Sunday: Mystery of God
The Mystery of God
Life is full of mysteries. Physicist David Deutsch wrote that everyday events are stupendously complex when expressed in terms of fundamental physics.
If you fill a kettle with water and switch it on, all the supercomputers on Earth working for the age of the universe could not solve the equations that predict what all those water molecules will do — even if we could somehow determine their initial state and that of all the outside influences on them, which is itself an intractable task.
— David Deutsch, The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World (New York: Penguin, 2011), Kindle edition, locations 1972–1975.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
If we are confounded about something as mundane as water molecules, how could we even begin to expect to understand the mysteries of God?
Read Proverbs 25:2-3. What point is the author making, and how can we apply it to a broader situation?
What makes the glory of God different from the glory of kings is His mysterious
nature, and by implication our human incapacity to fully understand Him. The Hebrew root str (conceal,
hide
), from which comes our word mystery,
is often used in the Hebrew Scriptures to characterize what makes God the only true God (Isa. 45:14-15). There are things about God that we simply cannot understand. On the other hand, what makes the glory of kings is their willingness to be scrutinized. Transparency and accountability should be the first quality of leadership (Deut. 17:14–20). It is the king’s duty to search out a matter,
that is, to give an explanation for events and for what he is doing.
Life is so full of unanswered questions, isn’t it? In a split second, seemingly random events can mean the difference between life and death. Some people go from one tragedy to another, while others do fine. All this should tell us that we need to live by faith. What things are happening right now in your life that you have to accept by faith, trusting in God? What other choice do you have?
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For the Lord Himself has entrusted in our hands leadership. Every responsibility comes with accountability which culmimates into transparency. A God-chosen leader should be open to criticism to help him evaluate his/her style of leadership.It is amazing to find a church based leader whose operations are enshrouded in mystery and secrecy. But, can we study God to evaluate and understand His ways of operation? Which path does theology take? Can it help us assess God's ways? Help please!
God, as a leader, has revealed to us the principles upon which He works from His position of infinite power, principles which we find also work in our limited spheres. We have been studying those principles in the Proverbs and the rest of the inspired writings. We may not be able to understand all the details, but He has revealed more than enough for us to trust and obey Him now. And He will reveal, in due time, all that we will need to know so that through eternity all will trust Him fully.
I teach biochemistry to undergraduate classes and most times as we begin lectures on metabolism i tell them that they too are a complex of biochemical reactions! But the question is, who controls those reactions, definitely not us! And so is this mystery of our creator that for Him to open to us even simply should teach the simple human beings _ leaders _ to be fully accountable to fellow people and to God! Learning to do this is living fully!
While God being God, remains unsearchable, us (like Kings of earth alluded to in Prov 25:2), being creatures, answerable to One higher, must be transparent in all we do.
A clear distinction of creator and creature
So let's simply submit to His will in our lives
SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY, VOL. 3 (EGW), PAGE 1141
(Romans 11:33.) God Asks Questions Scholars Cannot Answer—Men of the greatest intellect cannot understand the mysteries of Jehovah as revealed in nature. Divine inspiration asks many questions which the most profound scholar cannot answer. These questions were not asked, supposing that we could answer them, but to call our attention to the deep mysteries of God, and to make men know that their wisdom is limited; that in the common things of daily life there are mysteries past the comprehension of finite minds; that the judgment and purposes of God are past finding out, His wisdom unsearchable. If He reveals Himself to man, it is by shrouding Himself in the thick cloud of mystery. 3BC 1141.1
Yes Nzooma, and isn't that what God did with Job (Job 38)?
Yes bro Tyler, amen. So powerful passage of scripture. I've read it many times befo but it's brot the lesson closer this time around
3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Then my mind went to thinking abt the situation Job was in (physically - having gone thru loss - for standing up for God), one wud expect not a challenge from God.
Job "surrendered" saying 40:4Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth."
But God demanded more answers from Him till Job submitted to God saying
"41:2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
This is wen God now blessed and restored Job (ofcourse aft his friends repented too and he forgave them).
My thot went to Job, imagine the times uve faced so much pain and are sure it's only a test. And sometimes how I brag abt how God was so proud of Job to trust He wud endure the test, naturally I think aft all that Job had to go thru for His sake, He God shud have treated him with kindness. But Job needed to be consistent in declaring the greatness of God.
Am encouraged bro Tyler, to trust Him and say "It is well with my soul" becos the King of the universe remains seated on His throne. May God help us to trust Him more!
The situations I find my self in gives me hope even in hopelessnes.I have asked my self questions as why I find things go wrong but thank God for this leason
It is my experience that when things go wrong and feel out of my control, that's when God exposes Himself with all magnificent Glory. He shows me there is never a reason to doubt Him or to never worry but trust in Him always!
Exercise FAITH.
The more I think about how God created life the more jaw dropping it becomes. With the little bit of computer programming I have done and realizing that the art and science of programming involves thinking in minute detail about all the possibilities I gain a tremendous admiration and appreciation of God for how well He designed everything. Even with something as "simple" as blood clotting, that is actually anything but simple, we see provision for a vast number of scenarios involving a large number of possibilities. To me God is simply beyond comprehension; so far from the very finite that we actually are that my head hurts just thinking about it.
God is not meant to be understood,but to be believed.It is not for us to enter the purposes of God which His kept secret from us.He is immortal and we are mortal,He is infinite,we are finite...As far as the east is from the west,so is God's nature incomprehensive to little minds like ours.It should thus prompt us to believe in God more because His wisdom and nature is beyond human minds.We should be encouraged too that nothing in any way is too great or small to intervene.Praise God we serve a mighty and mysterious God as He.
A fool says in his heart that there is no God. The Concept of the God we haven't seen is also difficult to understand. All we need to do is this
1 John 4:20 (AMP) | In Context | Whole Chapter
20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.
From US. Does anyone know of a book comparing the 28 beliefs to other religions? I want to spend my time in the Bible not reading the whole Koran. Knowing what others base their belief on should be helpful to point them to the Bible truth.
I am so thankful that God is as awesome as He is. God's thoughts are not like my thoughts neither is His ways like my ways, for that I am very grateful. My emotions and thoughts are really out there sometimes. I depend on God to direct me in all of my ways and actions. God can see the big picture where I can only see what is in front of me. I walk by faith not by sight because God is so dependable. He loves me.
It is also important for us to understand that although we cannot fully understand God, He has given us appropriate light for our salvation. The problem we are too quick to conclude that 'hidden things belong to God......' even over things that are revealed in the Bible but simply because of our weakness in studying the bible. May God help us.
is god really a mystery i believe jesus christ came to demystify God and show us that he has love for all and while we were yet sinners he died on the cross for us