Real and Perfect Rest

There's rest and then there's rest. There's the kind of rest that you get on vacation—sometimes there really isn't much rest because of the preparation and travel and the cost. Vacations often are just a change of scenery to get away from it all or to see new things.

 

But then there is rest—real rest, deep rest, restoring rest, perfect rest. It's the kind of rest many of us just do not get very often. Think of emergency workers during major crises. Think of young mothers nursing children or parents with a house full of kids. Think of the businessman, the driver or the nurse who just cannot get much time off and who work extended hours. Think about people who suffer from serious illnesses and chronic pain. There is really not much rest for these folks either.

 

Rest can be defined as "a bodily state characterized by minimal functional or metabolic activities," or "a freedom from activity or labor," or peace of mind or spirit.[1] It can be safely said that each one of us longs to find and we desire true rest. So, let’s explore four movements of rest that can be found in the Bible.

 

We can find four movements of rest in the Bible.

 

FIRST MOVEMENT

Genesis 2:2-3 reads, “On the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." What a wonderful thing that God rested. He sat back and just enjoyed his creation, not because he was tired—for he is infinite in power. He did not lift a finger and just rested from his work. It gives to us a splendid example of taking rest. "Rest, my little ones," we can almost hear him say. It is good to know that we can rest because God rested.

 

Let’s learn a bit more about the concepts of rest in the Old Testament from Joseph E. Coleson. These concepts are important to understand both the rest that God engaged in and the rest that he commanded. More on this later.

 

There are two Hebrew roots from which we derive the concept of Sabbath-rest. The first is shabat [shah-BOT], which occurs first in Genesis 2:2-3. In its verb forms, it usually means “cease.” Of its nearly 70 occurrences in the Old Testament, only nine can be accurately translated “rest/rested.” The others mean “cease/ceased” without regard to whether “rest” follows. For instance, after the flood, God promised, “As long as the earth endures,” the natural rhythms and seasons of the earth “will never cease” (8:22).

 

So where is the idea of the Sabbath day “rest” if not in the word shabat? This question brings us to our second root, which occurs in Exodus 20:11: “For in six days [Yahweh] made . . . [everything], but he rested on the seventh day.” “But he rested” translates a verb derived from nuach [NOO-ach]—both originally and primarily meaning “rest,” with all its longed-for restorative qualities, benefits, and imageries.

 

In short, shabat means “cease.” Nuach means “rest.” Both roots feature in the fourth commandment, in Exodus and in Deuteronomy. Both are necessary for God to offer—and for God’s people to understand and accept—God’s gift of Sabbath-rest.[2]

 

SECOND MOVEMENT

The second and third movements of rest are closely tied. The second movement is the promise of Canaan rest. Once delivered from Egyptian slavery (which was a rest in and of itself!), God gave the Hebrews the promise of a plentiful land of rest. However, that promised rest was not begun for forty years due to their disobedience. Indeed, the Canaan rest was not ever fully experienced due to continued disobedience. But more on this next.  Let’s call the next two movements times of “fitful rest”.

 

THIRD MOVEMENT

While the Hebrews were being established as a nation and a people of God, God took another step in regarding this matter. In the Law handed down to Moses God commanded a rest. It is called the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). In this commandment God does something very deliberate. He forever connects the idea of physical rest with the idea of spiritual rest and holiness. For only a holy person can enjoy a holy day. A wicked person cannot rest on a holy day because they will be overcome by either rebellion or guilt.

 

When we follow God's laws and love him deeply, the rest we get is very sweet—both physically and spiritually. This includes sleeping well at night because we have no fear or a guilty conscience. We can think about and meditate on God's goodness. Letting our bodies and minds relax on one special day a week permits us to regroup and restore for the new week ahead. It's just wonderful.

 

After the Hebrews wandered in the desert for four decades, the price had been paid and we see in the book of Joshua the beginning of the action to move into that rest. As the author of the New Testament book of Hebrews wrote, yet again, they failed in keeping the covenant and all of the Canaan rest was not to be had. However, the commandment to take a Sabbath rest continued for those who were faithful to honor God’s day of rest. Consider what Joseph Coleson wrote about this matter.

