AR2012 – Update #2

by Eugene Park

So why do crazy things happen to us?

So we stayed at the airport that night, knowing that we had a flight the next morning at 6:30am. We got in line at 5am, checked in our luggage, and then boarded the plane. So we are thinking, “Yes, we are finally going to Tucuman.” But then someone came over the intercom and said that we are going to be delayed for a while. And they kept on getting on the intercom telling us that we can’t leave yet. Then finally, after siting on the plane for two hours, they told us that the flight was cancelled. Oh yay. So we went back and went through the whole process again and they booked us on the afternoon flight that was going to leave at 3:30pm that afternoon. So we stayed at our same spot in the food court again. I think the security guys were wondering why we were still there. Someone even overheard one of them ask another security guard, “Son los chinos de ayer?” Translation: “Aren’t they the Chinese from yesterday?” I guess they didn’t notice Cesar.

So we just hung out at the food court for another 4 hours and then Eduardo came to eat lunch with us. Before we left for lunch we tried to check in our luggage. But then we found out that our flight was cancelled again. Eduardo went around to the different people related to the airline and asked what could we do. We finally rescheduled our flight for the next morning again at 6:30am.

So to help us get over the disappointment of not leaving, we went to Siga la Vaca for lunch. Siga la Vaca is an all you can eat place with all the meats you want on an open grill. Yes, we enjoyed it.

We weren’t going to stay another night at the airport so we got hotel rooms. And after showering for the first time in 3 days, we walked around downtown to the usual spots we typically go to.

The next morning we got to the airport at 5:20am and found that the place was packed with people trying to get to Tucuman. Even though things were rushed, we were able to board the plane and this time we actually left! Finally!

Seeing Pastor Jorge waiting for us at the gate was a nice sight to see. We went to the hotel, dropped off our stuff, and then went over to his place and enjoyed some awesome asado steak for lunch. It was also a great time of fellowship together as both his family and the Barrionuevo family got to share with us the highs and lows they have been experiencing. For six of the team members, this is the first time they got a chance to hear about the ministry in Tucuman.

That night we went to the church and they had a welcoming service for us (the one that was supposed to happen two nights ago). There was a time of singing, team introductions, and then I shared with the church the different reasons we come to Argentina: to preach the gospel, support the local church, and support the leaders of the church. Then afterwards we had the traditional empanada dinner. It was really encouraging to see the team engaged with the people of the church and talking with them. Even though I see it year after year, it’s still surprising to me to see how fast people become close to one another. Some of the team members didn’t even speak Spanish that well but did their best to communicate. Although it was delayed, it was a great start to our time in Tucuman.

Thanks for reading. Keep praying for us! Hope to give another update soon!

AR2012 – Update #1

by Eugene Park

Wow. Waking up at 4:30am is not a fun thing to do. But that’s what we had to do in order to get to LA on time for our flight. But I was really encouraged by how many people came out at 5:30am to see us off. I know that I would have had a hard time getting out there that early so I understand if you didn’t make it.

So the flight down to Buenos Aires was pretty uneventful. Well, except for the fact that we had to walk about 2 miles to get to our connecting flight in Miami. And that I slept for about 15 minutes on the plane because I can’t sleep on planes. Man, can’t wait until we get to Tucuman tonight so I can sleep…oh wait…

When we arrived in BA we were picked up by our usual driver Juan Carlos and he took us over to Eduardo Buldain’s place which also doubles as the Centro de Capacitacion Pastoral (Pastoral Training Center). It’s so encouraging to see the work being done there in training up pastors to preach the word of God. It was also neat to hear Eduardo share about his vision for the CCP and the plan to plant churches all over the place. I also got a chance to see some old friends from my days at Palabra de Vida.

So we left the CCP and headed over to the national airport (Aeroparque) to get on the plane and head up to Tucuman. Unfortunately our original flight was cancelled so they started putting us on the next flight a couple of hours later. Okay, I can accept that. But then after four of us got our tickets, we found that the flight was booked and the rest of the team couldn’t get tickets. So we were basically forced to turn in the tickets we had and exchange them for a flight the next morning at 6:30am so all of us could stay together. And because it’s an early flight I made the decision to just stay overnight at the airport. The team was very supportive of this decision which I appreciated. But for some reason Elisabeth was really excited when she heard that we were staying overnight. Ha! I guess she wants the full missions experience.

So that’s where we are right now. Hopefully we don’t have any issues getting up to Tucuman tomorrow. And hope to keep you all updated on the adventures of the “Argentina 9.” Until then, see you on the flip side.

