The knowledge of God & the beauty of holiness by Lorena Alvarez

– ALLEN HOOD

The Beauty of Holiness I.

II.

THE HOLY – “THE MYSTERIUM TREMENDUM” A.

In all cultures and extending through all religions is the idea of the mysterious, the holy. At the core of religious belief and practice is the mysterious, supernaturally threatening presence. In the soul of humanity is the indelible mark that something out there is so awesome, so powerful, so beautiful that it is terrifying to think on and hazardous to behold. Deep within the framework of humanity is a dread, a terrifying sense that something out there is worthy of our worship and can either help us or hurt us in our frail condition.

A. W. Tozer – “The feeling for mystery, even for the Great Mystery, is basic in human nature and indispensable to religious faith, but it is not enough. Because of it men may whisper, “That awful thing,” but they do not cry, “Mine Holy One!” In the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures God carries forward His selfrevelation and gives it personality and moral content. This awful Presence is shown to be not a Thing but a moral Being with all the warm qualities of genuine personality. More than this, He is the absolute quintessence of moral excellence, infinitely perfect in righteousness, purity, rectitude, and incomprehensible holiness. And in all this He is uncreated, self-sufficient and beyond the power of human thought to conceive or human speech to utter.”

THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY A.

We know God because He chooses to reveal Himself. He is the Holy One who loves to disclose Himself. He is the Mystery made known. The Scriptures testify that while the other nations worship that which they do not know, we worship the One true God who has made Himself known. John 4:21-24 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

“The Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God” (I Timothy 1:11). He is the blessed, happy God. God loves Himself. He infinitely enjoys Himself as the most lovely, beautiful, righteous, kind, pure Being that is. God is eternally happy as the

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consummation of all perfection. In His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures evermore (Ps. 16). The radiance of all His attributes working in perfect harmony, perfect purity, perfect potency, and perfect gladness is His holiness. He is beyond all things. No one can compare with the God who lacks not, yet overflows with all His Excellencies. C.

God is the God of Pleasure who loves to share Himself, who loves to delight the senses of the ones formed in His image. The glorious, delightful God who constructs reality around revelation, around the unfolding of beauty and light and love. The God who loves to manifest and display the illustrious, incandescent essence of the divine, all for fascination. He is pleasure immeasurable, delight consummate, and the highest honor and joy He could give us is to base our relationship around the subject matter of Himself. He is the overflowing God.

Charles Spurgeon Comments -- Shall I call holiness an attribute? Is it not rather the glorious combination of all his attributes into one perfect whole? As all his attributes proceed from the absolute, so all again converge and meet in holiness. As from the insufferable white light of the Absolute they all seem to diverge and separate into prismatic hues, so they all seem again to converge and meet and combine in the dazzling white radiance of his holiness. This, therefore, is rather the intense whiteness, purity, clearness, the infinite luster and splendor of his perfect nature -- like a gem without flaw, without stain, and without color. All of his attributes are glorious, but in this we have a combination of all into a still more glorious whole. It is for this reason that it is so frequently in Scripture associated with the Divine beauty. The poetic nature of the psalmist is exalted to ecstasy in contemplation of the "beauty of holiness," the "beauty of the Lord." Beauty is a combination of elements according to the laws of harmony; the more beautiful the parts or elements, and the more perfect the harmonious combination, the higher the beauty. How high and glorious, therefore, must be the beauty of this attribute which is the perfect combination of all his infinite perfections! You see, then, why this attribute is awful to us. In the ideal man all the faculties and powers, mental, moral, and bodily, work together in perfect harmony, making sweet music -- the image of God is clear and pure in the human heart. But, alas! how far are we from the ideal! In the actual man the purity is stained, the beauty is defaced, the harmony is changed into jarring discord, "like sweet bells jangled out of tune." How it came so, we are not now inquiring. We all feel that it is so. Therefore is this attribute so awful to us. It is the awfulness of absolute purity in the presence of impurity; it is the awfulness of perfect beauty in the presence of deformity; it is the awfulness of honor in the presence of dishonor and shame; in one word, it is the awfulness of holiness in the presence of sinfulness. How, then, shall we approach him before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces -him in whose sight the white radiance of heaven itself is stained with impurity? The Treasury of David

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– ALLEN HOOD The Beauty of Holiness III.

