BOOK TWO
Doctrines of Godâs Revelation
Paul Morris
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Part 3
God
It should come as no surprise that these studies in theology should start with God. When God brought Yisrael out of Egypt and prepared them to be his people in the land he had promised them, he did not lead them straight there. His first priority for them was to reveal himself in his majesty, power, and glory at Sinai, and then show them how he was to be known, approached, and worshiped through the construction of the mishkan (tabernacle). Only when that was done, and Pesach celebrated, were they ready to move forwards with their God.
God is the high and holy One who inhabits eternity. In Isaiah he reveals, âFor as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughtsâ (Isa 55:9). We are created beings, and unless our Creator reveals himself to us he is incomprehensible. We are sinners, with hearts and minds darkened by sin, widening the gulf between us. We must come humbly to learn of our great God; we are on holy ground.
God is; he can be known because he has revealed himself. He has told us what he is like and has names which underline that revelation. These are the themes we will consider in Book Two, Part 3.
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Godâs Existence
God is the only self-existent, independent being. He declares of himself to Moshe: âI AM WHO I AM.â It is from the verb âto beâ that the divine name YHWH is derived. God is because he is. The Scriptures never seek to explain or prove Godâs existence; it is a simple, stated fact, as in Bereshit 1:1, âIn the beginning God . . .â Scripture not only asserts his existence but also declares that humans know that he exists through what he has madeâwhat we often term ânatureâ (Ps 19:1â3; Rom 1:20). However, the universal human response, due to sin, is to suppress this knowledge and refuse to honor God or be thankful (Rom 1:18, 21). Humans also know that there will be a reckoning for this behavior, âwho, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice themâ (Rom 1:32).
Humanity is not in a position of neutrality on the question of Godâs existence; human nature is in rebellion. Hence we can observe all the false, man-made, and demonic religions of the world, through which humans recognize the divine and the supernatural, but believe and respond as they please. Agnosticism and atheism are also willful and sinful responses to what is known.
Hence people will not believe purely on the basis of rational proofs, although such proofs may have a value in opening the mind to consider what God has revealed. This is not a book of apologetics, hence such proofs will not be considered in detail but some are listed briefly below.
âąIsraelâs unique history among the nations, the miracles, the moral teaching, their national preservation in their land, and the diaspora.
âąThe record in Scripture of fulfilled prophecies, especially in the life of Messiah Yeshua.
âąThe life of Jesus, his perfection, miracles, death, and resurrection.
âąThe continuance of the Christian church despite the many pronouncements of her imminent demise.
âąThe changed lives of Christians, especially virulent opponents like Saul of Tarsus.
âąHumansâ inbuilt sense of purpose, requiring a Creator with a purpose.
âąThe design in nature, especially the human body, argues for a designer.
âąOur ability to think, reason, and plan, and to contemplate ourselves, all point to a nonmaterial spirit within us, necessitating a Creator spirit.
âąOur inner sense of moral values, many of which are universally held, implies a transcendent ground for such values.
âąThe unsatisfactory nature of the explanations of human experience given by false religions and nontheist philosophy.
Whilst traditional Judaism would agree with much that is written here about Godâs existence, as is shown by the synagogue liturgy, and which has had a beneficial effect on the Jewish people, there have been those on the fringes, like the Kabbalists, who are so concerned to preserve the mystery of Godâs existence that they have come perilously close to a dualism by the distinction they make between God as he is in himself and God as he becomes manifest to his creatures, the former being impersonal and the latter personal. We do indeed have to say that we do not know, and cannot know, all there is to know about God, but we must not say that there is something essential about Godâs nature, further to what we understand and experience of him through his self-revelation, that can never be known by us. We can truly know God; and he is perfectly revealed in his Son, Yeshua.