Let God Be True, and Every Beacon Editor a Liar

by Stephen Rodgers

In my previous post, I cheerfully declared that we would be on hiatus for the month of July. It turns out I spoke too soon.

As opportunity allows, Eugene will be sending updates regarding the Argentina missions trip, the first of which will follow hot on the heels of this post. I hope these will not only give you insight into the trip, but also will remind you to keep the team in prayer.

So to clarify: we won’t be on hiatus after all, but we won’t be sticking to our regularly-scheduled updates either.

That’s my (new) story, and I’m sticking to it (for now).

Pro Rege

July Hiatus (2013)

by Stephen Rodgers

As we’ve done in years past, we’ll be taking a brief hiatus for the month of July. In case anyone is curious as to the reasons behind that, in no particular order they are:

  • This is a time where a number of our members who support the Beacon directly and indirectly are unavailable: many collegians are out of town, summer mission team members are out of the country, etc.
  • This is a time where we like to give our pastors, elders, and ministry coordinators a little bit of a break from writing articles. Some use it to catch up, others to get ahead, but they really do appreciate a few weeks off.
  • Last but not least, this gives us on the Beacon staff an opportunity to update, upgrade, and generally tweak some of the code under the hood, without the fear that we’ll inadvertently bring the site down and prevent you from receiving fresh content. (We just inadvertently bring down the site and prevent you from receiving any content whatsoever).

In the meantime, I’d encourage you to take the opportunity to explore and catch up on some past articles you may have missed.  Here’s a few of my favorites:

That’s it for now. See you in August!

Pro Rege

The Lord Is Slow to Anger, and Great in Power

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Nahum 1:3

Jehovah ‘is slow to anger.’ When mercy cometh into the world she driveth winged steeds; the axles of her chariot-wheels are red hot with speed; but when wrath goeth forth, it toileth on with tardy footsteps, for God taketh no pleasure in the sinner’s death. God’s rod of mercy is ever in His hands outstretched; His sword of justice is in its scabbard, held down by that pierced hand of love which bled for the sins of men.

‘The Lord is slow to anger,’ because He is GREAT IN POWER. He is truly great in power who hath power over himself. When God’s power doth restrain Himself, then it is power indeed: the power that binds omnipotence is omnipotence surpassed. A man who has a strong mind can bear to be insulted long, and only resents the wrong when a sense of right demands his action. The weak mind is irritated at a little: the strong mind bears it like a rock which moveth not, though a thousand breakers dash upon it, and cast their pitiful malice in spray upon its summit. God marketh His enemies, and yet He bestirs not Himself, but holdeth in His anger. If He were less divine than He is, He would long ere this have sent forth the whole of His thunders, and emptied the magazines of heaven; He would long ere this have blasted the earth with the wondrous fires of its lower regions, and man would have been utterly destroyed; but the greatness of his power brings us mercy.

Dear reader, what is your state this evening? Can you by humble faith look to Jesus, and say, ‘My substitute, Thou art my rock, my trust’? Then, beloved, be not afraid of God’s power; for by faith you have fled to Christ for refuge, the power of God need no more terrify you, than the shield and sword of the warrior need terrify those whom he loves. Rather rejoice that He who is ‘great in power’ is your Father and Friend.

2.22p

Weekly Links (6/29/2012)

Will being closed up to the power of God stifle evangelism? No! It will prompt the most needed activity of the hour–more prayer! Then it will send out preachers in confident zeal that the God who still raises the dead goes with them. And it will send sinners to their knees beseeching God to give salvation. (Walter J. Chantry, Today’s Gospel)

By Richard Shin

This week’s Weekly Links consists of some new but also some old. I have for whatever reason held on to these, and I unleash them for your edification now. Enjoy.

  • John Starke from The Gospel Coalition interviewed Fred Sanders about his position as a Wesleyan and his thoughts on the Arminian-Calvinist debate. I welcomed what Fred had to say very much. Justin Taylor certainly appreciated it. And so did Denny Burk.
  • Do you ever wonder about why Jesus didn’t know when his time was (Matt. 24:36)? Well, I believe C. Michael Patton does a great job of explaining the reason behind this seeming paradox.
  • Monergism.com has a number of great free resources you can tap into in these formats: online, eBooks, MP3. We’ve shared this before, but I think it’s worth sharing again because there’s enough in there to last you years.
  • Jared C. Wilson’s quote from his book Gospel Deeps (not out yet) is dead on. There’s something terribly wrong with us as Christians if we ever find ourselves bored or lazy.
  • Kevin DeYoung pens his convictions on the difference between a “vibrant, robust Bible-believing church” and one that falls under the umbrella of “squishy evangelicalism.”
  • Paul Tautges’ opening two sentences to his article‘s review (i.e. a bunch of quotes) of Tony Reinke’s Lit! on the importance of reading says it all: “A reading Christian is a growing Christian. A non-reading Christian is a shrinking one.”

