In the Beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.

These ten English words begin a journey of knowledge, faith and revelation beyond the capacity of the human mind to exhaust. In the realm of science, they are as unalterable and confronting as another list of ten. Of course, that list is the Ten Commandments which deal with faith and morality.

Who wrote such confronting words? He must have been told about the event, not being present at the beginning. I’d suggest it was Adam who kept the record from his conversations with God. As we will discover Adam was no grunting, evolving ape. He was created fully endowed with physical, mental and spiritual capabilities beyond our comprehension.  To get some idea of this man you need to see him through the lens, as it were, of the 2^nd Adam as Jesus is called. Ultimately it would be Moses who compiled the account with other sources to give to us the first five books of Scripture.

This verse in one breath sweeps away any notion that the universe is eternal or imbued with God’s nature. Later on this is re-enforced by the announcement of Isaiah 65:17: ‘See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.’ Why was this necessary? We will consider the reason later.

The word for ‘beginning’is also translated as ‘first, chief and first-fruit.’ Would I be off beam to say God is here establishing a principle He would require from His people? They were expected to bring of the first-fruits of their crop and herds as a gift to Him. In the opening verse of the Bible the Lord God prepared a magnificent first fruit gift of His creative act for Adam and future generations. The heavens not only declare the Lord’s glory, they express His generosity.

By stating the universe and everything it in had a beginning points to the Lord as being before it. Within the pages of Scripture we come across one of His titles, Alpha and Omega. Revelation 1:8: ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ In the Greek alphabet Alpha is the beginning and Omega is the end. Again we are confronted by a principle. The Lord claims the right by His very being as well as by His creation of Humankind to be their, our, Alpha. Only then can we be assured He will be our Omega when our life comes to its full stop. We need to heed Isaiah 45:21-22: ‘There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none like me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.’

If you or I take the accounts of Genesis as beautiful fiction, fantasy or fable we will succumb to a mishmash of theories. These will weaken our foundation for faith and cause malnutrition of the spirit. Genesis is fact, plain and simple it may be, but fact it remains. You will never need to apologise for your faith because God’s word is eternally true and not subject to ever recurring changes when so called scientific findings are promoted.

In the beginning, God! 

Therefore, I resolve to make it my business to build my life on the God as reveled in the Bible.

By What Authority!

The confusion caused by so many choices is evident from the supermarket to the religious scene. In matters of faith religions clamour for your attention and allegiance. How can you know the genuine from the fraudulent? Not by the wrapper. Seek out the author, creator and the guarantor of the matter.

Christians believe the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, are their authority and framework for their faith. Such convictions arise out of an understanding of its history, its integrity and survival of every attempt to destroy, discredit and deny its authenticity.  Disciples of Christ Jesus call Him Lord and Saviour because of the cross and resurrection! He accepted the inspiration of the Old Testament by such a statement as Matthew 5:18: ‘truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, nor the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.’ Christians say yes to that also!

When some followers of Jesus couldn’t handle some of Jesus’ teaching they dropped out. Jesus asked the twelve what was their intention. Peter’s reply underscore’s his conviction of the Lord’s authority and the power of His words. ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’ (John 6:68-69).

Why is the Bible so important?

Many reasons can be forthcoming ranging from historical accounts of former nations and events to prophetic insights, especially concerning Christ Jesus. There are warnings and blessings associated with matters of faith, morality and worship we ignore at our discomfort. Below are some quotes made within its pages proclaiming its authority and thereby claiming the right for Humankind’s allegiance! There is no other book stressing the basis on which we can have confidence in the source and accuracy regarding its authority.

‘I (the Lord God) foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass… You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. Isaiah 48:3, 6-7. 

Do you want to understand the future? Do you want to be prepared for the unpleasant, the unwanted, the unexpected and safeguard your faith, family and future? Read God’s word, especially the prophets and the Revelation.

Why is the Bible so relevant to daily living?

‘The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.’ Psalm 19:7-11.

Why is the Bible so powerful?

‘You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God…the word of the Lord endures forever.’ 1 Peter 1:23-25

Therefore, in the light of what I’ve read I resolve to feed my heart and mind more diligently with the nourishment of God’s word. It is powerful because it reveals the Eternal God. It is powerful because it is Truth. It is powerful because it takes a person out of moral and spiritual death and gives him/her life and that life is linked to and from Jesus.

The  Majestic Mystery of Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Isaiah records some wonderful and precious teaching and insights surrounding the Messiah. We have been given a brief and simple study of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant. To me, this passage has captivated me with its majestic concept of the Suffering Servant. It has also made me aware of a mystery of grace which will never be plumbed or exhausted in the telling.

By placing the description of the affliction suffered by the person in Isaiah 53 with Roman torture (Matthew 27.) we have an insight to the suffering endured. What astounds me is the statement that He opened not His mouth. Why did the soldiers inflict such brutality before crucifying Him? I think this arose from various factors. They would have been feeling embarrassed by retreating and falling before Him in Gethsemane. There could possibly a sense of Jesus being innocent of the charges and to cover this they smashed Him the more. Being soldiers they had their orders which they must carry out.