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THE DISPLAY OF WONDER – A HOLY GOD DRAWS NEAR The Hebrew word for “holy” is “qadowsh” or “qadosh,” meaning brightness or separatedness. “Brightness suggests the unapproachable God; separatedness is the positive quality which distinguishes or defines God” (Motyer, in Isaiah, p. 77). The radiant, bright God illumined in the complexity and perfection of all His attributes is about to unveil Himself to the object of His affections. God is drawing near. God’s holiness relates to His glory, that inapproachable light that surrounds Him in His theophanies. God clothes Himself in light. He is wrapped with the luster of all His attributes as they work in perfect harmony and perfect potency. God manifests in light, in thunder, in lightning, in whirlwinds, in fire. His voice splits cedars and shles the desert. His eyes are like a flame of fire. Rumblings, voices, lightnings, and thunders burst out from His presence. Clouds, fire, and darkness surrounds Him in the desert, and blinding light surrounds Him on the road to Damascus. His nature manifests in terrifyingly beautiful ways. All OT worship, including the priestly and prophetic ministries, is birthed out of the confrontation with the Holy. When God unveils Himself to the children of Israel, He reveals Himself as Holy. He displays the luster and beauty of all His attributes in order to fascinate the heart and produce the response of worship in the human heart. It is the encounter of the beautiful, terrifying God that produces worship, ushers in faithfulness, and writes the covenant on the hearts of men and women. A.

The relationship in the Garden. Made in the image, bearing the glory of the Holy God.

Abraham – God calls Abram out of the land of his father and then appears to him at the terebinth tree of Moreh. The glory of the Lord appears to Abram and he builds an altar. Worship was the response to Abram encountering the Beauty, the Holy. Gen. 12:7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Gen. 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.

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Gen. 17:1-7 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Acts 7:2-3 And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 "and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' C.

Moses – God appears to Moses in the burning bush and exhorts Moses that he is standing on holy ground. This is the first time the word “holy” appears. God is manifesting Himself in the fire of His glory. The fascinating God is revealing the intrigue, the light of His presence. From this time forward God will begin to establish a nation through the display of His splendor. After God demonstrates the perfection of His judgments, the depth of His power, and the gulf of His pleasure towards His people, Moses breaks out in song and exclaims that there is no God like the Lord who is glorious in holiness. Look what the burning, shining God from the burning bush has done. He alone is holy. He alone is God. God was displaying the vastness of His excellencies in order to demonstrate that He is not one god among many of the gods. He alone is God. He alone is Holy. God then gives Moses a clear picture to the world and to the nation of Israel of how they will relate to this beautifully terrifying, holy God. Just as God is set apart from any other thing, any other god, so Israel will be set apart as God’s special treasure, as a holy nation, as a kingdom of priests. They will display the beauty of God’s character to the nations. Within Israel God will set apart a holy people within her midst, the priesthood and the Levites. They are holy to the Lord. The Lord will set up various rules and various places to display different facets of His nature and to display the difference between that which is common and that which is holy. God will set apart holy garments for the priests. They will wear the garments of beauty and glory. This foreshadows the coming day when the Holy God will cloak Himself in flesh. The Holy One will put on garments of flesh. The Great High Priest will put on flesh and flesh will be adorned with very deity.

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Ex. 3:5 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." 4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

Ex. 15:11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Ex. 19

Deut. 32:3-4 For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

Joshua – God reaffirms to Joshua who it is that is leading the conquest. The Captain of the Lord’s armies is at the end. The Holy One is heading this campaign on and Joshua is on holy ground. At the end of his days Joshua reminds the people of the Holy God and exhorts them to choose you this day whom you shall serve. This is no trite decision. This is life or death, for the terrifying beautiful God will tolerate no other lovers. 1.

Josh. 5:13-15 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" 15 Then the Commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Josh. 24:16-20 So the people answered and said: "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 "for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 "And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God."

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19 But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 "If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good." E.

IV.

Hannah’s Prayer – I Sam. 2:2 And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 "No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

WORSHIPING THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS – SINGING TO THE GLORY David will inaugurate a new season of revelation. David is going to encounter the Holy and God will give David plans for a new tabernacle. The holiness of God is not to be forever separated by veils. The tabernacle of David will unfold the holy God Who longs to be in the presence of His people, Who loves to be gazed upon, Who loves to be worshipped in song. A.

The Formation of the Tabernacle 1.

I Chron. 16

Psalms of the Beautiful, the Majestic 1.

Psalm 11:4, 7

Ps 22:3-4 – God is holy and is enthroned on the praises of Israel.

Ps. 29 – Worship the God who thunders in the beauty of holiness

Ps 47:8 – On His holy thrones He rules as King over the nations

Ps 60:6(108:7) – God swears by His holiness

Ps 93

Ps 96

Ps 97 & 98

Ps 99

10.

