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Clause 1
“That
the only true God is He who was revealed
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by angelic
visitation and vision, and to Moses at the
flaming bush (unconsumed) and at Sinai,
and who manifested Himself in the Lord Jesus
Christ, as the supreme self-existent Deity,
the ONE FATHER, dwelling in unapproachable
light, yet everywhere present by His Spirit,
which is a unity with His person in heaven.
He hath, out of His own underived energy,
created heaven and earth, and all that in
them is.- Is 40:13-25; 43:10-12; 44:6-8;
46:9,10; Job 38,39 and 40; Deut. 6:4; Mark
12:29-32; 1Cor 8:4-6; Eph 4:6; 1Tim 2:5;
Neh 9:6; Job 26:13; Ps 124:8; 146:6; 148:5;
Is 40:26,27; Jer 10:12,13; 27:5; 32:17-19;
51:15; Acts 14:15; 17:24; 1Chron 29:11-14;
Ps 62:11; 145:3; Is 26:4; 40:26; Job 9:4;
36:5; Ps 92:5; 104:24; 147:4-5; Is 28:29;
Rom 16:27; 1Tim 1:17; 2Chron 16:9; Job 28:24;
34:21; Ps 33:13,14; 44:21; 94:9; 139:7-12;
Prov 15:3; Jer 23:24; 32:19; Amos 9:2,3;
Acts 17:27,28; Ps 123:1; 1Kings 8:30,39,43,49;
Mat 6:9; 1Tim 6:15-16; 1:17.”
From describing the
unique nature of the inspired words of Scripture,
as being the “only source of knowledge concerning
God and His purposes at present extant or
available”, the Birmingham Amended Statement
of Faith next directs our attention more
fully to the God which that Word describes.
The order here is important. In the absence
of Divine Revelation, man is utterly incapable
of arriving at a correct understanding of
the only True God (Job 11:7), for He dwells
“in the light which no man can approach
unto; whom no man that seen, nor can see”
(1Tim 6:16) - and His ways are infinitely
higher than the ways of Man (Is 55:9, 1Cor
2:14). It is true that Creation itself declares
the immense power and greatness of a Creator
(Rom 1:19,20), but it does not in itself
enlighten man as to the nature, and purposes
of that Creator. It does not give us a knowledge
of the Love and Mercy of the Almighty, who
has so Graciously Condescended to grant
His Only Begotten Son to die upon the stake
for our sins. It does not describe the wrath
of God poured out upon those who willingly
despise His Ways. And it tells us nothing
of the outworking of His Purpose - of which
we can have a part, if we learn to please
Him. But Revelation does tell us all this
- and more. And it is only when we recognise
the uniqueness of the written revelation
from God to man, that we can learn more
of it’s Author. By it’s very nature, it
is the only revelation of such things currently
available to us - and once we accept the
truth of it’s Divine Origin, we are bound
to accept the testimony of it’s Author concerning
Himself.
The BASF identifies
the Eternal Creator with reference to His
past revelations to faithful men of old:
“the only true God is He who was revealed
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ... and to Moses
at the burning bush (unconsumed) and at
Sinai ...”. In this regard, it takes the
lead of Scripture itself, which consistently
identifies the Great Creator in similar
terms, particularly with reference to the
progenitors of Israel. So the Lord identified
himself to Moses on the occasion so described:
“I am the God of thy father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob” (Ex 3:6). Each of these men of faith,
including Moses himself, all forsook the
riches of sin to sojourn as strangers in
the desert (Heb 11:9, 24-26) desiring “a
better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God:
for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb
11:16). Because of their implicit faith
and trust in Him, because they forsook all
to seek the glories of His Coming Kingdom,
the Almighty has no compunction in designating
Himself as being their God - despite the
fact that they were but mortal, erring creatures.
Indeed, this great
condescension on the part of the Almighty
to continue His association with these men
- even after their death - was used by Moses
as evidence for the resurrection: “Now that
the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at
the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the
dead, but of the living: for all live unto
him” (Luke 20:37-38). Being called upon
by God to assemble the elders of Israel
together, Moses brought them to the bush
(cp Luke 30:37 with Ex 3:16), and “shewed”
them hope in deliverance by speaking of
their God in such a manner. The fact that
the Lord was declared to be the God of those
who were yet dead, spoke of the certainty
of their future resurrection, for in His
Purpose, “all live unto him”. And the fact
of the bush, bathed in fire, yet preserved
from destruction taught them of the Lord’s
protection through persecution and oppression
(cp Is 43:2, Jer 30:11). So it was, that
in identifying himself both to Moses and
the People in such a manner, the Almighty
taught them the faith of the Patriarchs
- faith in resurrection (Rom 4:17, Heb 11:19)
and hope of deliverance (Gen 15:13,14).
