How Do I Know ALL of the Bible is Really For Me? (Part 2)

How Do I Know the Bible is For Me? (Part 2)

Romans 7:13; Romans 8:2 and many others…

Introduction:

Last week we began looking at the internal evidence that some of the Bible is directed to us, personally, and ALL of it is for us, given for our learning and edification. (“Edification” means to “build up,” or to strengthen. The word “edifice” is still sometimes used to mean “a building.” And, in 1^st Corinthians 3:9, God says “…ye (plural) are God’s building.” So, He wants to “build us up” and strengthen us. And all of His Word is given for that purpose.

2^nd Timothy 3:16, 17 reminds us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, (complete) thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Last week we looked at commands and promises given to individuals in the historical narratives of the Old Testament, and we saw how some of them could be applied as being for us to live by. But God gave others, only for examples from which we can learn the principles of God’s righteousness.

In 1^st Corinthians 10:11, Paul says, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Who is it For?

You remember that Daniel (in Daniel 12:8, 9) was told that the prophecy he had just received was not for him but rather for the people of the end times. The Apostle Paul saw that the church is increasingly part of that “end times” fulfillment. Today we eagerly look to see that “end times” fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecy, as it is happening. But, we also need to look eagerly to see and obey the admonitions of the Old Testament scriptures that Paul points out.

David spoke to that effect, as well, in Psalm 119:9-11, 105, 130. “⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. ¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from they commandments. ¹¹Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

“¹⁰⁵ Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

“¹³⁰The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.”

This is how we learn to walk with God: by feeding on His Word. (And it is all food! If you are hungry, Eat!)

What About the “Personal” Books?

In the books of Ruth, Esther, and Job, we see corroboration of the historical books, as well as “inside information” about some of the events in those histories.

The events in the Book of Ruth all occurred during the history of the Book of Judges. But it tells us some “inside information” regarding the Genealogy of Christ, and, in doing so, it paints a clear picture of the coming Kinsman-Redeemer. We could see that Boaz was a picture of Jesus, our Redeemer. We could also see that Ruth, the Moabite woman, was a picture of the Church. She was a gentile woman. She came from a tribe God had cursed (the Moabites,) but God “grafted her into” the genealogy of Christ, as one of his human ancestors!

The events in the Book of Esther happened during the Babylonian captivity: This book links the Jews in Exile to their Redeemer, showing that He had not forgotten them. When the enemy moved to destroy them, God intervened. (Incidentally, this book is also the origin of the Feast of Purim, which commemorates that delivery, and is still celebrated today by Orthodox Jews.)

The events in the Book of Job probably transpired about the same time Abraham was alive, though we can’t attach a definite date. But it tells us a good deal of “inside information” about our relationship with God, the limitations of Satan’s authority, and a few details about the Creation, as well as hints about the angelic host. And we see a prophecy, (Job 19:25–27) reaching far into the future, to the second coming of Christ, after the Great Resurrection!

Again: it is all food! If you are hungry, EAT!

What About the “Meditations and Wisdom” Portions?

What Should We Do With Them?

The Psalms and Proverbs hold Eternal Wisdom. So do the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes. Some parts are more easily applicable than others, but all of them are there for us to read, to memorize, upon which we are encouraged to meditate, and always, by which we are to profit!

We just quoted a portion of Psalm 119. That chapter is 176 verses long, and all but four verses refer in some way directly to the profitability and necessity of the Word of God! David used many other terms other than “word” to make clear the multifaceted nature of God’s Word:

“Precepts, commandments, statutes, testimonies, law, ways, judgments, words, truth, and ordinances.” All these are used to describe His Word. And, the four verses that do not directly refer to His Word all speak of His faithfulness and judgment, or (in one verse) His eternal Name.

Wisdom is Practical

In the Proverbs, we find God’s Wisdom, in practical application. Proverbs chapter two says that if we want the wisdom of God, we must pursue it through His Word and ask for it in Prayer.

In Ecclesiastes, we hear the echo of God’s Wisdom coming through a man (Solomon) who had engaged in much folly. At the end of his life, he recognized the total waste of time and energy it all had been. He counseled that the reader should drop the nonsense and focus on the Lord.

The Song of Solomon describes a love relationship between a bride and her beloved, the King. In the time when it was written, it spoke of the king (Solomon) and his betrothed (The Shulamite girl.) But, the ultimate fulfillment is in the relationship between Christ (the King of Kings) and the Church (The Bride of Christ.)

It is all food for your soul, and if you feed upon it, you will grow!