Ps 105:3

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– ALLEN HOOD The Beauty of Holiness

11.

Ps 111:9

12.

Ps 145

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THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL – ISAIAH Isaiah is called the prophet of holiness. Isaiah uses the adjective “holy” more than the rest of the Old Testament combined. Isaiah uses this 33 times. He uses the title, “the Holy One of Israel,” twenty-five times. A.

Isaiah’s Commission – Is. 6

“The Holy One of Israel” -- As a title it is full of majesty and mystery: the God who is transcendent in holiness has brought himself into close relationship with a specified people whereby they may claim that He is theirs and He that they are His. The Isaianic literature is an explication of this basic situation: the awesome threat which holiness constitutes to an unworthy, careless, rejecting and unresponsive people (chap. 1-37), the lengths to which the Holy One will go to deal with sin, reclaim the sinner and create a righteous people for Himself (chap. 40-55); and the eternal state of holiness which He will prepare for them and wherein they will enjoy Him forever (chap. 56-66). Motyer, Isaiah, p. 18.

You should note that the greatness of the offense is directly proportional to the greatness of the beauty of the One offended. Isa 1:4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. Isa 5:19 That say, "Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it." Isa 5:24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Isa 10:20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. Isa 12:6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!"

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Isa 17:7 In that day a man will look to his Maker, And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel. Isa 29:19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. Isa 30:11 Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us." Isa 30:12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: "Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them, Isa 30:15 For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not, Isa 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD! Isa 37:23 "Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. Isa 41:14 "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isa 41:16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the LORD, And glory in the Holy One of Israel. Isa 41:20 That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it. Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Isa 43:14 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon, And bring them all down as fugitives-The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships. Isa 45:11 Thus says the LORD, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. Isa 47:4 As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. Isa 48:17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.

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Isa 49:7 Thus says the LORD, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the LORD who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You." Isa 54:5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. Isa 55:5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the LORD your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you." Isa 60:9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the LORD your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you. Isa 60:14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you Shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

VI.

Sennacherib’s Threat -- Is. 37:23 -- "Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.”

Is. 40:25 – The heart of the forerunner message is the declaration of the Holy God.

THE LOSS OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD A.

How far we have fallen from the garden. We have lost communion. We have lost the place of encounter. We have lost the ability to tend the place of encounter. We have lost the ability to rightly perceive God and reflect His glory.

As God continued to unveil Himself to the nation of Israel, even they could not remember their encounters. They could not maintain the remembrance of the knowledge of the glory of God and could not maintain the witness to the earth. God’s contention with humanity has always been the knowledge of Who He is and the appropriate response of worship that is commensurate with the beauty revealed to His people.

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Deut. 32:15-19 "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear. 18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you. 19 "And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. Jg 3:7 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baals and the Asherahs. 1Sa 12:9 And they forgot the LORD their God. And He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. Ps 78:11 And they forgot His works and His wonders which He had shown them. Ps 106:21 They forgot God their Deliverer, who had done great things in Egypt; Ho 2:13 And I will visit on her the days of the Baals, in which she burned incense to them, and she adorned herself with her nose-rings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot Me, says the LORD. Ho 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons, even I. Ho 8:14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and builds temples. And Judah has multiplied cities. But I will send a fire on his cities, and it shall burn up her palaces. Ho 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled. They were filled and their heart was lifted up. Therefore they have forgotten Me. Isa 44:19 And none thinks within his heart, nor [is there] knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread on the coals of it; I have roasted flesh and eaten; and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? Jer 2:32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, [or] a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number. Jer 3:21 A voice was heard on the high places weeping, cryings of the sons of Israel; for they have perverted their way, [and] they have forgotten the LORD their God.

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Jer 10:14 Every man is stupid for [lack of] knowledge; every refiner is put to shame by the graven image; for his molten image is a lie, and no breath is in them. Jer 13:25 This [is] your lot, the share I have measured to you, says the LORD, because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood. Jer 18:15 Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways [from] the old paths, to walk [in] by-paths, not [in] the highway, Jer 50:6 My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away [on] the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. Eze 22:12 In you they have taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken usury and increase, and you gained by extortion of your neighbors, and you have forgotten Me, says the Lord Jehovah. Eze 23:35 So the Lord Jehovah says this: Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore bear also your wickedness and your adulteries. VII.

PROPHETIC HOPE A.

The prophets began to prophesy of a time when the knowledge of God would be restored to the created order. The prophets foretold of a time when the understanding of God would be placed within the hearts of men forever.