MANY
IDOLS, BUT ONE TRUE GOD
The position of Israel
under the Egyptian yoke parallels our circumstance
in several respects (some of which were
considered in the February issue), and one
of these is seen in the religious environment
in which they sojourned. In Egypt, the people
worshipped a multiplicity of gods (Josh
24:14, Ezek 20:7,8), and for Moses to have
simply declared that “God” had sent him,
would immediately have provoked the question,
“Which one? What is his Name?” This situation
was anticipated by Moses: “Moses said unto
God, Behold, when I come unto the children
of Israel, and shall say unto them, The
God of your fathers hath sent me unto you;
and they shall say unto me, What is his
name? What shall I say unto them?” The answer
was very specific; “Thus shalt thou say
unto the Children of Israel, YAHWEH, God
of your Fathers, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath
sent me unto you” (Ex 3:14). The God of
covenant promise, the God of the Living
had sent Moses to them. “Although there
may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth
- as indeed there are many “gods” and many
“lords” - yet for us there is one God, the
Father, from whom are all things and for
whom we exist” (1Cor 8:5,6 RSV). And that
“one God” - the only true God is set apart
from all others by His Great Name (being
expressive of His future Intentions), and
by His being called the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. Identification with the
Fathers of Israel then, and the purpose
which was being worked out through them,
was a feature which distinguished the God
of Israel, from the pagan vanities of Egypt.
And in our day, the situation is no different.
The semi-heathen religious systems around
us profess to believe in a Creator (even
if they deny the literality of the Creation
Record). So do we. What then marks their
god as being different to our Lord? They
define their god to be a “mystery”, unknowable
and unknown, three in one, and one in three,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
co-equal, and co-eternal. They do not believe
in the God Who was revealed to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob - He not an unknown God
(cp Acts 17:23,24), not to be “ignorantly
worshipped”, but rather worshipped in recognition
of His Character, and Purposes. It is our
understanding of the purposes of Abraham’s
God, as revealed in Scripture, which distinguishes
us from them, our God from their god. The
question remains for us, therefore, as to
how we identify our God to the idol-worshippers
around us. Do we follow the manner of Scripture,
in declaring to them our unbelief of the
trinitarian idol, rather professing allegiance
to the God of Abraham, or do we seek to
“conform” to the ways of the heathen, by
saying we “go to church”, and that we simply
“believe in God” - that we simply have a
“different perspective” on things?
KNOWING
“THE ONLY TRUE GOD”
In marked contrast
to the idolaters around us, who themselves
confess their trinitarian myth to be an
unknowable “mystery”, the Lord Jesus taught
that a knowledge of the Only True God is
a vital prerequisite to Salvation: “This
is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent” (Jno 16:3). And again, John
taught that to “know” the only True God
requires an understanding of Him, and His
Ways: “We know that the Son of God is come,
and hath given us an understanding, that
we may know him that is true, and we are
in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus
Christ. This is the True God, and eternal
life. Little children, keep yourselves from
idols ...” (1Jno 5:2-,21). To understand
Scripture teaching concerning the God of
Abraham then, is absolutely vital to our
salvation, for in the Son of God, such an
understanding is given, that we might “know”
Him, and through faith, and obedience, be
granted Eternal Life.
THE
LORD GOD REVEALED TO ABRAHAM AND MOSES
In His Appearances
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Great Creator
revealed Himself in terms of His Purposes.
Thus it was, that from the time that Abraham
obeyed His Voice, in departing for the land
of Canaan, the Lord spoke of His future
intentions concerning him: “I will make
of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou
shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee; and in thee shall all families of
the earth be blessed” (Gen 12:2,3). And
again, when he was actually in the land,
“Yahweh appeared unto him, and said, Unto
thy seed will I give this land” (Gen 12:7).
And again, following his separation from
Lot, the Lord spake unto him: “lift up now
thine eyes, and look up from the place where
thou art northward, and southward, and eastward,
and westward: for all the land which thou
seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy
seed for ever” (Gen 13:15). This, then is
the prominent feature of Yahweh’s appearances
to Abraham; each were accompanied with further
revelations of His Purposes both with Abraham
himself, and also his Greater seed - even
our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16). And from
each of these revelations, we learn certain
fundamental points about the God we serve.
In making a promise of possessing land for
ever, the Lord speaks of the bestowal of
Immortality - for the maximum time a man
can possess something, is until the day
of his death. And the fact that it was Land
which was promised, demonstrates that the
Lord’s purpose is with the earth, to fill
the earth with an immortal family.. And
the reference to Abraham’s “seed” describes
how these things could come about through
the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e.
a Seed cannot bear fruit until it is first
buried - see Jno 12:24, 1Cor 15:36) Truly
it was, that “the scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham
... ” (Gal 3:8).