**But, What About The Law?**

In Exodus 19:5, God told Israel that they were to be “a peculiar people” unto Him. (We would say, “special.”) The concept is that God gave His covenant (and His Law) to Israel alone. The Law was “iron-clad” to Israel, but it had zero bearing on the heathen nations around them. (By the way, the word “Gentile” means “heathen.”) The Law revealed the depravity of the entire human race, including Israel. But God gave it to Israel, and Israel alone.

If someone from another nation desired to become part of Israel, they had to submit to God’s Law for Israel. They could “do business” with Israel without becoming a Jewish Proselyte. They could even worship the God of Israel without becoming a proselyte. But they could not “attach themselves” to the Nation of Israel without embracing the Law.

Naaman the Syrian, in 2^nd Kings 5, is a prime example. He chose to worship the God of Israel but never became a Jewish Proselyte. God healed him of his leprosy “by Grace, through faith.” (Sound familiar?) God’s Grace moved him to faith in the God of Israel, but he remained a Syrian! He asked for, and took a mule-load of Israel’s soil, to make an altar at home: He said he would now worship only the God of Israel. And through Elisha, God pronounced His blessing on his choice.

Then What Value Does the Law Hold for Us, Today?

That question comes up repeatedly, today: The “road to understanding the answer” has two “ditches.” (Most roads have two “ditches.” The idea is to “stay between the ditches!”)

“Ditch 1:”

One “ditch” to avoid, is the idea that the Law has no bearing on our lives today. That is simply not true! It has great value, as Romans 7:13 points out. Paul says God gave the Law “to show the exceeding sinfulness of sin!” We can learn the principles of the Righteousness of God by reading the Law and meditating upon the underlying concepts.

“Ditch 2”

Trying to“achieve the righteousness of God” through our human efforts at obedience is the other “ditch” to avoid. 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Jesus (who knew no sin) to BE sin, for us “…that we might be made the Righteousness of God, in Him!”

“Staying between the Ditches”

God has to do it! You cannot “achieve” the righteousness of God. Romans 10:3 says (regarding the Jews) that in “…going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God.” This righteousness is not based on works at all! It is God’s gift, through Jesus Christ. God has to declare you “righteous.”

Galatians 2:19-21 says “I, through the Law, am dead to the Law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

The Law cannot produce Righteousness: it never could! Even the Jews who placed their trust in the God of Israel were declared righteous by God because of their faith…not their ability to keep His Law. In Genesis 15:6, we read thatAbram “believed God,” and God credited it to him as righteousness. Romans 4:1-4 reiterates this concept, reminding us that this is the only way anyone has ever been declared righteous by God.

Peter confirmed this truth in Acts 15:7-11. He said that the Jews had never been able to keep God’s Law! He showed that it was unreasonable, unjust, and unkind for the Jewish believers to try to burden the Gentile believers with the Law when they couldn’t keep it themselves!

The Law Still Stands!

But the Law still stands as a principle of holiness. Jesus upgraded the Law of Moses; First by pointing out that all sin begins in the heart. He gave examples, showing that the sin in the heart was just as condemned as the outward expression of the same sin.

Then, He taught that anyone who “loved God with all his heart,” and who “loved his neighbor as himself,” fulfilled the whole Law. (Mark 12:28-34) He confirmed that the Agapé Love encompassed all the Old Law…in principle.

Finally, He gave a new commandment: John 13:34, 35 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Therefore, when Galatians 6:2 commands “…so fulfill the law of Christ,” It specifically refers to the practical outworking of that Agapé Love: reaching out to help another brother or sister.

What About The Law of Sin and Death?

When Romans 8:2 says we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death, it looks back to the only law Adam faced: “…in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)

But ALL of the Mosaic Law connected “sin” to “death:” either YOU died, as a guilty sinner, or, in most cases, it was possible for a blood sacrifice to take your place in death. Ezekiel 18:4 encapsulates this connection, saying “…the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

So, Romans 8:2 says, “…the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. I am no longer under that law! Why? Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of that Law by His death in my place, at the Cross. His blood met the Law’s demand for a blood sacrifice. And God’s Old Testament Law, the “Mosaic Law,” now sees me as dead: it has nothing more to say to me! (The Law does not talk to dead people!”

The Law is still God’s Word, and it is eternally valuable to convict my stubborn heart and to remind me that I cannot live up to God’s standards in my own strength or ability. Jesus confirmed this in John 15:5, saying “…Apart from Me ye can do nothing.”

Philippians 2:13 also confirms this: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Yes, the Law is still FOR me…but it has never been TO me!

What About the Prophets?

God shows that they are all for us, as a general rule…but not all “to” us.

