HIS WORD
God’s Word. An entity of Him revealed throughout all of His interactions with us in human history; His truth; His light; His instructions for salvation; His covenants; prophecies; and ultimately in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ – God’s Word “embodying flesh,” as the Apostle John encounters in John 1:14. His Word is His dynamic known revelation clearly made known to us. We often mistake the original meaning of His Word (“Dabbar” in Hebrew). “His Word” is a separate concept from the writings of what we refer to today as the Old Testament and the New Testament. The writings are the documentation of His Word.
The original documentation of His Word – which comprise the Bible – came from prophets, teachers, kings, poets, fisherman, and others from all walks of society. It is a history of God working through the Hebrew people, whom He chose to deliver His message to the entire world.
The Bible is a Hebrew document, which God chose to speak specifically through the Hebrew / Jewish people — of over 40 authors — across nearly 1500 years. Inspired by God, their recorded writings are one unified story, unwittingly sewn together across time, just as God parsed what He deemed necessary for each culture to know about Him at the time.
Today, historians and archeologists have been able to verify the accuracy of scriptures, to withstand the most rigorous trials of authenticity. Still the best selling book of all time, The Bible is cherished as the God-breathed set of documents and its subsequent dynamic guidance within. Like a daily bread, and living water: the Bible is beautiful sustenance rich, deep, and spiritually “flavorful” in every way. A love letter from God to us.
HIS NAME AND HIS CHARACTER
In a world of thousands of religions, cults, and secular doctrines: how do I know which is the real God?
Answer: By His name and His attributes found in the Bible.
The term “God” (with a capital G) has mistakenly been erroneously attached to many false gods (lowercase g)— of whom there are many different names. “God” however, is a title, like “President.”We usually clarify which president we refer to by accompanying the title “president” with the given name of that president. Many countries can have a president. Many people either collectively or individually create their own god, and call him God. Their god version comes complete with whatever attributes are usually created into an image they prefer. God of the Bible however is the complete opposite. His character and evidence of interaction with us are both far beyond the evidentiary mindset of the ancient age.
Yehovah God — is the name He Himself gave to us. Originally “YHWH” the Hebrew consonants were all that their alphabet had, and as such YHWH translated to His name. The closest English meaning of the Hebrew name YHWH is: “I AM,” or “self-sustaining” “omnipotent” “eternal” “all encompassing.” This is the name God gave to Moses at the famous burning bush encounter on Mount Sinai. Some pronounce His name Yaweh. Some pronounce it Jehovah. Some Hebrews shortened it to “Yah.”
PSALM 133
ABOVE: The personal name of God, YHWH (red boxes) as inscribed in Psalm 133. Dead Sea Scrolls. (11Q Psalms. Radiocarbon / Paleographic dating: circa 200 BC)
His character, (aka. “attributes”), and His display of power and love — chose to reveal Himself to us, just as He ordered in His Word. The Bible.The Bible is a self-sustaining unified narrative from Genesis to Revelation, demonstrating His attributes of love; salvation; and a pursuing God.It is only by His plan of salvation, and the Spirit that comes with accepting this one and only true God — that an individual can allow Him take literal residence in our life.Just as He demonstrated in the Tabernacle.
THE TENT TABERNACLE OF EXODUS WITH SURROUNDING 12 HEBREW TRIBES
The Tabernacle is a symbol of our temporary bodies, traveling through this world led by God. It was a picture God instructed for Moses to build, to demonstrate how He would later dwell within each of our “temporary tents”, only possible by being cleansed by Christ’ blood — for all who believe! Once the Messiah Jesus arrived, we who follow Him are also destined for a permanent home with new eternal bodies with Christ guiding us there from the inside — just as the Hebrew people were guided by the external presence God toward their promised land by God. A symbol-rich physical gift of God, to teach His one and only plan of salvation for us. That plan is to save us from eternal separation from His as intimately communing with us — as a friend and guide –within our temporary bodies here.
God chose to reveal this consistent plan speaking to the Hebrew / Jewish people. Yet all along, that message to the Hebrews held a reiterating an important aspect: His full plan was to reach the entire world with his love and salvation. Not just the Hebrew people. This global plan is told and demonstrated throughout the Bible. More specifically, the promise would ultimately be fulfilled by an anointed one, from the line of King David. That Anointed One delivered an overwhelming gift. The deal of all ages.
THE WORD MADE FLESH:
Jesus was the living representative of all love and truth — that is The Word of God. In other words, all of God’s truth both abstract and written through his chosen prophets and teachers is wrapped in the perfection of His Son — Jesus. The beginning of John 1 dramatically states: “And the Word became flesh, and made His home among us.” John 1:14
Here and throughout the Bible: a mysterious connection exists between Jesus in the flesh, his sacrifice on the cross, and His overcoming death at His physical resurrection — as they are all connect to the abstract idea of ‘Truth.’Our natural universe of physics struggles to wrap its head around this connection between physical and spiritual / God-man and truth.But God did intersect His Spiritual Realm with our earthly realm — on multiple occasions.Sometimes in spectacular view; sometimes internally in hearts and minds; but none of His intersections with earth are as His climatic reveal of His ultimate plan all along:Jesus the Messiah.The salvation for all mankind.And yes, the actual embodiment of God’s Word — just as the biblical texts above describe.
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