People have such slight and superficial views of sin because they have such slight and superficial views of God!– Ian Hamilton in What Is Experiential Calvinism?
The glorious excellencies and beauty of God will be what will forever entertain the minds of the saints, and the love of God will be their everlasting feast.– Jonathan Edwards
To love God is the first and highest duty in life. – Maurice Roberts in What Does It Mean To Love God?
Our passage today teaches us about God and how we should respond to him.
The Bible teaches that God created the world. As the Creator, God defines what is real. God alone determines reality.
But of course our culture has rejected God as Creator, and so rejects his claim to define what is real. And so now we will define reality based on our own personal perceptions. We will become mini-gods and define reality as we see fit. Objective created reality doesn’t matter. All that matters is what I perceive to be real.
And so as a recent video shows us, a short white man can think he is a tall Chinese woman, and we will accept him as such because his personal perception defines his reality regardless of what is really real. If this same adult claims to be a seven-year-old, we will affirm him in his personal perception of himself, and even allow him to attend first grade. Personal perception determines reality – even if we must throw out mathematics (the man’s height), biology (the man’s gender), and history (the man’s ancestry).
If I think I am a penguin, then I am, and I should be able to swim with the penguins at the zoo. Because personal perception determines reality. That is the teaching of our culture.
And so our president’s recent directive, that every public school must allow their students to define their gender regardless of their biological sex, should not surprise us. That each school must allow boys claiming to be girls to shower in the girls’ locker room should not surprise us. That so many people are willing to go along with this should not surprise us. This is merely one symptom of this false way of thinking – that my personal perception defines reality.
I recently attended one of my daughter’s soccer games, and the school hosting the game provided programs with the names and numbers of all the players. And at the bottom of the program was this little gem: “If you believe it, you can do it.” In other words, your perception determines reality. So if I believe I can fly, I can jump off a cliff and fly away. But will my personal perception really determine my reality?
The fact is that the hard rocks of real reality lie at bottom of the cliff. Reality often won’t bend to my perception. And this attempt to redefine reality based on our own perceptions will leave many bloody and hurting at the bottom of the cliff. And as people grow weary of the carnage and wreckage that their own perceptions of reality will ultimately bring, the church needs to be ready to lovingly point them back to Jesus. We need to be ready to point them to the real Savior who died on a real cross to pay for their real sin of trying to become gods who determine reality for themselves.
God alone defines reality. Instead of trying to bend reality to our own perceptions, we must bend our perceptions to reality as God has defined it, reality as God has created it, reality as it really is.
Moses continues to intercede and asks to see God’s glory. Consider:
In Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:16-20, he approaches God as the Father of glory. God is our Father, and yet at the same time he is the God of all glory. In the Old Testament, God is often referred to as the God of glory or the King of glory. Now we can call him our Father, but he is still the Father of glory. Or as Jesus teaches us, he is our Father in heaven. Calling him our Father means we can come boldly into his presence through Jesus as his children. “In heaven” and “of glory” means we must approach him with reverence and humility.
Is this how we approach God when we come before him in prayer or to worship? Boldly before our Father? Reverently and humbly before our glorious God? Do we mindlessly come into his presence, or do we consider into whose presence we come? He is the Father of glory.
(18-23) Our God is trustworthy because he keeps his promises. What promises does God make in this passage?
How do you see God keeping his promises in this passage?
(18-23) Our God is trustworthy because he provides for his people. What examples of his provision do you see in this passage?
How have you seen his provision in your life?
(18-23) Our God is trustworthy because he protects his people. What examples of his protection do you see in this passage?
Does that mean we will never be hurt or threatened or die? What does it mean according to the passage? How have you seen his protection in your life?
(20) Genesis 20 records an example of Abraham’s failure to trust God. What do you observe about his failure?
When do you see similar failures in your life? Why?
(22) Genesis 22 records an amazing example of Abraham’s faith in God. Why was the test so hard? Why was it necessary (see v12)?
What are you tempted to put before God?
Why was Abraham’s faith in God essential to pass the test? What did he believe God would do? (v5 & 8; see also Hebrews 11:17-19)
In what situations do you need to trust God right now? From this passage, what do you need to do to trust God in those situations?
In Genesis 1-2, we are immediately introduced to God as the Creator of all things. In his role as Creator, we see:
Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as he is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and to bring Him nearer to our own image.
– A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God
Brian J. Mikul 