Daniel heard the prophecy God gave, but he complained that he couldn’t understand it. And God told him (Daniel 12:8-13) “Write it down, close the book, and run along! It isn’t to you, but rather to the people of the end times!” So,God gave some parts that are “not directed to us.” But the whole Bible is “for” us.

Isaiah ministered to Judah alone. But the book of Isaiah directs some messages to specific Gentile nations. Also, he announced a “sign” in Isaiah 7:14 and spelled out the Virgin Birth! And in Isaiah 9:6, 7 we see part of the mystery of the Trinity spelled out for us! (“The Son shall be called the Everlasting Father!” Do I understand that? Nope! I don’t!)

In Micah 5:2, it says the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem! Furthermore, scholars tell us that there are roughly 300+ other prophecies specifically concerning the life and times of Jesus the Messiah. And all of them had to be fulfilled in that one life: That One Person!

Please do take the time to feed heavily on God’s Word: It’s all Food! If you are hungry, eat! Next week, we will consider all of the New Testament.

Lord Jesus, Open our eyes to the divisions in Your Word that YOU ordained. Help us to be “workmen that need not be ashamed.” Help us to “rightly divide” Your Word, and faithfully to proclaim Your Name to others.

December 17, 2016December 20, 2016

Hebrews: Jesus is Better!

Jesus Is Better

Hebrews 1: 1-3

Introduction:

Today we will begin a study through the book of Hebrews. This epistle has endured controversy over the years regarding the identity of the writer. The consensus over the centuries has mostly been that the writer was the Apostle Paul, and most Bibles have that printed as part of the title.

However, unlike every other Pauline Epistle, there is no introductory line stating that Paul is the writer, and greeting the recipients with “Grace be unto you, and Peace…” etc. Some have therefore attributed this epistle to Apollos, or some other writer. I tend to think it is Paul, anyway, because of some internal evidence: comments that seem to uniquely fit Paul’s life. There is no clear proof either way, so I will drop that issue, and leave it for others to haggle over. The book was clearly written before AD 70, as a good deal of it regards the temple in Jerusalem, and its service, and there is no mention made of the temple’s destruction (which happened in AD 70). So, most historians tentatively place it at about AD 64, but we can’t be certain.

The general theme is the idea that “Jesus is Better”. The writer shows the infinite superiority of Christ, over seven key aspects of Judaism. He also issues seven warnings to “dabblers” who seem to be believers, but who evidently are just “along for the ride”, and not actually “entering in” by faith. The warnings grow more and more serious, throughout the book. There are forty exhortations of one sort or another, and a great deal of teaching. It is not an easy book to study because there are passages that can be easily misunderstood, if not carefully compared with the rest of the Bible. We will try to address those problematic passages as they arise.

It is interesting, to me, however, that there is almost no teaching in the book of Hebrews on how to be saved, only multiple warnings and exhortations to not miss out on it. Evidently the writer knew his audience, and knew they were aware that salvation was offered as a gift, and of how it must be received. There is also very little teaching on “what the Church is”, or “how it is to function;” only on who Christ is, compared to the Earthly or Heavenly “star-players” of the Old Testament. So, Jesus is better than:

The Prophets (Hebrews 1:1-3)
The Angels (1:4-14; 2:5-18)
The Prophet and Lawgiver, Moses (3:2-6)
The Sabbath (4:1-16; 5:1-10)
The Priesthood (7:4-28; 8:1-6; 9:11)
The Old Covenant (“He is the mediator of a better covenant.”) (8:6-13; 9:1-28)
The Old Testament Sacrifices (He is a better sacrifice) (9:11-14, 23, 28; 10:1-12)

In every case, Jesus was demonstrated to be far superior to whomever or whatever he was to be compared…hence, the thematic choice, “Jesus is better.”

An Abrupt Beginning

The opening lines of the Epistle to the Hebrews actually form one of the problems that make people wonder who the author is: All of Paul’s other epistles begin with a fairly consistent greeting; blessing the recipients and identifying the writer.

The Epistle to the Hebrews dispenses with formalities, so to speak; it makes no “introduction” as to the writer or the recipients, nor even to the theme, but simply slams right into the theme itself. It is interesting to me that the Old Testament Hebrew writings sometimes do the same thing. (Genesis 1:1, for example.) Possibly the reason this book is so different in style is specifically because it is the only epistle Paul wrote for a non-Gentile audience. In Romans 11:13 Paul cheerfully identifies himself as “the apostle to the Gentiles”. So, all of his writings to the Gentiles followed Gentile formats. We have another example by an unbelieving Roman centurion, (Acts 23:35, ff,) and it follows a similar form. So, I am comfortable with the differences between this epistle and the others written by Paul. Most, if not all, of the differences can be attributed to the difference in the intended recipients.

