Today we continued exploring the Doctrine of God, with a particular emphasis on the Names and Images that God has employed to communicate his being and character to us.
We started by reviewing last week’s talks centering on God’s Absolute Personality, his covenant Lordship, the Creator/creature distinction, and his transcendence and immanence.
We discussed the Old Testament names that God used to reveal himself such as Elohim, Yahweh/Jehovah, Adonai, as well as the compound names such as El Elyon, El Elah, El Olam, El Shaddai, and Jehovah-rophe, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-shamma, Jehovah-hoseenu, Jehovah-raah, Jehovah-tsidkenu, and Jehovah-shalom to name a few. We also shared the Old Testament (anthropomorphic/personal) images that God used to describe himself such as Shepherd, King, Father, Judge, etc., the (impersonal, animate) images such as lion, lamb, eagle, etc., and the inanimate images such as rock, living water, light, etc.
We then turned to the New Testament names, such as theos (God), kyrios (Lord), Master, and (greatest, perhaps, of all), Christ Jesus (Emmanuel). Many of the Old Testament images were used by Christ in the New, such as King, Shepherd, Light of the world, Living Water, etc. And, wonder of wonders, the picture of heavenly father, who “hems us in, before and behind, and lays his hand upon us.” In that we saw a father sitting on the side of his beloved child’s bed, “tucking him in,” and laying a gentle hand on the weary, played-out child’s head. The child fast asleep in comfort, rest, and safety because his father is there, in absolute control, with supreme authority, and unescapable presence (Frame’s triadic description of Lordship).
We then reviewed all these names and images, and took note that nearly all of them carry hints and shadows of the (Frame’s) Lordship attributes of control, authority, and presence. A father, for example, is “other than” his child, is in control of his life, has authority over it, and is nevertheless always present with him. Same with the wonderful imagery of the shepherd and his sheep, or the king and his kingdom.
Next week we’ll (attempt to) cover the shared and unshared attributes of God (the former for adoration and humility, and the latter for immitation), as well as the doctrine of the tri-une nature of God. Today went well, overall, and I think people’s hearts were warmed toward our father in heaven. And that is the goal of this kind of teaching – light for the head which provokes heat from the heart. Theology for doxology. Thank you, Lord, for answered prayer!
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