A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD (5)

God:  The Revealer (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   In last week’s lesson, we continued our series entitled:  “A Better Understanding of God.”  The subtitle was:  “God:  The Revealer.”

1.    As a revealer God uncovers things that are hidden from view.

2.    In last week’s lesson, we only examined one thing God has revealed, that is, Himself.

a.    We noted that He is the invisible God (Col. 1:15).

b.    No man has ever seen God (John 1:18).

c.    The only way for man to know God is for God to make Himself known to man.

1)    Through His creation

2)    Speaking directly to man

3)    Speaking to man through other men

4)    Through judgments

5)    Through dreams and visions

6)    Through His providential care

7)    Through His Son Jesus Christ (John 1:18b)

 

…the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

 

B.   We want to continue the thought of God’s being a revealer in this lesson.  Let’s look at some other things He has revealed.

 

I.             HIS DIVINE WORD

 

A.   Two questions:

1.    What benefit would God be to man if He did not know God existed? 

2.    What benefit would God be to man if he knew God exists, but he has no idea of what God desires of him?

 

B.   Jehovah, the living and true God, revealed Himself, and He revealed His divine Word to mankind.

 

C.   In the days of Patriarchy, God spoke directly to the fathers in order to reveal His will to them.

1.    God spoke to Noah:  “Make thee an ark of gopher wood…” (Gen. 6:14).

2.    God spoke to Abram:  “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred,

and from thy father’s house, unto land I will shew thee” (Gen.12:1).

3.    God, on occasions, would speak directly to women.

a.    An angel of the Lord spoke to Hagar in the wilderness of Bathsheba (Gen.21:17-18).

b.    The Lord spoke to Rebekah concerning the struggle of her children in her womb (Gen. 25:23).

 

D.   During the Mosaic age, God’s will was revealed unto Moses who wrote the Law for the people to live by.

1.    Deuteronomy 6:17

 

Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD you God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

 

2.    Deuteronomy 31:9

 

And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.

 

a.    This was a permanent copy of the Law of Moses.

b.    Copies of the law were often made for various individuals.

1)    The king of Israel was to have a copy of the law for himself (Deut. 17:18).

 

And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law out of that which is before the priests and Levites.

 

2)    Eventually, a group of men called “scribes” developed in Israel.  They would be part of the teachers, the scholars, of the Law.

3.    God also revealed Himself in the Mosaic Age by means of prophets.

a.    These individuals were inspired men of God who spoke the message to Israel.

b.    Verses:

1)    Hebrews 1:1

 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets.

 

2)    David was prophet who spoke God’s Word by inspiration (2 Sam. 23:2).

 

The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word was in my tongue.

 

3)    Jeremiah (Jer. 20:9)

 

Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.  But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forebearing, and I could not stay.

 

c.    Two types of prophets for this discussion.

1)    The speaking or oral prophets

2)    The writing prophets

 

E.   God’s final revelation to man came in what is called the New Testament.

1.    The problems of the Law of Moses

a.    The Old Testament contained a big “can’t” (Heb. 10:1)

 

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offer, make the comers there unto perfect.

 

b.    It was impossible for the Law of Moses to do something (Heb. 10:4).

 

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

 

c.    Because of this, Paul refers to the Old Law as “the ministration of death” (2 Cor.3:7) and “the ministration of condemnation” (2 Cor. 3:9).

2.    Therefore, God gave a New Covenant to man that could forgive sins and bring life (Heb. 8:8,12).

 

…Behold the days come, saith the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah…For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

 

a.    At the cross, the Old Covenant was abolished (Col. 2:14), and the blood of Christ ratified the New Covenant (Matt. 26:28).

b.    Listen to the contrast found in Hebrews 1:1-2.

 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…

 

c.    It is interesting that Paul refers to the words that he wrote to the churches of Galatia as “revelation” (Gal. 3:3-5).

 

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words; whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit of God.

 

3.    When Jesus was on earth revealing His will to man, “many of his disciples” when they heard some of his words “went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66).  Jesus asked His disciples if they would go away (John 6:67).  Peter’s answer is found in John 6:68.

 

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?  thou hast the words of eternal life.

 

II.           THE PLAN OF SALVATION

 

A.   Three verses:

1.    Jesus told His apostles to go into the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15).

2.    Jesus knew that in the gospel God had revealed a plan which could make men righteous (Rom. 1:17).

3.    This was essential because it was written:  “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10).

4.    Those who were made righteous could be saved.

a.    Saved from the clutches of Satan.

b.    Saved from the corruption of sin.

c.    Saved from the condemnation of God.

d.    Saved from the chastening of wrath.

e.    Saved from the calamities of hell.

f.     Saved from the chill of spiritual death.

g.    Saved from the cries of deep regret.

 

B.   The plan:

1.    Words that must be heard (Acts 11:14)

2.    Believe in the Son of God (Acts 16:31)

3.    Confession of the name of Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9-10)

4.    Baptism that is founded upon one’s belief (Mark 16:16)

5.    NOTE: Repentance is never specifically tied to the word “saved” in the NT, but it is tied to the remission of sins often (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31).

6.    Once we have been saved initially by obeying the gospel, we must endure to the end (Matt. 24:13).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   In the two lessons we have entitled:  “God:  The Revealer,” we have found that He has revealed:  Himself, His will, and the plan of salvation.

 

B.   There is coming another revelation, that is, the revelation of His Son from heaven in the last day (1 Pet. 1:13).

 

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

1.    Christ is hidden in the heavens at the right hand of God.

2.    One day, the heavens will open, and the Son of God will be revealed.

3.    Matthew 24:46

 

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.