Week Eight - Day Three: Review

“Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments.”¹

With week four of the Daily Office Project, we turned our attention to acquainting ourselves with God. We began by saying that knowing God is more than knowing things about God. Knowing God has to involve submission to God and love for God. Correct that, knowing God is really the same as submitting to Him and loving Him.

Having said that, acquainting ourselves with God does mean knowing things about Him, at least in part. What is He like? What does He do? So in answer to that we started looking at attributes of God – His nature and His personality.

Holiness

We began by looking at God’s holiness. We noted that the primary definition for holiness is to be set apart, unique. This means that God is in a category by Himself. He is completely and utterly other! This is also why R. C. Sproul says that describing God as holy is another way of saying God is God. More than any other, this is the aspect of God that inspires our reverence and awe and fear.

In fact, one of the most memorable uber encounters with God in all of human history has to be Isaiah’s encounter recorded in Isaiah 6. He has a vision of God – as clear and unadulterated as any vision in all of the Bible. In his vision, Isaiah sees the area around God pictured like a King sitting on his throne in a vast temple surrounded by his attendants. But in God’s case, the attendants are bizarre heavenly creatures who are singing a constant refrain. Guess what they are singing? You may remember, but it’s worth reading again. Also make note of Isaiah’s response.

Isaiah 6:1-5

(1) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. (2) Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. (3) And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
      the whole earth is full of his glory."

(4) At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

(5) "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Self-revealing

Our Holy God is so completely other, He is beyond our comprehension. God tells us plainly: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9) He is unique. We know nothing like Him.

Thankfully, God has revealed Himself to us. He has shown us what He is like through what He has created.

Psalm 19:1-6

(1) The heavens declare the glory of God;
      the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

(2) Day after day they pour forth speech;
      night after night they display knowledge.

(3) There is no speech or language
      where their voice is not heard.

(4) Their voice goes out into all the earth,
      their words to the ends of the world.
      In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

(5) which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
      like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

(6) It rises at one end of the heavens
      and makes its circuit to the other;
      nothing is hidden from its heat.

He has also spoken to us in word and deed – recorded for us through the faithful, inspired witnesses of the Biblical writers. And God has revealed Himself to us primarily and preeminently in Christ.

John 14:6-10

(6) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

(8) Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

(9) Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (10) Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Before You Start Your Day

1. If you have kept up with the offices, you have spent some time memorizing Psalm 19:1-6. Review whatever of those verses you know and add to them.
2. As an act of faith, launch yourself today by acknowledging God as holy and praising Him. Then thank Him for showing Himself to you! Be mindful of Scripture and experiences and people and ideas that have been a part of God’s revelation of Himself to you.