 

The author of Hebrews [Chapters 3-4] interpreted the failure of the adult generation of the Exodus to enter into God’s rest in Canaan to mean (among other things) that Joshua’s leading of the next generation into the land their parents had failed to enter was, at best, only a partial fulfillment of God’s promise of “rest.” Key to this interpretive move was the psalmist’s use of “today” (95:7) to lead off his plea to “today’s” generation of Yahweh believers not to repeat the unbelief and rebellion of their ancestors summarized in the rest of the psalm. That the psalmist spoke of “today”—a day not yet seen by God’s people—led the author of Hebrews to identify “today” with the eternal “Sabbath-rest” of which the weekly one-day-in-seven Sabbath is a symbolic precursor.[3]

 

Read Hebrews 3:1-6.

 

In the first and second chapter of Hebrews, the writer spent a significant amount of word-power comparing Jesus to angels, establishing his divinity and affirming the Incarnation—God coming to us in the flesh. Then in the third chapter the writer moved to another very significant distinction.  This is the distinction between Jesus and Moses.

 

We can see the compassion and passion of the writer in how the first readers are addressed. They are holy brothers and sisters. Because of their relationship with Jesus Christ, they are made into a family as they are in the presence of their Savior who has called them to a better and a higher way. And this better way is the object on which they can fix their attention, focus their religious fervor, and gain spiritual maturity. The only place in the New Testament where Jesus is described as an Apostle is here. The title of Apostle describes someone who has been sent with a message—a message of hope. This message of hope comes from Jesus who is also a high priest.

 

The writer addresses here two very prominent issues for these early Christians. First, Jesus is the one who has completed the role of high priest. After the sacrifice of himself—not a bull or lamb—the work of this High Priest is completely satisfied. Centuries of people from the Hebrew tradition had followed the exact same practices outlined in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Jesus brought those God-established practices to a perfect resolution through his faithfulness to the spirit of the Law. A perfect animal sacrifice—as perfect as could be found—had to be brought to the tabernacle to act as the substitution and representation of the sins of the people. Jesus was the absolutely perfect sacrifice and therefore no more sacrifices for sins had to be made.  Of this the new Christians, still living by the Law given to Moses, could be freed to testify (confess, witness) to the freedom they had found in him.   

 

Secondly, the writer draws the comparison between Jesus and Moses Here it would be helpful to understand the role of Moses in the Hebrew and Jewish community, particularly for those who were contemporaries with the writer of this New Testament book. We rely on the excellent synopsis of Richard S. Taylor.

 

“The voice of Moses had become virtually the voice of God in Hebrew thinking. An appeal to Moses settled all questions. The transfer of faith and allegiance from Moses to the Man of Galilee was very difficult, and the pressure to return to Moses was constant.

 

Moses’ devotees could point to the miracles in Egypt, the mighty events of Sinai, and the leading out of the whole nation. Jesus' disciples could point only to local miracles on individuals, and a tiny motley band of despised followers. Moses died with dignity upon a mountain and was buried by angels (Deuteronomy 34:9; Jude 9); Jesus was put to an ignominious and cruel public death by His enemies. The disciples of Jesus clung to His resur­rection and a promise of future glory—a promise which thus far showed no signs of materializing. And the Resurrection was proof of superiority only to those who believed it . . . The question of the perpetuity of Moses' authority arose very early in the Church even at Jerusalem, and the first great council was convened to settle this issue (Acts 15).[4]

 

The writer to the Hebrews retains great respect for Moses, as there should be even in our time, and yet shows a very clear reality that Moses was just a man. The faithfulness of Moses is admirable, and he is an honorable role model, but he is not God nor does he have the last word. Moses served in God’s house.  Jesus, being one with God, built his house and now serves over it, fills it, and guides its residents.

