creation – Page 2 – The Core of the Bible

Contemplating the majesty of God sets believers apart

Be holy, because he is holy.

Core of the Bible podcast #61 – Contemplating the majesty of God sets believers apart

Today we will be looking at the topic of holiness, and how our holiness or being set apart is derived from our contemplation of the One who is uniquely holy and set apart.

In Psalm 29, David provides a poetic allegory of a thunderstorm in order to consider the holiness and majesty of God.

Psalm 29:2 – “Give to Yahweh the glory his name deserves. Worship Yahweh in his holy splendor.”

Within this psalm is a description of God’s awe-inspiring power displayed in the majestic outworking of a tempest. He is extolled in the demonstration of the power of a mighty storm. In this psalm, David uses a repeated phrase which is typically translated as “the voice of Yahweh.”

Psalm 29:4 – “the voice of Yahweh in power, the voice of Yahweh in splendor.”

However, the word that is brought out in English as voice (the Hebrew word qol) can mean sound or noise, as well. Here’s an example from Exodus:

Exodus 19:16 – On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder [qol] and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet sound [qol], so that all the people in the camp shuddered.

Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible relates the following regarding the voice of Yahweh as used in this psalm:

“The voice of the Lord – The voice of Yahweh. There can be no doubt that the expression here, which is seven times repeated in the psalm, “the voice of Jehovah,” refers to thunder; and no one can fail to see the appropriateness of the expression. In heavy thunder it seems as if God spake. It comes from above. It fills us with awe. We know, indeed, that thunder as well as the other phenomena in the world, is produced by what are called “natural causes;” that there is no miracle in thunder; and that really God does not “speak” anymore in the thunder than he does in the sighing of the breeze or in the gurgling of the rivulet; but:

(a) He seems more impressively to speak to people in the thunder; and

(b) He may not improperly be regarded as speaking alike in the thunder, in the sighing of the breeze, and in the gurgling stream.

In each and all of these ways God is addressing men; in each and all there are lessons of great value conveyed, as if by His own voice, respecting His own existence and character.”

The idea that the voice of Yahweh described in this psalm is a thunderous sound has to do with its depiction throughout each of the various verses:

The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars; Yahweh shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

The voice of Yahweh flashes flames of fire.

The voice of Yahweh shakes the wilderness; Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of Yahweh makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare.

All of these things can be said to be the result of a powerful thunder and lightning storm: shattering of trees; flashing light and fire; shaking of the wilderness; stripping the woodlands bare. Making the deer give birth can imply that the frightened deer goes into labor, but it also implies that the thunderous voice of God rumbles through the deserted wilderness places where deer prefer to separate themselves when giving birth.

If you’ve ever been through a close violent thunderstorm, I’m sure you can recall how terrifyingly loud and unnerving the noise and commotion of the wind and rain can be. If you were in an open and unprotected area when experiencing a large storm, I’m certain you can recall how vulnerable and frail you may have felt. The Psalmist here is using this type of imagery as a way of illustrating the power and majesty of God, and how incredibly small and unshielded we are from the elements of this world; how much more does that apply to us spiritually.

Barnes concludes:

“In each and all of these ways God is addressing men; in each and all there are lessons of great value conveyed, as if by His own voice, respecting His own existence and character. Those which are addressed to us particularly in thunder, pertain to His power, His majesty, His greatness; to our own weakness, feebleness, dependence; to the ease with which He could take us away, and to the importance of being prepared to stand before such a God.”

To wander into the realm of God is to be vulnerable and exposed to the power and majesty of the One who is beyond all comprehension. If the power of a single storm on earth can instill fear into the stoutest of hearts, how much more the all-powerful presence of the Almighty God?

These things are not necessarily meant to say that God is purposefully causing these individual occurrences to happen; he certainly could if he chose to. But the emphasis in this psalm is that those wonders and powers of nature demonstrate how all-powerful God really is simply because he created them in the first place. Because of this, it is easy for people to get God mixed up with his Creation.

For example, pantheism says that God is in everything, and therefore everything is God. Wikipedia has a reasonable working definition of pantheism that states:

“Pantheism is the view that everything is part of an all-encompassing, immanent God. All forms of reality may then be considered either modes of that Being, or identical with it. Some hold that pantheism is a non-religious philosophical position. To them, pantheism is the view that the Universe (in the sense of the totality of all existence) and God are identical.”

A common popular trope today is to assign “the universe” as an all-present, all-knowing force that influences the lives of people. This is typically used in kind of an ironic rather than serious fashion. However, there are some who believe that speaking something into the universe will bring an echo of meaning or direction back into their lives. Others believe when some notable event occurs, that the universe has pointed them in a direction or made a choice for them. Most people today engage with this type of thinking not realizing that this is really a form of pantheism.

