The Divine Nature # 2

The Lord said to me…”I will test my people with a Plumbline, Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Divine Nature # 2

Brief Review:

There is None Like God

There is none like God.

God has no opposite. He is far greater than all He has created. Satan is NOT God’s opposite; only an opponent.

·      2 Samuel 7:22 (NASB) "For this reason you are great, O Lord GOD; for THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU, and there is no God besides You…”

The Importance of Knowing God

·      John 17:3 (NKJV) And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

His Infinite Attributes -

Omnipotence, All Powerful.

·      Matthew 19:26 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

The incident with the young ruler prompted a brief message from Jesus to His disciples. He remarked how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. In fact Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Since the man was trusting his riches rather than the Lord to save him, he could no more enter the kingdom than a camel (one of the largest animals used by Jews) could go through “the eye of a needle” (rhaphidos, a sewing needle; not a small gate within another gate as is sometimes suggested). This needle’s eye was an extremely small opening. The astonished disciples asked, Who then can be saved? This showed the Pharisees’ influence on them, for the Pharisees said God bestows wealth on those He loves. So if a wealthy person cannot make it into the kingdom, seemingly no one can! Jesus answered that salvation is a work of God. What appears to be impossible with men is what God delights to do (cf. 17:20).

·      Job 42:2 (NLT)  “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

Omniscient, All Seeing

·      Psalms 147:5 (KJV) Great is our Lord…his understanding is infinite.

God’s greatness is seen in His sustaining power in the universe He created (cf. vv. 8-9, 15-18). He knows each of the myriads of stars (cf. Isa. 40:26). Yet the One who has so much power and understanding (cf. Isa. 40:28) sustains the humble in the face of opposition. This too displays His grace.

·      Matthew 6:8 (NKJV) Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Omnipresent, He is everywhere

·      Ezekiel 48:35 (NLT)  “The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be ‘The LORD Is There.’”

·  Jeremiah 23:24 (NLT) Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the LORD.

·      Isaiah 66:1 (NLT) This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place?

God is pictured figuratively as sitting on a throne (cf. 6:1) with the earth as His footstool (cf. Acts 7:49). Because of His majesty no one can build a house for Him to dwell in (1 Kings 8:27); He is the Creator. Yet what He values above His inanimate Creation are people who are humble and contrite (cf. Isa. 57:15) and who follow His word. In one-way or another, this has been Isaiah’s message throughout this book. God wants His people to follow the truth He has revealed to them. For Israel that was primarily the Mosaic Covenant. Pointing the people back to the Word of God, Isaiah was indicating that they needed to obey it if they were to enjoy His blessings.

Our next edition will consider further insights into  God’s attributes.