 

H. Orton Wiley wrote a commentary on the book of Hebrews. In that work, he describes the work of Christ regarding real rest. “Christ, the Apostle of the new covenant, is not only our Moses to lead us out of but our great Joshua and the captain of our salvation, who will bring us into our spiritual inheritance. He brought us out that he might bring us into this “rest of faith,” or “rest in God,” this being the supreme goal of our earthly spiritual experience. . . The Christian Sabbath, frequently called the Lord's day, takes on great significance. In itself it is not only an institution set up as a memorial of God’s rest after the finished work of creation, but celebrated on a new day it becomes also a memorial of the finished work of Christ in redemption . . . The earthly life of Jesus affords us an example of continuous and absolute dependence upon the Father. ”[5]

 

And then the writer to the Hebrews affirms something completely radical to these New Testament Christians. The house of God is not a tabernacle, the Temple or a synagogue building or place. The house of God is not made of material, brick or stone. It is made up of believers filled with the Spirit of the resurrected Christ! Acts 2 testifies to this reality as well. The ancient prophets, and particularly Ezekiel (37:14), saw that God can live in us, continually calling us to deeper and more lasting faith, giving us courage to witness to the new and better way, confidently living as Christians in the face of persecution, doubt, and the passionate pleas to leave the One who has given himself for us. We are his house! This is what pours confidence into our hearts and minds.  This is what brings us courage and hope. Of this we can certainly boast.

 

Read Hebrews 3:7-11.

 

As we have discovered, Hebrews was written during difficult days of persecution, and it was written primarily to converted Jewish Christians. They knew the rest-command of the Sabbath day. But for some reason these folks were starting to drift away from the physical and the spiritual principle of a Sabbath day.  The writer addresses rest, but it was much more than just a day off of work. The writer wants to show the very direct connection between the command for rest and their spiritual life with God. So, the writer re-issues a stark warning from history to these persecuted Christian Jews.

 

The quote from Psalm 95 briefly recounts what happened back in Numbers 13 and 14. In order to understand this passage in Hebrews we need to get that historical reference down in Numbers.

 

Read Numbers 13 and 14.

 

After their deliverance from Egypt, the Hebrews had been traveling across the desert for some time. Their excitement grew as they traveled because they were right on the border of what God called "the Promised Land." There God provided the great deliverance from Egyptian slavery and made them into a new nation, on the cusp of seeing the promise fulfilled. Moses had been their faithful leader.

 

But the people did not respond as God had hoped. Once again God heard their rebellious voices in his ear.  So, God declared he would destroy them and start over again. Moses and Aaron did what they knew best to do in times like these—they dropped to their knees in prayer. They interceded for the Hebrews again, pleading with God to withhold his anger. And so, he did. The people mourned greatly and went so far as to say they were sorry and even packed their bags to enter the land the next day. But God sent them back out into the desert and for forty years they wandered, until every person who had rebelled against him had died of natural causes. And for forty years God continued to provide for them—quail and manna, water and shade. For forty years they missed out on the full joy of the Lord. They forfeited the blessings of God by their lack of faith.

 

It is this account that the New Testament writer of Hebrews brings up before the persecuted Christian Jews. These Christians seemed to have started to develop an unwilling, rebellious spirit, a tendency to revolt or defect—falling away from the faith. Perhaps they had seen enough executions and persecutions to think that God would not prevail, that Jesus was just a hoax, that God would no longer help them. So, their spiritual lives had begun to suffer. They had started to turn away from Jesus and to turn away from each other. The writer very boldly confronts them about this spiritual danger.

 

Read Hebrews 3:12-14:8. 

 

The writer is crystal clear about the spiritual significance of resting in faith. The kind of rest that he is talking about comes from being right with God no matter what is happening. And this rest comes in the knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ, which is far weightier than a promise of land to a small nation of specific people. This rest is the kind of real rest that comes from having your sins forgiven, having little or no desire to rebel, having a clean conscience and the ability to choose Jesus Christ above all other things. The writer to the Hebrews continues in the quest for their understanding and comprehension of real rest.