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Coram Deo

EV & Your Degree – Walk & Talk (Part 1)

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

I think every time I step onto the campus of UCSD, there is a strong desire in my heart that many would come to know and hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And fortunately, I have had those opportunities come during my time in college. One thing I miss is how much free time people had in sitting down outside and conversing about matters of life and death. Yes, many were opinionated and unafraid to share their views, especially when they heard me reveal myself to be a Christian. Sometimes I was speechless at what people told me they were willing to believe, and yet did not find Christianity a plausible worldview in their eyes.

Post-college, however, if God grants you the gift of a job and allows you to form friendships with those around you, there is opportunity after opportunity that the Lord will give to those who see. With the encouragement of the local church as well as focused prayer to God for Him to open doors, many opportunities may come to speak with our co-workers about the lordship of Christ over all.

This is the kind of prayer Paul writes about in his letter to the Colossians, the church at Colossae while in prison. After instructing them in putting off the old self and putting on the new self, Paul explains practically how this looks in the community of faith and also in the home. There is a way of living and speaking that is consistent with how the Gospel changes a rebellious heart. Paul is quick to remind the Colossians that he is in prison not for committing a crime, but for being faithful to the task that God has called him—proclaiming the mystery of Christ in the Gospel (Colossians 4:3). He asks the Colossians to pray that there would be doors opened for him to bring the good news of redemption to those imprisoned for committing crimes against both God and man.

Under the umbrella of prayer, Paul instructs the Colossians to walk and talk in a certain way that will show Christ is working in them, allowing Him to shine in Colossae as He was in Paul’s life. They are to walk in wisdom, not in foolishness. They are to no longer walk in an earthly manner, which he commanded them earlier to kill: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness (Colossians 3:5). This was how the believers formerly lived and what they are to withhold in their flesh. This is how those outside of the faith are currently living, which you are to distinguish yourselves from.

How you are to live among unbelievers is this: with “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Even though this verse specifically relates to other believers, there is overlap.

You also are to talk with “grace” and “salty seasoning,” which doesn’t mean you look for salty food to consume. According to Paul, your credibility means more than good deeds (which refutes the notion of “preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words” approach). Paul does not qualify this; we are to speak graciously “always,” with speech that is purposeful, loving, truthful, and thoughtful (Ephesians 4:29-31). How you speak in the office (or wherever you work) is to be “salty;” in other words, preserving or delaying corruption in other people. Indirectly, Paul is condemning the kind of speech that is common among unbelievers-which many of us are guilty of-by commanding gracious and salty speech. This is not natural for us to do. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us put off ungracious speech and put on gracious speech. He ends this exhortation with the result of following this command: “that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Speaking graciously and with a salty flavor is the way a follower of Christ ought to speak to non-Christians. You have been commanded long ago to walk in wisdom. How have you been in both areas? Would you consider your walk to be influenced by the wisdom of God at work? How does your family view your walk? Does your faith actually affect the way you walk? Our life should make Christ look attractive to them. When an opportunity comes up and you are asked to give your view on any given topic, your response should not be a garbled message if your life does not show the power of the Gospel in changing your life.

This is where the two areas come together. Not only must your walk be consistent with your talk, but your talk must be consistent with your walk. One does not supersede the other, but complement each other in a beautiful way. Walking in wisdom does not mean only letting your actions speak. To walk in wisdom makes you reliant on someone else who has spoken: God. If He lived under the philosophy of showing but not speaking, we would not know anything about Christ and salvation. One must not crowd out the other; our talk must match our walk, and our walk must not negate our talk.

How does this relate to you post-collegians? For starters, you have already been through what collegians currently go through. Do you not have wise words to impart to them about how you were able to live Christianly throughout your undergraduate studies? Aren’t some of you currently pursuing grad school, and have some growth in that area right now that would be of benefit to them? Do you know any collegians?