By contrast, in Hebrew thought, God is not equated with the Creation, but is evidenced in and through his Creation. He can do with it as he wills, using it to accomplish his purposes as he sees fit. For example, he can cause a flood or he can create a drought; he can make a storm appear out of nowhere or he can calm the storm.

But beyond just manipulating the natural order, the God of the Bible is not limited by his Creation; he can cause non-linear things (according to the parameters of our understanding of physics) to occur. He can cause the sun and moon to stand still for a whole day (Joshua 10), or the sun to appear to go backwards (2 Kings 20). He can create a dry path through the depths of a sea in one night (Exodus 14), or cause someone who has died to live again (1 Kings 17, Luke 7, John 11). These are things that go against the natural order of things, and therefore demonstrate that God’s nature is transcendent to this Creation; he is greater than just the sum totality of all of its parts. Therefore the God of the Bible is greater and more powerful than whatever god is assigned to the pantheistic philosophy of the created universe.

To consider the vastness of God’s power and ability, one needs only to look beyond the created order of even this world. In some psalms attributed to David, he meditates on the expanse of the heavens and the heavenly bodies that are evident there. He explains how this universality of God’s handiwork is evident in all nations under the heavens.

Psalm 19:1-4 – “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

Because this aspect of God’s nature is evident everywhere, David ponders man’s role in light of his transcendent nature.

Psalm 8:3-4 – “When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?”

David’s conclusion is that viewing the vastness of God’s creation should cause us to be humbled in view of our limited existence and scope of influence.

Our modern astronomical telescopes have transformed how we look at the universe outside of the environs of the earth. We now have space telescopes that can image the farthest reaches of the visible universe. I am fascinated with these types of pictures, and I even have a computer wallpaper that is an image of a spiral galaxy. When I look at such an image depicting a self-contained galaxy with its millions of stars and planets, and knowing that the earth is only one tiny speck in our own galaxy, my mind is immediately humbled to whatever my personal circumstances might be, as this perspective reminds me of how small and finite my view of reality typically is.

In a similar way, when I come to the Bible and explore its depths, I am likewise placed in a position of humility when I consider the magnitude of spiritual revelation that God has provided us in his Word. That God has revealed himself as a being greater than the universe itself is boggling to the mind, and yet necessary for him to demonstrate who he is. His being is so high above all that exists, he is set apart from his Creation; yet he has chosen to maintain a dynamic and ongoing relationship with those whom he has created within that order of Creation that we call the universe.

Our own holiness, or separation from the world, is derived from our perspective and meditation of God as the Creator of all. In our current generation, amidst a people who have no recognition of any god, or who are self-absorbed in the creations of their own making, believers stand apart in our honoring of the one true God of the universe. In so doing, we ourselves become set apart.

1 Peter 1:15-16 – But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

We must recognize that our holiness is derived from his holiness and majesty. If we lose sight of who he is, we become less set apart. Conversely, as we honor him and ascribe to him the glory that his name deserves, then we are elevated into a position of strength and purpose that rises far above our mundane existence.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

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To trust Yahweh is to bear his image in this world

Fear of Yahweh influences every part of the believer’s life.

Psalm 115:9-13 – Israel, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and shield. House of Aaron, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and shield. You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and shield. Yahweh remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear Yahweh — small and great alike.

In this psalm is a contrast between those who trust in idols and those who trust in Yahweh.

Psalm 115:4-8 – Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

By contrast, Yahweh was known to have spoken Israel at Sinai; he listened to their prayers; the sacrifices of Israel were a pleasing aroma to him; Yahweh’s hand brought destruction upon Egypt; the clouds are described as being the dust beneath his feet. This is the God who stood in stark relief against the backdrop of the idolatry of the nations that surrounded Israel.

Fear of Yahweh is set as distinct from idolatry; for whoever trusts in Yahweh, he is to them a help and a shield. This implies that the idols are not a help and a shield to those who trust in them. Yahweh made the heavens and the earth; the idols did not. Yahweh deserves praise; the idols do not.

If those who trusted in their idols became like them, then it implies those who were to trust in Yahweh become like him. The reason idolatry is so wrong because it is assigning to a created thing the image that belongs only to Yahweh. Only Yahweh can assign his image to something, and he did that when he created man and woman.

Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

If men and women are designed to be image-bearers of God, then we should not try to assign that image to anything else in this life.

Psalm 115:1 – Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your faithful love, because of your truth.

Yahweh is worthy of praise because he is truthful and remains faithful to his covenants. If those who fear him bear his image, then they should be truthful in all things and remain faithful to their covenants. In the psalmist’s view, Yahweh was living and active, a protector and helper of Israel, Aaron, and all who feared him. To become like Yahweh is also to become a protector and helper of those in need.

Fear (that is reverence, respect, awe) of Yahweh influences every part of the believer’s life. As we bear the image of God to the world around us, we stand in contrast to the idolatry that still exists today. Modern idolaters trust in their wealth, in their social status, and in their prideful accomplishments.