 

Read Hebrews 4:9-13.

 

Daniel G. Powers wrote: “The audience of Hebrews struggled with the deceitful lie that their situation would improve by rejecting Christ and returning to Judaism. This same lie caused the Israelites to rebel against Moses in a belief that life would be better back in Egypt. The writer recognized that his readers were as vulnerable to this hardening process as were the Israelites in Moses’ day. Mutual encouragement would help to guard against sin’s deceitfulness and the resultant hardening of the believers’ hearts.”[6]

 

Just as the rebellious nature of the ancient Hebrews was exposed by God's presence, so also our sin is exposed through the reading and interaction with God's written word. And in that exposure, we are given opportunity through its witness and testimony of Christ's forgiveness and redemption—which is far greater than even the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from physical slavery—to stay right with God, to remain faithful despite our circumstances or the temptation to give up.

 

And finally, the FOURTH MOVEMENT of rest!

 

Eternal and perfect rest is still on the horizon. The promise continues! There will come a time when the fitfulness of this present rest will end. And it is for the ever-faithful. George Lyons captured this reality very well. “Like other nearly contemporary Jewish and Christian writers both inside and outside the biblical canon, the author [of Hebrews] assumed that Sabbath-rest symbolized end-time salvation: Rest refers to the heavenly Jerusalem, the resurrection, and eternal life of the world to come . . . Although its consummation awaits the end-times, believers are already in the process of entering God’s rest.”[7] What a great and glorious future we have! What a reason to stay faithful! John gave us the beautiful picture of real and lasting rest in Revelation 21:3-7.

 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

 

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’* or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

 

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

 

*Isaiah 25:8

 

As we remain faithful and encourage one another to remain faithful, we will know true spiritual rest and true physical rest. We will know both peace of mind and spirit. This is the rest of knowing that God is pleased with our obedience. This is the rest that comes from knowing that, despite what appears to be insurmountable odds, we can have the victory. This is the rest of knowing that we have done our best work throughout the week. This is the rest of knowing that, come what may, God will provide all that we need. This is the rest of knowing that we are not turning our back on Jesus Christ, who never once turned his back on us. This is the real and perfect rest of being sure of our salvation today, tomorrow and for eternity.

 

What are the practical and tangible measures for staying obedient and faithfully entering God's rest? The New Testament writer to the Hebrews points to four things.

 

Make sure that you do not have a sinful and unbelieving heart. If you need to, confess sin and clear the slate. Ask God to give you more faith. Ask him to give you the courage and the strength to turn away from the things that tear down your faith in Jesus Christ. (3:12)

 

Encourage each other every day. Tell other Christians to hold on, stay strong and stay faithful, because only those whose faith perseveres will gain the blessings God has in store for all who believe in Jesus Christ. (3:13-14)

 

Continue to have the Gospel preached to you. Show up when the Word of God is presented. Expose yourself to the Word of Jesus Christ which will keep your heart soft and able to receive truth, freeing you from rebellion. (4:2) As you read God’s word daily, let the work of the Holy Spirit expose your heart so that you can mature in your faith. (4:12-13)

 

Keep the Sabbath. Joseph Coleson guides us further: “God intends the Sabbath day not merely as passive (or even a negatively-experienced) ceasing from work, but as positive rest. A regular, weekly Sabbath gives us time and space to acknowledge and experience our state as God’s created and redeemed children. God does not want us beholden to human tyrants, who always exact labor in the times, places, and circumstances of the tyrant’s fixing. Rather, God intends human flourishing in healthful and fulfilling rhythms of work and rest. Jesus himself affirmed this in His invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).” [8]

 

 

Amen

 

© M.R.Hyde 2022

 

This is an expanded section of A Courageous Life and the Book of Hebrews.

 

---

[1] Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Ed.

[2] Illustrated Bible Life, Summer 2022, The Foundry Press, Kansas City, MO.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Beacon Bible Commentary, p. 42.