They prophesied of a time coming when an Anointed One would reestablish the government of God through the knowledge of God.

Is. 2:1-3 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD'S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Is. 11:1-3 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

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Is. 11:9-10 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. 10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious." Isa 32:4 And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of those who stutter shall be ready to speak plainly. Isa 53:11 He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities. Jer 3:15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you [with] knowledge and understanding. Micah 4:1-2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD'S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. 2 Many nations shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Micah 5:1-5 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. 2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." 3 Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; 5 And this One shall be peace. Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. VIII.

THE BEHOLDING OF GOD & THE REDEMPTION OF MEN A.

John the Baptist goes to prepare the way of the Lord to give testimony to the coming of the Messiah.

Luke 1:76-77 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,

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John 1:14-18 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John 1:26-37 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 "It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 ¶ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 "This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' 31 "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." 32 And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 "And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." 35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" 37 ¶ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. B.

Jesus testifies that He is the full revelation of the Father and the redeemer of humanity. In One Man God will sum up all things. He will manifest His fullness in bodily form. He will reestablish His full revelation to humanity and reestablish humanity’s ability to maintain and reflect the revelation. God will do something that will make Kings shut their mouths. He will do something unprecedented. He will become focused in bodily form. His depths will be seen in the person of Jesus Christ. And through this King, this Man, God will release the knowledge of God throughout the whole earth.

Luke 10:21-24 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." 23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 "for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

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John 5:20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. John 5:39-40 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. John 10:30 "I and My Father are one." John 14:7-11 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

IX.

GOD REVEALS HIMSELF FULLY IN THE PERSON OF JESUS A.

Piper Quote: “As long as God has been God (eternally) He has been conscious of Himself; and the image that He has of Himself is so perfect and so complete and so full as to be the living, personal reproduction (or begetting) of Himself. And this living personal image or radiance or form of God is God, namely God the Son. . . . God’s delight in the Son is delight in Himself. The original, the primal, the deepest, the foundational joy of God is the joy He has in His own perfections as He sees them reflected in the glory of His Son. Paul speaks of “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Cor. 4:6). From all eternity God had beheld the panorama of His own perfections in the face His Son. All that He is He sees reflected fully and perfectly in the countenance of His Son. And in this He rejoices with infinite joy.” The Pleasure of God, p. 38

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In the fullness of time, at the wisest point in history God overflows and reveals fully the delight of delights, His Son. God prepares planet earth in the formation of Israel for the unveiling of unparalleled splendor, unimaginable brightness. The Word becomes flesh and makes His dwelling us. The eternal Son becomes Jesus of Nazareth. What the Father so enjoys now we too can enjoy. The object of the Father’s gaze now becomes the object of ours. “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

God’s revelation to and interaction with all of creation is expressed in the person of His Son. God will go to piercing depths to clarify Himself. Revelation will take on flesh and subject Himself to man’s rejection and God’s wrath. His depths must be seen! His excellencies must be displayed! They are the content of pleasures evermore, joy unspeakable. The vast, immense desire of God to be seen, to be looked upon, to be the object of one’s gaze, one’s pleasure. God in His infinite wisdom sends the very radiance of His glory, the express image of Himself in Jesus to be born of a virgin, to display the love and power of the Father, to be crucified – dead and buried –, to descend to the depths of hell, to rise from the dead, to ascend into heaven and rule at the right hand of the Majesty, and to be admired and loved for all eternity by those redeemed with His own blood.

BEHOLDING THE EXCELLENCIES OF THE SON AS THE WAY OF TRANSFORMATION. A.

Beholding the Knowledge of God in Christ Jesus as the Ground of Salvation and as the Way of Transformation. 1.

John 5:20 & 39

John 14:7-11

John 17:3 & 17:24

Luke 10:21-24

II Cor. 3:18 – 4:6

Ephesians 1:17

Galations 3:1

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Colossians – Paul is combating two errors: 1) who the person of Jesus is 2) the process of transformation. He addresses these two realities back and forth precisely because they are intricately connected in the heart of God. It is by beholding the glory of the Christ Jesus that we are transformed into His likeness.

Hebrews 1-2:9

10.

Hebrews 12:1-2

11.

I John 3:1-3

The Wisdom of Beholding! The Grand Design of the Eye! The eyes are the gateways of fascination. The affections of the heart follow the locked gaze of the eyes. The God of pleasure designed us to delight in that which we behold. Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (See also, Matthew 5:29) 1.

