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First Impression of God - Part 1 |
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Introduction |
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When a very wise individual gives
instruction concerning wisdom, it is
beneficial to listen to that which
is said. When having it recorded or
written as when Solomon exhorted his
children, saying,: “Hear, ye
children, the instruction of a
father, and attend to know
understanding” (Prov. 4:1). In
other words, listen and pay
attention to what I am saying, and
the foremost instruction is: |
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a) |
“The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring for ever” (Psa. 19:9) |
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b) |
“The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom” (Psa. 111:10) |
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c) |
“The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of knowledge” (Pro. 1:7) |
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d) |
“The fear of the LORD is to hate
evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the
evil way, and the froward mouth, do
I hate” (Pro. 8:13) |
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e) |
“The fear of the LORD is the
instruction of wisdom; and before
honour is humility” (Pro. 15:33) |
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What does it mean to fear the Lord? |
It means to have a reverential
respect for who God is, the position
He holds, the eternality of His
attributes, the finality of His
decrees etc. Its practical effect
is carefulness of what one prays
for, why a matter is prayed for, a
genuine attentiveness and
circumspection of any and all
spiritual activity. Added to this
is the eradication of things into
spiritual and secular. Every
so-called secular work has a
spiritual level and every spiritual
work has a secular impact. Cleaning
the floor, working honestly at the
bench has a spiritual dimension for
it is to be done for the glory of
the Lord. “Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor.
10:31). The first major downward
sliding of sin was: “when they knew
God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful” (Rom. 1:21).
They had no reverential fear of God.
The God we acknowledge |
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1) |
I do not say worship, which is the
ideal and that which we will do in
glory, but without a doubt there are
times when we do enter that sublime
presence and worship. However, I
suggest that most of the time we
acknowledge that God is, but perhaps
are unaware of His many glories and
sovereignty. |
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2) |
The God we long to worship in spirit
has a glory beyond human language,
or the full grasping of the
magnificence of His person, power,
position or prerogatives. He is
outside of this cosmos yet fills it
by His manifested abilities. He is
not curtailed by time or space, and
cannot be compared to any man-made
deity. The challenge goes from God,
“To whom then will ye liken God? or
what likeness will ye compare unto
him?” (Isa. 40:18). Again, “To whom
will ye liken me, and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be like?
(Isa. 46:5). |
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The First Impression |
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1) |
I recall in my teenage years, my
mother would often say, “First
impressions count.” How right she
was. In the first creation
narrative (Gen. 1:1-2:3), God, while
giving the first manifestation of
Himself, is also giving our first
impression of Him. What an
impression is made for there is
impressed on our understanding that
He is God and, secondly, He is the
Great Cause (the source of
everything), the God of activity,
orderliness and finishing ability. |
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2) |
Genesis one is a revelation of His
perfection through the creation of
variety within a species, of diverse
sounds, several tastes, a myriad of
colours, sundry emotions, and the
great life giver. |
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3) |
He created without any external
suggestions of how, when, or why,
but making all creation and all life
forms according to His good pleasure
(Rev. 4:11); by His wisdom (Prov.
3:19) according to the needs of all
who would dwell in it and perfectly
delightful to those who would live
in it. |
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a) |
There was no sloppiness in
workmanship for He is “holy in all
His works” (Psa. 145:17). There was
no trial or error and everything was
perfect. How His wisdom radiates
when He considered and knew every
difficulty and situation which would
arise. There was no adjustment
later; all was perfectly fitted
together and functioned in perfect
harmony. |
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4) |
Why is God so manifested? Because:
In our activities of daily living,
it is so easy to forget God and the
attitude
of the ungodly colours our
judgments. Apart from our Lord, no
individual can live in the morass of
iniquity not to be contaminated.
Living in a God-rejecting
independent society, unconsciously
we are moulded into its image and
the result is, treating the commands
of God with impunity, treating His
person with disdain, and treating
His position with a nonchalant
attitude. |
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The first impression of God is the
splendour of His Person, the
absolute authority of His spoken
word, the supremacy of His position,
His administrative supremacy and His
unchanging sovereignty of God. Wise
is the individual who fears Him (Prov.
1:7). In His glorious
pre-existence, He dwells in solitary
dignity. The vastness of His
creation, The highness of his
thoughts and ways, every attribute
is the same, immeasurable,
frightening. How then can I grasp
this? |
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. . . . Rowan Jennings |
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