live life.  If He wants us for a specific task, He will let us know.  He called Abraham.  He called Moses.  Of all the great people in the Bible, none were on their knees agonizing over whether or not God would use them.  They walked with God daily and in the course of that relationship, they understood God’s heart and acted upon it.  No fear, just rest.

Obedience without Recognition

“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’?

But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’?

He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he/

So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

Luke 17:7-10

 

Boy!  Does this passage of Scripture put us in our place!  I struggled for a long time with these verses.  When I do something out of obedience, I still want to be recognized!  But that is not my proper place.  If you struggle with this, then pride still has too high of a seat in the governance of your life.  We are to be servants not only in our actions, but in our attitude of humility and thankfulness.  It is only when we reach this level of obedience that our hearts are right before God.  He is everything – in comparison, we are nothing.  (Even though we are His beloved children that He delights in, He still requires obedience and does not pamper us!)

Do you do your Christian duty hoping for a pat on the back?  Do you respond to God’s voice with arguments or with obedience and praise?  It is a process.  I am no there yet, but I am striving!  I hope you are too!

Be A Farmer

“Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”
Hosea 10:12

"Sow with a view to righteousness..."  When a farmer sows his seed it is with hope and dreams and expectations of good.  We should sow spiritual seeds with those same thoughts in mind.  In the New Testament, seeds were the Wrod of God.  Therefore we are sow the Word of God into our lives and others' lives expecting righteousness to sprout forth!

"Reap in accordance with kindness..."  As we go to pull our harvest from the ground for food, we should do so with kindness towards others.  Perhaps sharing in our harvest.

"Break up the fallow ground..."  In order to sow, the ground must be prepared.  Again, in the New Testament the ground that is to be prepared is the heart of a person.  God, make my heart ready to recieve your word that it may grow and be harvested unto righteousness.

"For it is time to seek the Lord..."  It does no good for a framer to watch his fields for corn just days after it is planted.  It takes time and patience.  But God says that now (whether in Hosea's time or ours) is the time to look for the Lord.  Seek Him ad He shall be found!

"And He comes to rain righteousness on you."  This was in the prophetic book of Hosea.  It is a prophesy of the coming of Jesus.  When He came down from heaven, he made a way for man to find righteousness through His sacrifice and resurrection.  It is a promise to each person who would believe upon Jesus as well.  Believe in Him and you will be right before the holy God!!!  Wow!  That is amazing!

 

Do Not Lose Heart

“Therefore we do not lose heart,
but though our outer man is decaying,
our inner man is being renewed day to day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16

This is my battle for today.  I learned yesterday that my gallbladder should never have been taken out.  There was another test that they should have done before deciding that it was my gallbladder that was causing the problem. A GI specialist is doing an endoscopy scope on Tuesday to see what is going on. I learned yesterday that my neck is really bad and that I should probably have something done sooner than later.  (I found out what symptoms to look for and will keep a close watch for now.) So, do I get angry?  Do I get depressed and despondent?  That is what my flesh wants to do, but I will choose to not lose heart.  This is a temporary body anyway.  It is decaying (and don’t I know it!).  I will choose to keep trusting in God, and to go my way in joy.  God is bigger than my physical issues.  He cares and loves me in the midst and that is enough.  One day I will shed this garment of corruption and move in to a new body that will never know pain!  Thank you, Jesus!!!