Old Testament Scriptures Which Demonstrate the God Who Loves to Fascinate the Eyes -- Garden, Calling of Abraham (Gen. 12/Acts 7:2), The Burning Bush Ex. 3, The Exodus Ex. 5-15, Mount Sinai Ex. 19, Ex. 24, Ex. 33-34, Balaam Num. 24:15, Crossing the Jordan, The Whole Concept of the Ark and a Tabernacle, David’ Tabernacle, The angel appearing to David & the fire from heaven I Chron. 21, Solomon’s Temple Dedication -- Fire & Glory—II Chron. 5-7, Mount Carmel I Kings 18, Prophetic Visions – Jacob, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, Daniel, Zechariah, etc. (This does not even include all of the times Jesus showed Himself to Israel as the Angel of the Lord)

Jesus – Baptism of Jesus, Calling of Nathanael Jn. 1:51, Miracles, Healings, Walking on Water, Mount of Transfiguration, Resurrection, Stephen, Saul/Paul, Apostle John, Second Coming. All of His Excellencies were set before the Apostles.

At the end of the age God’s strategy will be to unfold the splendor of His Son in such a way that produces lovesickness, wholeheartedness, and exploits of faith. Is. 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. Isa 33:6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.

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Isa 33:17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. XI.

XII.

HEAVEN’S WITNESS A.

Revelation. 4 and 5

Have you ever wondered what heaven thinks of God? My thoughts are so cluttered, so random, so fractured that I fail to maintain a consistent mental and emotional posture towards my Maker. Oh for the day when my mind, will, and emotions with perfect clarity engage the Almighty, when with perfect aptitude, resolve, and affection I look upon the One Who formed me in my mother’s womb. Yet, right now, what is the perfect witness of heaven? I mean, when unfallen creatures gaze upon God, what is their response? In Rev. 4 a door opens in heaven and the beloved apostle John finds himself eaves dropping on the worship of the four living creatures around the throne of God. Eyes within and without open and close as they plummet and mine the depths of their Maker. They are made to gaze and give ceaseless testimony to the rest of created order what their God is like. What will they find? What will they discover?

Unanimously, they proclaim three times over that He is “Holy.” Not only is this radiant God almighty in power, He is dazzling in His beauty. His pure beauty is beyond comprehension. They mine the depths of God and as they do they must shout to the rest of creation. His beauty requires their constant witness, “Your Maker is lovely and beyond anything you could ever imagine. He is infinitely more dazzling and powerful than second place in the universe. His attributes operate in true perfection. There is no flaw in Him. He has perfect symmetry, perfect harmony. He is the Lord God Almighty. He is Holy, Holy, Holy!”

The governmental leaders of heaven are overcome by their witness. They are trembling with fascination before the brilliant potency of God’s being. They must fall down. They must join in. We must hear the pure witness of heaven. We must fall down. We must join in. For, it is in this place of worship we find pleasures untold, beauty unrestrained.

SOMETHING GREATER THAN SERAPHIM – THE SPIRIT WHO SEARCHES A.

I Cor. 2:7-12 & II Cor. 3:18 & Heb. 1

A Name We Do Not Know – Revelation 19:12

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XIII. PROCESS OF BEHOLDING BY FAITH A.

“It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world, for as we behold His glory, the life and power of faith grow stronger. It is by faith that we grow to love Christ. So if we desire strong faith and powerful love, which give us rest, peace and satisfaction, we must seek them by diligently beholding the glory of Christ by faith. In this duty I desire to live and to die. On Christ’s glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to this world. It will become to me like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy” Owen, p. 7. 1.

“Let us get it fixed in our minds that this glory of Christ in His divinehuman person, is the best, the most noble and beneficial truth that we can think about or set our hearts on.”

“Let us diligently study the Bible and the revelations of the glory of Christ revealed there.” Staying within safe confines – II Cor. 12:4 & Rev. 10:4. a. Direct descriptions of His glorious person and incarnation. b. Prophecies, promises and clear instructions concerning Him, all leading our thoughts to behold His glory. c. By sacred institutions of divine worship. Types and Shadows representing His person, office, or work. d. Psalms, Hymns, and Poetry

“Having come to the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ from Scripture or by preaching of the gospel, let us regard it as our duty to meditate frequently on His glory.”

“Let your thoughts of Christ be many, increasing more and more each day.”

“Let all our thoughts concerning Christ and His glory be accompanied with admiration, adoration and thanksgiving.” As you behold Him worship Him with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as a thankful, fascinated lovesick worshiper.

Ask to behold Him in dreams, visions, and visitations.

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