Better Promises : WK 1 - MON
(Hebrews 1:1-4)
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.
It’s non-stop communication. God has been speaking from the beginning of time. Genesis tells us God spoke the earth into existence and he hasn’t stopped talking. If this is true (and I believe it is) then why does it seem that God seems silent at times.
We know that communication has a deliverer and a receiver. One speaks and the other hears. So God takes on the role of speaker and the hearers, you and me, seem to be deaf. So what is the problem? Who is the problem? God or us?
The author of Hebrews tells us that God spoke in the past through prophets. These were humans called on by God to deliver messages to his people. And I know that the term prophet carries spiritual heft but never forget that prophets in the end are still human. Humans that preach powerfully one moment, and run away scared the next moment. Do great miracles in the face of danger and then disobey God in a fit of anger.
And when these incidents happen, the message of God can get skewed. The clarity of God’s love and mercy can get warped and His reputation takes a hit for those observing the inconsistency of the messenger and the message.
And we turn off our ears, plug into the world and ignore what God might be doing around us. We miss the messages that come from God from nature, our family and community, from church, and even our own hearts. So God had to do something about it.
So God decided to choose a new messenger, a better messenger. Someone whose life and speech would clearly communicate who God is and what God is like. Jesus, the one who “...radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God…” Now there can be no confusion. Now we can see who God is. If you need a better picture of God, look to Jesus.
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.
It’s non-stop communication. God has been speaking from the beginning of time. Genesis tells us God spoke the earth into existence and he hasn’t stopped talking. If this is true (and I believe it is) then why does it seem that God seems silent at times.
We know that communication has a deliverer and a receiver. One speaks and the other hears. So God takes on the role of speaker and the hearers, you and me, seem to be deaf. So what is the problem? Who is the problem? God or us?
The author of Hebrews tells us that God spoke in the past through prophets. These were humans called on by God to deliver messages to his people. And I know that the term prophet carries spiritual heft but never forget that prophets in the end are still human. Humans that preach powerfully one moment, and run away scared the next moment. Do great miracles in the face of danger and then disobey God in a fit of anger.
And when these incidents happen, the message of God can get skewed. The clarity of God’s love and mercy can get warped and His reputation takes a hit for those observing the inconsistency of the messenger and the message.
And we turn off our ears, plug into the world and ignore what God might be doing around us. We miss the messages that come from God from nature, our family and community, from church, and even our own hearts. So God had to do something about it.
So God decided to choose a new messenger, a better messenger. Someone whose life and speech would clearly communicate who God is and what God is like. Jesus, the one who “...radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God…” Now there can be no confusion. Now we can see who God is. If you need a better picture of God, look to Jesus.
- What picture of God have you gotten from the world?
- What picture of God have you gotten from the church?
- What picture of God do you get when you look at the life and teachings of Jesus?
No Comments