What convinces you that a person cares about you? When you know that someone is listening to you, and isn’t looking for an opportunity to jump in and correct you about what you just said. One way of reciprocating this to others is by showing that you are willing to listen to them, and not assume things constantly about them, or think they don’t know what they’re talking about, so you can demonstrate your superior knowledge in any given area. When you know that Christianity is true, and speak with someone who is not a Christian, the temptation to ignore or listen on a surface level to them is great. Understanding what they are actually saying or asking can make it easier to know how to answer them, when the time comes. If you have gracious speech, seasoned with salt, generally people will be more willing to say more and also to listen to what you have to say, because…you will be speaking graciously and with a salty flavor.

We need to remember that the Christian faith is more than doing good deeds, though it includes that. Our faith has within it good works, which God has created our new nature for (Ephesians 2:10). And yet, at the same time, we are not given leeway to stop short of saying something to someone about why we do anything good. If someone sees us being courteous and kind to others, they will conclude that we are good people. That is the OPPOSITE of what we want them to know. It is because of our wickedness and God’s mercy and grace that we would do ANYTHING good…because it is in honor of the One who saved us. That is what those around us need to know, and they can only know that if someone tells them. So will you?

BOB – Daniel

by Stephen Rodgers

DANIEL IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Faithful to God in a challenging setting, Daniel is blessed.”

TITLE

Like almost all the other prophetic books, the book of Daniel takes its name from the prophet responsible for its content. And since Daniel is a particularly significant book in the context of the OT, let’s get this started with a more-expanded-than-usual quote from the MSB:

According to Hebrew custom, the title is drawn from the prophet who throughout the book received revelations from God. Daniel bridges the entire 70 years of the Babylonian captivity (ca. 605–536 B.C.; cf. Dan. 1:1 and 9:1–3). Nine of the 12 chapters relate revelation through dreams/visions. Daniel was God’s mouthpiece to the Gentile and Jewish world, declaring God’s current and future plans. What Revelation is to the NT prophetically and apocalyptically, Daniel is to the OT.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Per the MSB:

Several verses indicate that the writer is Daniel (Dan. 8:15,27; 9:2; 10:2,7; 12:4,5), whose name means “God is my Judge.” He wrote in the autobiographical first person from Dan. 7:2 on, and is to be distinguished from the other 3 Daniel’s of the OT (cf. 1 Chr. 3:1; Ezra 8:2; Neh. 10:6). As a teenager, possibly about 15 years old, Daniel was kidnaped from his noble family in Judah and deported to Babylon to be brainwashed into Babylonian culture for the task of assisting in dealing with the imported Jews. There he spent the remainder of a long life (85 years or more). He made the most of the exile, successfully exalting God by his character and service. He quickly rose to the role of statesman by official royal appointment and served as a confidante of kings as well as a prophet in two world empires, i.e., the Babylonian (Dan. 2:48) and the Medo-Persian (Dan. 6:1,2). Christ confirmed Daniel as the author of this book (cf. Matt. 24:15).

Per Constable:

There is little doubt among conservative scholars that Daniel himself wrote this book under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Probably he did so late in his life, which could have been about 530 B.C. or a few years later. Several Persian-derived governmental terms appear in the book. The presence of these words suggests that the book received its final polishing after Persian had become the official language of government. This would have been late in Daniel’s life. What makes Daniel’s authorship quite clear is both internal and external evidence. (see OBJECTIONS)

Assuming a traditional date of composition (approximately 530 BC), Daniel would have been writing for the benefit of other Jewish exiles in Babylon.

DATE

Per the MSB:

Daniel lived beyond the time described in Dan. 10:1 (ca. 536 B.C.). It seems most probable that he wrote the book shortly after this date but before ca. 530 B.C. Daniel 2:4b–7:28, which prophetically describes the course of Gentile world history, was originally and appropriately written in Aramaic, the contemporary language of international business.

Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah were Daniel’s prophetic contemporaries. (As discussed below, Ezekiel actually references Daniel twice).

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Roughly speaking, you can think of Jeremiah as the prequel to both Ezekiel and Daniel, with the latter two being simultaneous and roughly concurrent sequels which continue the story from different points of view, which in turn set up the events in Ezra and Nehemiah.

