Been busy over the past week and had no time to blog. But back at it today.
Here is part 2 of my thoughts on God giving himself to us in revelation.
We have to talk about election at this point. God chooses people. You might ask what does that have to do with God’s giving of himself in revelation? Well, let me put it this way, when man rebelled against God he freely took every effort to come to us. From Seth, to Noah, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob God gave himself. In revelation, in his promises, by his protection, and in his guidance God gave to them. Then think of Israel the nation. God chose them not because of anything in them, but for his names sake. He gave them Moses, through Moses his name; he gave them his presence in the tabernacle and gave them his leadership. From there he gave Israel the judges, and gave these judges his call, his power, his promise to them to do his work amongst his people. And what of Israel’s king!? God himself would give his king. Yes, the people chose Saul and God anointed him, but this Saul failed even as Judas did; yet, this failure served to show how much God needed to give his king…and he did.
In all this we learn that God the Giver gave to give himself. He gave when he went after sinners and chose a special people he would call his own through whom he would reveal himself to the world. Look at the story in 1 Chronicles 29. Here God gave to his people so that Israel could give for the building of the Temple. David and these people were part of that election. And in his grace he gave to them so they could serve him to build the Temple where God would give himself. In a true sense God giving himself is the whole story of the OT. Th2 1 Chronicles 29 account was one part, one brick in that plan.
But what plan? To give himself. He would come in the fullness of time, not in dreams, visions, or other gifts; he would come himself. He would be the chosen one who would be the very revelation of God. It was Jesus Christ.
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