[5] The Epistle to the Hebrews, H. Orton Wiley, Beacon Hill Press, Kansas City, MO, 1959, p.135, 150-151.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Faith Connections Bible Study Guide, Summer 2022, The Foundry Press, Kansas City, MO, p. 15.

[8] Ibid.

God is Good - Genesis 1 & 2

One day a wealthy man ran up to Jesus, threw himself down on his knees, and looked up pleading into the face of a man who he hoped had an answer to the burning question of his life. His question was preceded by a moniker that was not unusual for the time. '"Good teacher," he asked . . .' Many of us are familiar with the story of the rich, young ruler found in Mark 10:17-31, Matthew 19:16-30 and Luke 18:18-30. (If not, please read these parallel accounts.) But, for this moment, I'm not interested in the whole story—just a part. I'm completely fascinated by the initial response of Jesus to the moniker, good teacher, given by the man. I think that we can all agree upon what is teacher is. But what is "good"?

 

Let's take a close look at the definition of good. Definitions from Oxford Languages include the following.

 

adjective: good; comparative adjective: better; superlative adjective: best

1. to be desired or approved of.  "a good quality of life", pleasing and welcome; "she was pleased to hear good news about him"; expressing approval, "the play had good reviews"

2. having the qualities required for a particular role. "the schools here are good"

Similar: fine, of high quality, of a high standard, quality, superior, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, in order, up to standard, excellent, superb, outstanding, magnificent, etc., etc., etc.

 

This does not even scratch the surface of the myriad of ways that we use the word good! So, if we take what, most likely, the rich ruler meant by Jesus being a good teacher, we see that he thought that Jesus was a good guide and not God himself. The reply of Jesus could be taken as rude or inappropriate, if it were not for the objective of answering the ultimate question of who God is. "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone." At this point in the ministry of Jesus Christ on the earth, it was still difficult for people to see, know and understand him to be more than just a man, more than just a good teacher. So, I appreciate what Matthew Henry wrote about this situation.

 

The encouragement that Jesus Christ gave to this address: It is not his manner to send any away without an answer, that come to him on such an errand, for nothing pleases him more, v. 17. In his answer, (1.) He tenderly assists his faith; for, doubtless, he did not mean it for a reproof, when he said, Why callest thou me good? But he would seem to find that faith in what he said, when he called him good Master, which the gentleman perhaps was not conscious to himself of; he intended no more than to own and honour him as a good man, but Christ would lead him to own and honour him as a good God; for there is none good but one, that is God.[i] [Emphasis added.]

 

In thinking of our definition of good, let's lay aside all of the good pieces of cake, or thoughts of being good little girls and boys, or how good that game was. We need to shed all of the misconceptions about God's goodness so that we can focus on the real goodness of God. Is he a benevolent or wrathful God? Is he involved in the world or distant and uncaring? How do we know what God thinks? Can we know? Can we really discern and understand the path for our life? Can we know the will of God for ourselves, for our church, for our world?  Is our life just left up to fate? Do things just happen to us without any of our own will or way being involved? Is God just a universe-sized puppet-master pulling the strings this way and that?

 

When we look at and try to comprehend disasters of biblical proportions, and the phenomenal amount of human life lost in massive pandemics, floods, earthquakes, fires and storms, what does that tell us about the character of God? If God is a loving God, why does he permit these kinds of disasters and things like the COVID 19 pandemic, HIV/AIDS, Hitler's regime, slavery, etc?  Who tells us what to believe about God? Is what we believe accurate, true or complete? How do we tell other people about God if we ourselves do not know either him or know anything about him?

 

Have we had enough questions yet? We are plumbing the depths of the human psyche and conceptions of God's goodness. When things like personal loss, grave illness and human suffering stare us in the face, these kinds of questions distract our driving, wake us in the middle of the night, sometimes make us angry and depressed, or cause us to live with feelings of hopelessness.