So let’s do a quick review just to get our bearings:

  • We’re way past the unified kingdom of Saul, David, and Solomon; that’s in the rear-view mirror.
  • We’re also past the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom already got conquered by the Assyrians and carried off into exile.
  • Since that happened, the southern kingdom is sort of hanging on by their fingernails. The Assyrians aren’t really the baddest gang on the block anymore; at this point the real heavy hitters are the Egyptians (to the south and west) and the Babylonians (to the north and east). So the southern kingdom is really in the incredibly unenviable position of getting caught in the middle.
  • The southern kingdom fights a delaying action, but eventually Jerusalem gets overrun by the Babylonians (see: Jeremiah) for the first time (yes, there was a second time, and it wasn’t pretty), and carried off into exile. Some of those exiles wind up in one place (see: Ezekiel), and some wind up in another place (which brings us to Daniel), which just happens to be the very heart of the Babylonian empire.
  • We have not yet gotten to the part where the exiles come back to Jerusalem (see: Ezra and Nehemiah); that will come later.

Got it?

That’s where Daniel starts: a teenage captive, deep behind enemy lines, in a foreign land. It doesn’t look good, but as we’ll see, God has a plan.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are several themes which run through the book of Daniel.

  • God’s Sovereignty: Perhaps the most significant theme in Daniel is God’s absolute authority over world history (Dan. 2:47; 3:17-18; 4:28-37; 5:18-31), which specifically includes kingdoms and governments (Dan. 5:21)
  • Faithfulness to God: God rewards those who are devoted to Him (Dan 1:8 with 1:15-20; 2:17-18 with 2:19; 2:27-28 with 2:48-49; 3:12, 16-18 with 3:26-30; 5:16-18 with 5:29; 6:7-12 with 6:19-24). What is especially relevant for us today is that we see it is possible for God’s people to survive (and even thrive) in the midst of real oppression.
  • Prophecies of Future Events: Daniel’s four visions contain predictions of both the near and far future, as well as the return of the triumphant Christ (Dan. 7:11, 26-27; 8:25; 9:27; 11:45; 12:13).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

This is almost too big to tackle within the context of this article, so I’m just going to give a quick summary: eschatology.

As mentioned in the TITLE section, it’s not unreasonable to think as Daniel being the OT equivalent to the NT book of Revelation. Both are prophetic, both are apocalyptic (some scholars consider them to be the only two unqualified examples of the apocalyptic genre in the Bible: e.g. Robert D. Culver, “Daniel,” in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary and Edward J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel: A Commentary).

As a result, not only is the content subject to the various interpretations and understandings that often occur when dealing with prophetic imagery (such as the precise meaning and understanding of various numbers (including the infamous “77s”), the Son of Man, the juxtaposition (or not) of Antiochus/Antichrist, etc.), but it is also going to inform and be informed by eschatological positions as well. Since there are a range of those expressed in historically orthodox Christianity, you can expect a range of understandings in regard to the eschatological features of Daniel as well.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The book of Daniel is unique in the Bible in falling decisively into two distinct genres in its two halves. The first six chapters are hero stories comprised of six self-contained ordeals. The last six chapters are a series of visions that employ highly symbolic images to portray vast stretches of political and spiritual history. The visions that deal with the end times are apocalyptic visions. The techniques of symbolic reality figure prominently in all of the dreams and visions, including those in the first six chapters; in symbolic reality, the world that is entered consists largely of great symbols instead of literal characters and places.

OBJECTIONS

Objections to Daniel began in the third century with Porphyry (a neo-Platonist who disputed traditional authorship and dating), but pretty much disappeared after he was subsequently refuted by Jerome. Then the 18th century brought us Germans and rationalism, and Porphyry’s theory was re-raised by J. D. Michaelis. Since then there have been a number of criticisms levied against the book, which I will attempt to summarize and explain here:

  • Categorization. Much has been of the fact that Daniel is not included in the Nevi’im (Prophets), but rather is found in the Kethuvim (Writings) in the TNK (you do remember the OT Canon right?). This is easily explained by the fact that Daniel occupied a unique yes-and-no role when it came to prophecy. In one sense, he was a prophet: after all, he prophesied. In another sense, he was not a prophet: he did not minister exclusively to or among Israel, and his function was primarily that of an administrator in a foreign court.
  • Authorship. Interacting with the various challenges to traditional authorship would require a separate paper, but suffice to say that Daniel is attributed as the author both in the book itself (Dan. 7:1; 12:4), by his contemporaries (Eze. 14:14, 20; 28:3), and by Christ and NT authors (Matt. 24:15 and Mark 13:14; Matt. 26:64, Mark 14:62 and Luke 22:69; Heb. 11:33-34).
  • Dating. In addition to contemporaneous attestation mentioned above, a number of the Qumran scrolls have been dated within 40 years of the so-called “late date,” which presents significant problems for critics of traditional authorship/dating. In addition, if one accepts the premise that the LXX was translated more or less collectively in the third century BC, then the late date becomes impossible.
  • Archaeological and Linguistic Evidence. A number of alleged historical inconsistancies or issues (such as the existence of Belshazzar) have recently been re-evaluated in light of archaeological discoveries. Furthermore, his Hebrew and Aramaic are consistent with both biblical and extra-biblical documents from the fifth and sixth centuries, BC (not the second century BC that the late date postulates).