By verse two we can see that a comparison is being made between the Old Testament Prophets and Jesus, with Jesus being shown to be so far superior that no further comment is made. No argument is offered: He is simply shown to be God, while the prophets were simply the mouthpieces or spokesmen for God. In the same short chapter, the angelic hosts are shown to be a servant-class creation, while Jesus is shown to be their Creator and Master; but we will pursue that subject at a later date.

Though the majority of the epistle is written to genuine believers, there are seven warnings to professing believers (sometimes intermingled with exhortations to believers), scattered throughout the whole book:

Don’t neglect the salvation that is being offered. (2:1-4)
Don’t harden your heart. (3:7-4:1)
Don’t fail, through unbelief, to enter in. (4:1)
Don’t fall away, despising the sacrifice of Christ (6:1-9)
Don’t attempt to fall back on the sacrifices…they no longer work. (10:26-31; 35-39)
Don’t opt out for temporal gain. (12:16)
Don’t refuse to hear (respond to) Him. (12:25-29)

There are also about 40 exhortations to believers, which we will address as they arise.

I will be quoting from the KJV. You are welcome to read along in any translation you like.

Hebrews Chapter One: God Speaks to Man

The writer begins with the “Author of all things”—God. Both Genesis and John begin with the same individual. I think it is an effective approach, especially in dealing with an audience of professing Hebrew believers, to begin with the central person of all Eternity: God.

¹God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

²Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
In various ways and at various times, God has approached Man. We cannot approach Him unless He first reaches out to us. Think about it: He is invisible, so that we don’t know where to look; and He’s absolutely Holy, so as to be completely separate from the fallen race of Man. We can only see the effects of His power, and marvel from a distance at His obvious wisdom and splendor. We have no real way to approach God: God had to approach Man.

Even in the Garden of Eden, God called to Adam, “Where art thou?” not the other way around. All through the Old Testament, God reached out to Mankind, meeting us where we lived. And it has continued so today. God says in Psalm 14, and reiterates in Romans 3, that “…there is no one who seeks after God.” We have a hard time with that idea: we insist, “Oh, yes we do!” But the fact is that we only seek after that “missing something”, in each of our lives; perhaps motivated by a longing for meaning and direction and Peace; but, most certainly not seeking the Creator and Judge of all the Universe. We fear Him; we flee from Him, and we reject him at every turn, until He comes and confronts us. (E.g. John 1:11, 12; Acts 9:1-6)

God had sent prophets, many times, throughout the centuries, but they were usually rejected, and were frequently murdered. So, God himself changed the game. After thousands of years of sending prophets, judges, and deliverers at various levels; speaking unto the Fathers (the patriarchs) by the prophets, He finally sent “God in the Flesh:” God the Son. He spoke to the prophets in a variety of ways: out of the air, from a burning bush, from the glory in the tabernacle, and from a towering column of thundering smoke at Mount Sinai… but the prophets were sent to speak to the patriarchs. Who did He send to us? Jesus!

Jesus is Better Than the Prophets

He says that, “in these last days”, he has spoken to us by His Son. But not just any son… the only begotten Son—the heir, “whom He hath appointed heir of all things”. And, lest we forget just who that Son really is (not just a Jewish Carpenter), he reminds us that it is Jesus who carried out the creation of the universe. (Greek “aeonas”—the ages…this is not the Greek word “kosmos”, which can mean a world or a world system. But we see in Genesis that the “time-pieces” (Sun, moon, and stars) were created after the creation of the earth that we inhabit. So, if Jesus is the creator of the ages…all time as well as the whole earth, as we will see, then he is truly the Creator of the universe.) Also; though we see things from the perspective of those locked in time and space, God sees from Eternity, the eternal “Now,” and He decreed before the foundation of the Earth that the Only Begotten Son was to be the means of our salvation. Jesus is “Plan A”—and there is no “Plan B.” (Ephesians 1:4; 3:8-11; 1^st Peter 1:20)

He goes on to describe the person and work of Jesus Christ in astonishing ways, so that any reader can see the unquestionable superiority of the Son, but in ways that are especially tailored for Jewish readers:

³Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

What Does He Say?