 

So, if Jesus was intent on teaching the rich ruler, and those who were listening in, that God was good, we also need to push deeply into what that means. And there is no better place to start on that than in the first two chapters of the book of Genesis!

 

Read Genesis 1.

 

I love the rhythm and pattern of this ancient text. God commands-God proclaims it is good. Nature is made up of many elements: things that we can see and feel and experience, as well as things we cannot. Gravity, for instance, is the physical reality that we experience moment by moment as it sticks us like glue to the surface of this globe. We cannot see it, nor can we touch it, but it works. Trees grow without our assistance all over the world. Volcanoes erupt, earthquakes happen in the ocean, mountains tower, grass tosses a beautiful blanket over dust to keep it in place. All of these are wonderful and terrifying realities that can help us understand that a benevolent Being exists who created everything.

 

Some scientists have posited theories that the world was created from a "big bang"—celestial bodies colliding in the blank universe—and out of that fusion came one cell of life from which all creation sprang. While I wish to respect their research and theories, I am a simple person and come to a simple question. How did such a life-giving cell arrive in the midst of that fusion, and where did those celestial bodies come from? No good answers have yet arisen.

 

In another way of trying to comprehend the stuff of earthly life, mythologies have been developed. Every culture has their stories of creation. We can read of the warring and capricious gods in the Roman and Greek traditions.  We can read the Enuma Elish which relates stories from the ancient Middle East where gods cast magic spells and create heaven and earth from the split cadavers of their enemies. Victor Hamilton has related this: "The study of mythology helps the believer to see how ancient man tried to answer ultimate questions about life and reality when the light of revelation had not dawned upon him. Interestingly, the answers provided to those questions by ancient man are not all that different from the answers provided by modern but unredeemed man."[ii] Hamilton makes the very fine point of contrast with the Judeo-Christian view of creation and God as completely counter to many mythical accounts. The Christian understanding of God is that he did not create out of violence or jealousy, but he created out of the goodness and greatness of his nature. That, my friends, is the way we begin to truly understand not only our world and its beauty and power, but also God and his goodness.

 

Read Genesis 2.

 

In chapter 2 of Genesis, we read a second version of the same creation story. And what we learn from both of these is that God is a creative God, seeking to make good things from nothing. This is the general will of God which we can accept by faith. The ancient and modern persons who live without God may tell you plainly that if God exists at all, his character and will are destructive and not creative. If not, why then would a good God make bad things happen?

 

We want to keep our compass rightly oriented toward knowing and experiencing the personal, Judeo-Christian God. As distressing as this may seem to those of us who are really humanistic—human-centered—the personal and universal God does not always have our personal and physical comfort as his priority. There are matters at stake that far outweigh our daily comfort levels.

 

In Genesis chapter 3 we read how Adam and Eve went against the known will of God. They had been instructed very specifically not to eat from one tree—just one—in the Garden of Eden.  That tree was to keep them from knowing good and evil. And guess what? They did it anyway. From that point forward all of humanity entered into a realm of suffering and hardship that God did not intend for his creation. God has always been straightforward about who we are—creatures not creators, workers not lazy, community not individuals—and his good design was set up to work well. All of which can be learned from Genesis 1 and 2.

 

But when we sin there are consequences for our sins.   A tactile example might be found in nature.  If you run your hand against the grain on a plank of unfinished wood, you are likely to get a splinter. That principle can be translated into how we do life. If a chemical company operates out of greed and selfishness and does not care what happens to the river they dump their toxic waste into, then thousands of people may develop cancers and illnesses formerly unknown to mankind—just like Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. These are the kinds of things that are consequences for behavior against the order and will of God.

 

That does not nor should not make God out to be the bad guy. We not only have the privilege and responsibility to work in concert with God's nature, but in concert with his commands as well. To bemoan the fact that you cannot afford rent when you have spent your income on alcohol does not make it God's fault. To wail about how unfair God is when you have not tried to live for him does not make a miserable life God's fault. To scream about how mean God is when you will not follow his directions doesn't make bad things God's fault. These are examples of sin—deliberate defiance of God’s will and person.