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Daniel 3:17
  • Daniel 6:22
  • Daniel 9:18

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The book of Daniel was originally written in two languages: Hebrew (introduction, most prophecies, chapter 1, and chapters 8-12) and Aramaic (chapters 2-7).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Daniel”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Daniel”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Daniel”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Daniel”
  • NET Bible, Daniel
  • NIV Study Bible, Daniel
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Daniel”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Daniel”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

FOF #3 – God: His Character and Attributes

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Every once in a while, someone will ask me how I read through the Bible. Most of the time, I just enjoy reading the Bible to understand the general overall story as it unfolds. But sometimes I read the Bible looking to study a particular theme, and one of my favorite themes to focus on is the character of God. It is always impactful and eye-opening to examine what the Scriptures say about God. And it is humbling to consider that God would condescend to us and reveal Himself in the pages of Scripture. Though we cannot know Him comprehensively since He is infinite and we are finite, we can still know Him truly because whatever the Bible says about God is true. Chapter 3 of Fundamentals of the Faith covers the topic of God.

If you walk around and ask random people if they believe in God, many might tell you they do. I had a chance to do this while attending UCSD as a student. All sorts of people would tell me that they believed in God, some higher being, or a cosmic force. Each person had their own opinions and ideas about what God was like. For some, God was a good being who was the source of everything good. For others, God was a cosmic energy that gave life and sustained all that is. Some people shared that they didn’t know or that we couldn’t know what God is like. Others had come to very strong conclusions about Him.

Thankfully, we are not left to our own speculation to guess at what God is like. He is not simply defined by what we want Him to be. He has clearly revealed Himself in the pages of Scripture. When God met with Moses, He gave a description of Himself by proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exod. 34:6-7). The pages of God’s Word help us to understand who God is, what He is like, and how He acts.

There are many various attributes of God that are revealed in Scripture. God is found to be eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, never changing, righteous, merciful, good, and gracious. The Bible tells us that God is one (Deut. 6:4), He is love (1 John 4:16), and He is light (1 John 1:5). God is spirit (John 4:24) and is not a man (Num. 23:19; except in the Person of Jesus, which will be the focus of the next chapter!). God is all these things and more, and it is incredibly exciting to be able to know Him and to study what He is like.

This is an exercise you might want to try as you read your Bible. Keep a journal and pen handy (or a laptop open) and jot down observations you make about God as you read. Write notes on what passages tell you what God is like. Also keep note of the passages that tell you how God acts or what He requires of His people. These sorts of things can help us understand more clearly who He is. As you read His Word, hopefully your view of God will increase so that you will come to love Him more and live for Him more faithfully.

…the Mighty God of Jacob

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Genesis 49:24

That strength which God gives to His Josephs is real strength; it is not a boasted valour, a fiction, a thing of which men talk, but which ends in smoke; it is true-divine strength. Why does Joseph stand against temptation? Because God gives him aid. There is nought that we can do without the power of God. All true strength comes from ‘the mighty God of Jacob.’

Notice in what a blessedly familiar way God gives this strength to Joseph-‘The arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.’ Thus God is represented as putting His hands on Joseph’s hands, placing His arms on Joseph’s arms. Like as a father teaches his children, so the Lord teaches them that fear Him. He puts His arms upon them. Marvellous condescension! God Almighty, Eternal, Omnipotent, stoops from His throne and lays His hand upon the child’s hand, stretching His arm upon the arm of Joseph, that he may be made strong! This strength was also covenant strength, for it is ascribed to ‘the mighty God of Jacob.’ Now, wherever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, you should remember the covenant with Jacob.

Christians love to think of God’s covenant. All the power, all the grace, all the blessings, all the mercies, all the comforts, all the things we have, flow to us from the well-head, through the covenant. If there were no covenant, then we should fail indeed; for all grace proceeds from it, as light and heat from the sun. No angels ascend or descend, save upon that ladder which Jacob saw, at the top of which stood a covenant God. Christian, it may be that the archers have sorely grieved you, and shot at you, and wounded you, but still your bow abides in strength; be sure, then, to ascribe all the glory to Jacob’s God.

2.22a