They did their work thoroughly and professionally. I tend to think Satan was there exciting them and stirring their blood lust. Another reason could be that He had to pay the full price of sin covering all time and the worst of sinners. Isaiah 53:14 says His visage was marred more than any man. On the cross, when the sin of the world was on Him, Jesus became the vilest of the vile. This was too much for the Father. He turned His eyes away and cast darkness over the scene. What this means is that no one is beyond the power of forgiveness obtained by the substitutionary death of Christ. Remember Paul’s words. He was the worst of sinners, but not beyond the reach of grace.

When Jesus became the fulfilment of Isaiah 53 He incorporated ever so much more than paying the redemption price of your salvation. To limit the sacrifice of the suffering Servant to our personal redemption is to rob Him of His glory and power. 

1.      As Creator he redeemed creation from its bondage. Romans 8:20

2.     As the Son of God, He stood in the death sentence imposed on Israel, also called the Son.

3.     As the husband of Israel Jesus paid the penalty for her spiritual adultery.

4.     As the land owner of Israel, the country, His death cleansed it from iniquity.

5.     As the Servant He redeemed those He served, the nation of Israel.

6.     As the 2^nd Adam He ransomed the 1^st Adam and his progeny.

7.     As Eternal Life, He clothed Himself in mortality to destroy Death.

8.     As the Commander of Israel’s Army He paid for their insubordination.

All of this is verified by His resurrection from the tomb.  We endorse it by faith and allegiance. One day it will be proclaimed by sight when He, the risen Lord, returns in glory to rule. This underscores why He hasn't cast off the Nation ofIsrael. Yes, it s sidelined for the present, but in the day of His choosing, they will be re-instated.  

There can be no mystery to the reason we declare Jesus to be King of kings, Lord of lords, with a Name above very name in heaven, on earth or under the earth. What a privilege will be ours when we see Him and worship Him to the honour and glory of the Father! That's the culmination of  the magnificent mystery of the Messiah in Isaiah 53.

The Commander of Israel’s army.

When the newly redeemed Nation of Israel left Egypt, they did so under a new description. We miss this more often due to the images presented by film directors concerning the Exodus. In this second book of the Bible, chapter 12:51 this fledgling nation is likened to an army. They move out in their companies. That is a pre-arranged marching order of tribes, clans and family units. This would have been pre-arranged during the contest between Moses and Pharaoh. When they marched in the daytime, He is a Pillar of cloud and at night, a Pillar of fire at the head of the people. At the same time, He is their rear guard whilst promising to be in their midst.

Pacifists and others may not like this Scriptural reality, God redeems and at the same moment, enlist the believer into His command. This remains true under both testaments. Deuteronomy 20 presents an outline of Israel’s rule for warfare. This is why one of the titles for Jesus is the Commander of the Lord’s Hosts. In Deuteronomy 28-31 we can read an outline of God’s promise and warnings to the Nation. Obedience meant blessings and victory in conflict. Disobedience would result in a gradual but perceptual recognition of God’s disfavour. The ultimate disgrace as mentioned in Scripture was to be a casting out of the promised land.

The entrance into the land of promise was through a military venture. Joshua was guaranteed that wherever his soldiers planted their feet they would be victorious. The inference and implications being, if their ‘feet matched the obedience and faith of their heart’. We know of the victory of Jericho and the strange tactics there. However, the defeat at Ai reveals the error of presuming upon the Lord of Hosts. This attitude of heart seems to have cursed Israel for generations. The classic is in 1 Samuel 4 with the immorality of the leading priests, Hophni and Phinehas and the weak leadership of Eli. Faced with defeat by the Philistines the ark of the covenant was called upon to join the army. They must have imagined Yahweh would not permit it to be captured. They were wrong!

Throughout the Nation’s history men and women of faith called out to Yahweh to return and take command of the army. They realised defeat, enslavement and dispersion was ultimately a covenant breaking matter. Psalm 44 is the cry of a hurting, confused longing man. He remembered past history and the Lord’s deliverances’ and his present day of their despair. “But, you have cast us off, and put us to shame; You do not go with our armies … “ [verse 9]

Israel failed Yahweh in every area of their calling. As an army they we mutinous, or self opiniated, choosing to do things their way, not heeding their Commander’s orders. The result was defeat, being occupied by hostile nations, and exile from the land. That which is easily overlooked is the disciplinary action, indeed the court-martial judgements that must be faced. Such insubordination in other armies is recorded as warranting the death penalty. In the Roman Legion after one retreat one in ten soldiers were executed. Should such a sentence be carried out in Israel the result would be the end of the Nation. However, judgement must fall.

Once again, I am overcome by the implications embraced by Isaiah 53. The Commander of the Army, the Lord, took the place of His rebellious and disreputable troops. That stigma has been paid for in blood and banished. Though sidelined in this present age, Israel will face other conflicts. Ezekiel 38-39 highlight such times. Once again the Lord ‘marches’ with His people. Then the Gentile Nations will behold the glory of Yahweh.  However, it is worth noting the final conflict. The Messiah comes to claim His throne, Kingdom and creation as the Lord of Hosts. Though accompanied by angels, Jesus and He alone, does the fighting. The sword of His mouth, the brightness of His glory overwhelms the forces aligned against Him. Read Matthew 24 and Revelation19.

The more you take the time to read, study, reflect upon Isaiah 53 the more amazing Christ, the cross and Calvary become. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews said it succinctly in chapter 12:1-2. ‘Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.’

copyright Ray Hawkins 11.1.2020.