He says that Jesus is the brightness of the Glory of God. (Think about the tabernacle! Remember how the Glory of God shone out from the Tabernacle so brightly that no one could go in? That was Jesus, personally showing up to bless the new structure, though it was just a tent at that point! Later, in the great Temple of Solomon, the same thing happened: The “Shekinah” Glory shone out. Jesus is the Brightness of God’s Glory!)
He says that Jesus is the exact manifestation of the Father. (Compare John 14:8-11) We have a hard time with this, because it exceeds our imagination, but the Jews had an even harder time, as they denied that it was possible for a man to be God, or for God to become a man. And yet, had they thought it over, they would have realized that God had many times appeared in the form of a man in their history. He had eaten with them, fought for them, and wrestled with one of the patriarchs! If they read Zechariah 12:1-10, they should have even seen that the one that was pierced was Jesus…and Jehovah!
He says that the Word of Jesus is what is “upholding all things”…maintaining the Universe… (Compare Colossians 1:15-17: “holding everything together”.)
The Greek word for “Power”, here, is “dunamis”, not the word for authority—“exousia”. This refers to the sheer magnitude of His ability. And yet, he does it by His Word.
He says that Jesus himself purged the sins of the human race…he alone did it. There is no other work to be done. The sinner can add nothing to the completed work of Jesus at the Cross. His blood stands for eternity as the full payment for the sins of the Human race. His work is finished!
He further says that when Jesus had accomplished that task, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. (Note—in the tabernacle, or the temple (our only glimpses into the “arrangement” of the throne room of God) the Ark of the Covenant was the only piece of furniture in the inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies. If Jesus completed his High-priestly duties, where could he sit? Especially, how could he sit down “at the right hand of God?” The answer is that he is God, and has the right to sit between the cherubim, on the Mercy Seat, in the place of God. Consider John 5:22) Further, the Old Testament high priests could never sit down. Their work could never be completed, even had there been a place to sit.

To me, these are mind-boggling premises. And the writer did not ease up on the ideas, or even try to “build a case,” culminating in the explanation of these facts. He simply, bluntly stated them, and allowed the Jewish readers to draw their own conclusions. The Jewish believers, then and now, were pretty awed by the prophets…and rightfully so. But the writer of the book of Hebrews immediately points out that Jesus surpasses the Prophets in every way.

Conclusion

If we haven’t already caught on to the identity of Jesus Christ, we need to open our eyes and see it! Paul spoke to a mixed audience: not all of them really knew the enormity of who Jesus is/was. Some still had the idea that he was just the most recent in a long line of Jewish Prophets. Some may have thought that he was some sort of exalted spiritual being, along the lines of an angel. The writer gives no room for such thoughts.

Who do you say that he is? Jesus asked that question of the disciples, and Peter responded, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” That turned out to be a great answer.

But there are those who are uncomfortable with it. John 1:1-14 reveals that Jesus is God in the Flesh, and Hebrews 1:1-14 reveals the same truth in more stark terms. We cannot relegate Jesus to a lesser status than who he really is. He has to be one of the following:

The Almighty God, the Creator, who became a Man, so that He could die in our place,
A lesser god of some sort, or
Not a god at all.

Some people diminish Jesus to the state of a demi-god…a great spiritual being of some sort. This means he was not truly Man (which would disqualify Him as Savior) nor was He truly God (which would also disqualify Him as Savior.) So the religions and philosophies that deny His deity also have to deny him as Savior. (By the way, one of these groups, which lifts its name from Isaiah 43:10, where it says “I am Jehovah and you are my witnesses” in their Bible, ignore the next few verses, which say that there has never been another God before or after Him, and that apart from Him there is no savior!

Others go further and declare him to be only a man, possibly a good man, but deluded, at best. Some even go a step further and deny that he ever existed at all, as though he were simply a creature of mythology and wishful thinking…perhaps like Santa Claus. Not only would both of these accusations completely disqualify him as savior, they fly in the face of history.

The secular historians of Jesus’ time knew who he was. They denied his deity, but they surely knew of his existence. And the many thousands who believed on him in the first century were martyred because they knew who and what Jesus was, and because they believed in Him. Theirs was not a faith built on hearsay. They had known him personally, and had personally witnessed the crucifixion and the resurrection. People don’t willingly sacrifice their lives for something they know to be a lie. They knew the truth.

The fact is, we know the truth too! So we need to live as those who know the truth, and who, by that truth, have been set free to serve the Living God. As we study through Hebrews, we can be set free by the sure knowledge of the Person of Christ. It seems especially appropriate to think on these truths, at this season of Christmas, when we commemorate His birth. The following song by Mark Lowry, addresses this question:

Mary, Did you Know?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb?

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding is the great “I AM!”

Personally, I find that concept absolutely beyond comprehension! But that is the Truth! The One whom we have come to know, and trust as our Savior.

Lord Jesus, lift up our eyes to see your face. Help us to see you in your humanity, but just barely cloaking your full deity. It is hard, perhaps impossible, for us to understand your deity, Help us to accept that truth, and see your face in the Scriptures as well as in the Creation.