 

God has made it very clear through his good creation and revelation through his Word that his goodness is available to each one of us as long as we do it his way. The wonder of nature, the joy of birth, the death and restoration of nature as we see each spring, summer, winter and fall, is all evidence of God's character. He is the good God full of grace and truth.

 

We can experience him through these avenues and learn to follow the laws of nature by applying our intellect and reason to what we can discern. Caring for the earth and the animals properly and making sure our fellow human beings are cared for is all a part of God's will. Even many non-believers understand this. These principles can be learned by experience and can be acquired through the proper use of the good gift of brains and intellect given to us by our good God.  Ben Boeckel wrote: "The designation of creation as good separates biblical theology from other cultures of the ancient and modern worlds. Unlike the Babylonians of the sixth century before Christ (who believed creation arose from the remnants of a slain goddess), and unlike the Gnostics in the centuries following Christ (who believed matter was inherently sinful), Christian theology insists that God is a good creator and His creation is a good creation. By extension, the ultimate goal of creaturely existence is not to escape creation or stand aloof from it (as some modern religions teach). Rather, it is to embrace the goodness of God’s creation and seek communion with God."[iii]

 

One more thing we can learn from experience and applying our intellect is that even in the darkest of human tragedies people can survive. If they cannot survive physically as the giant waves roar over them, they can survive spiritually as they cry out to the one true God of Creation. His Word promises that when we cry out to God he will hear us. Read what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 116:1-2.  I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. In those desperate moments, if we are earnestly seeking him, he will gather us to himself and keep us for eternity. And those of us who are left, will always find a way to survive and recover. It's happened for centuries that the human will, which is a tiny reflection of God's will, seeks to restore the broken, rebuild the rubble and renew the burned out.

 

Christian tradition teaches us these things as well. Tradition keeps the reality of truth alive from one generation to the next. As an old carpenter teaches his apprentice that one does not run his hand against the grain of the wood, as a chemical engineer reminds her young staff that the consequences of our human creations are far-reaching, as a grandmother tells her grandchild that attending religious services is a good thing because you can learn about God, tradition is part of how we know God. Traditions—through ritual, repetition, story-telling, preaching, teaching and reading—convey the reality that God's good will is to help us and to guide us. It is his character to be truthful and corrective with us and to show us who he is.

 

So, he gives us nature to see his handy work, he permits us to experience and to learn from our mistakes, to discover that his way really is the best, and he helps us establish traditions that bring us to the greater knowledge of his will and character corporately.

 

God has not left us to just feel around by experience, but he has also revealed his will and character through the written Word, passed down for centuries as the revelation of himself to us. We have used and explored his Word already to know more about him. What a good God he is to help us to understand him, to experience his love and grace and to point the lost around us to our good God.

 

Reflecting back to the story of Jesus and the rich ruler, let's read how Matthew Henry sums up the reality that God is good.

Christ will have this young man either know him to be God, or not call him good; to teach us to transfer to God all the praise that is at any time given to us. Do any call us good? Let us tell them all goodness is from God, and therefore not to us, but to him give glory. All crowns must lie before his throne. Note, God only is good, and there is none essentially, originally, and unchangeably, good, but God only. His goodness is of and from himself, and all the goodness in the creature is from him; he is the Fountain of goodness, and whatever the streams are, all the springs are in him, Jam[es] 1:17. He is the great Pattern and Sample of goodness; by him all goodness is to be measured; that is good which is like him, and agreeable to his mind. We in our language call him God, because he is good.[iv]

 

Amen

 

M.R. Hyde

Copyright 2021

---

[i] Henry, Matthew. Unabridged Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (best navigation) (Kindle Locations 263805-263809). OSNOVA. Kindle Edition.

[ii] Handbook on the Pentateuch, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1982, p. 35.

[iii] Illustrated Bible Life, Fall 2021, The Foundry Press, Kansas City, MO, 2021.

[iv] Matthew Henry.