But despite the wonder
of these glorious promises made to Abraham,
styled “the friend of God”, they were not
as great as God’s revelation to Moses. This
man experienced a unique relationship with
His Maker, for of him alone is it testified
that “Yahweh spake unto Moses face to face,
as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Ex 34:11).
Moses, it appears, was uniquely privileged
to experience open discourse with the Lord
God, as the Lord Himself declared to Aaron
and Miriam in their time of rebellion, “Hear
now my words: If there be a prophet among
you, I Yahweh will make myself known unto
him in a vision, and will speak unto him
in a dream. My servant Moses is not so,
who is faithful in all mine house. With
him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently,
and not in dark speeches; and the similitude
of Yahweh shall he behold ...” (Num 12:8).
Moses then, beheld “the similitude of Yahweh”
through His Angelic ambassador (cp Acts
7:30, 38), experiencing open communication
with His Maker.
THE
LIMITATIONS OF DIVINE REVELATION TO MOSES
Thus it is, that
the prominent feature of the Lord’s manifestation
to Moses, was the revelation of His likeness,
or attributes. So Moses besought the Lord,
“If I have found grace in thy sight, shew
me now thy way, that I may know thee ...
I beseech thee, shew me thy glory” (Ex 33:13,18).
And the Divine response to this is most
instructive, not least because it illustrates
the limitations of Revelation to men of
old, and as we shall see, emphasises the
fulness of revelation in Jesus Christ. Moses
was not permitted to behold the full extent
of Divine Glory: “thou canst not see my
face: for there shall no man see me, and
live ... It shall come to pass, while my
glory passeth by, that I will put thee in
a clift of the rock, and will cover thee
with my hand while I pass by: And I will
take away mine hand, and thou shalt see
my back parts: but my face shall not be
seen” (Ex 33:22,23). Even Moses then, could
not behold the Face of unrestrained Divine
Glory, even through angelic manifestation.
Mortal man cannot stand in the face of the
fullness of the Glory of God and live. But
what Moses did witness, was the declaration
of the varied facets of Divine Character:
“Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed,
Yahweh, Yahweh El, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness
and truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and
sin ...” (Ex 34:6,7).
The “glory” which
Moses requested to see, was made manifest
in the attributes declared before Him, expressive
of the nature and Character of the God of
Abraham. Yet he could not actually see those
Attributes - he heard them proclaimed. Moreover,
he could not actually see the face of the
Angel of Yahweh’s presence - it was hidden
from him. And all this pointed forward to
a future manifestation of God - even greater
than this, when the Glory of God would be
manifested in all its fulness perfectly,
yet veiled in Human Flesh.
THE
MANIFESTATION OF THE FATHER IN JESUS CHRIST
The apostolic testimony,
in contrasting the fading glory of the Mosaic
Law (2Cor 3:7-16) with the glory made manifest
in the Lord Jesus Christ, is that: “God,
who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ” (2Cor 4:6). In
the Lord Jesus Christ, as the greater Seed
of Abraham, through whom all the promises
are to be fulfilled, we can see the face
of Glory, for we see “God manifest in the
flesh” (1Tim 3:16) - the fulness of Divine
Character revealed in a Son who perfectly
mirrored his Father’s Image (interestingly,
although Moses could not see the face of
Glory in Exodus, when he was present at
the Transfiguration of the Lord, it is testified
of Christ that “his face did shine as the
sun” (Mat 17:2) - so Moses, at the last,
did see the full extent of the Glory as
he requested). So it was, that as a faithful
Son, the Lord Jesus shared the likeness
of His Father, to such an extent that he
could say to Phillip, “he that hath seen
me hath seen the Father, and how sayest
thou then, Shew us the Father” (Jno 14:9).
All the glorious Attributes which were declared
to Moses, were to be seen in the Son; even
as it is written, “No man hath seen God
at anytime; the only begotten of the Father,
he hath declared him” (Jno 1:18).
This then, is the
Greatest Revelation of all- the Revelation
of the Father in Jesus Christ. But in turn,
the greater the revelation, the greater
the responsibility of those who behold it.
“We know that the Son of God is come, and
hath given us an understanding ...” (1Jno
5:20). And Speaking of the word of understanding
which proceeded from him, in comparison
with the ordinances of the Mosaic Law, the
writer to the Hebrews exhorts: “if the word
spoken by angels was steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received
a just recompense of reward; how shall we
escape, if we neglect so great salvation;
which at the first began to be spoken by
the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them
that heard him” (Heb 2:2,3). Let us, therefore
heed this exhortation, by striving to behold
more fully the Glory of the God we serve,
as made manifest in the pages of Scripture
- by remaining distinct from the idols of
the heathen, and faithful to the Father
of our Lord Jesus. Indeed, our very salvation
depends on it, for “this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”
(Jno 17:3).
Chris
Maddocks
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