However, believers should demonstrate the true power of imaging God: being truthful and faithful in their dealings with others and being protectors and helpers of those in need. By doing these things, we can become a blessing that honors our Maker.

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The reconciliation of the new creation

The new eyes of the new creation provide new opportunities for forgiveness.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Messiah and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Messiah, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

The very heart of the gospel message has always been about reconciliation and forgiveness. In reconciliation an exchange takes place; exchanging hostility for mercy, exchanging disdain for favor. There is a restorative function in reconciliation: where once there was distance and separation there is now closeness and connection.

Reconciliation takes place when two parties have been separated, and reconciliation then brings them back together. For this to happen there has to be a release, a letting go of injury or transgression; there has to be forgiveness.

In Messiah, reconciliation for Israel with God was accomplished. He became the suffering servant of Isaiah’s prophecy that would be the ultimate representative sacrifice for the nation.

In Messiah, the scattered Israelites who had been absorbed among the nations due to God divorcing them for their rebellious idolatry (like those in Corinth) were reconciled back to him through faith.

In Messiah, any of us who have been separate and distinct from the God of Israel and his people are brought near through faith in him.

Galatians 3:26 – for through faith you are all sons of God in Messiah Yeshua.

All of this can only be accomplished when something unique takes place. Paul tells us what this is in this passage:

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 – From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Messiah from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Paul says that believers in Messiah can no longer view anyone from a worldly perspective, literally “according to the flesh.” What they are in the flesh is of no consequence when we are living according to the new creation.

Romans 10:11-12 – For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him.
Galatians 3:27-28 – For those of you who were baptized into Messiah have been clothed with Messiah. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Messiah Yeshua.
Colossians 3:10-11 – You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. In Messiah there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Messiah is all and in all.

This lack of distinction should be evident in the new creation of God’s kingdom people. In Messiah, all is reconciliation and unity. Just as God does with us, we can no longer look at the fleshly distinctions that separate us from each other. If we retain unforgiveness in our heart, it is due to the fact that we are continuing to look at those who have offended us through fleshly eyes, not the eyes of the new creation.

Because we ourselves are a new creation, we should no longer have a need to retain unforgiveness and separation in our hearts toward those from whom we have separated over some infraction or hurt. We can release it and let it go because we are no longer the same individuals we were before, and because we are no longer viewing them through fleshly eyes.

2 Corinthians 5:16 – From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.

Even though we were sinful and rebellious toward God, he forgave us and reconciled us to himself. He did not look at us from a worldly perspective but from the perspective of the new creation, the kingdom perspective. As his children, we should do likewise with others.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube! Just getting started, but new videos will be added regularly on many different topics, find us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvR_aNEyA7WEZJtF4B8fZ6g

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Honoring parents respects God’s kingdom authority here on earth

A believing father and mother, as God’s agents, can provide the best guidance and direction leading to well being for the children who are obedient to their instruction.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
Exodus 20:12

Within the kingdom of God, there would be many roles requiring to be fulfilled. While most people look to define and embrace roles like prophets, priests, teachers, helpers, there are no roles as basic and impactful as the roles within each family: husband and wife, mother and father.

This significance of man and woman in the kingdom is a basic building block upon which everything else is built. The male and female component is inherent within the DNA of the kingdom, right back to its origins in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Genesis 1:27-28

The very first royal edict of the kingdom had to do with man and woman reigning and having dominion over God’s Creation. In Hebrew culture, the father and the mother are therefore figures representing divine authority over the family. They are the representatives of God, made in his image, and to be respected as possessing and implementing the wisdom of God.

This is brought out throughout the biblical stories, but is most blatantly evident in the Proverbs.

Proverbs 1:8-9 – Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

Proverbs 23:22 – Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 15:20 – Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their mother.

However, children who are disobedient to this most basic sense of authority are shown the end that results from choosing their own way.

Proverbs 19:26 – Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.

Proverbs 20:20 – If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.

Proverbs 28:24 – Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, “What’s wrong with that?” is no better than a murderer.

Proverbs 30:17 – The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures.

This recognition of the authority of the father and mother carries over into the kingdom dynamic of the New Testament as well:

Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Paul writes here that this commandment to honor father and mother is the first command with a promise for well-being and long life. The idea is that a believing father and mother, as God’s agents, can provide the best guidance and direction that would lead to those things for the children who are obedient to their instruction.

The respect and honor of father and mother is therefore part of the eternal torah, or instruction, of God for all time. As the mother and father “rule” righteously over the kingdom of their family, they are fulfilling a role that is embedded within the Creation itself, a role that hearkens back through ancestral lines all the way to the original parents in the Garden. The Garden imagery of Paradise (the idealized kingdom) is therefore brought to life for each generation through every faithful father and mother.

As believing parents recognize this awesome responsibility of the authority they carry, the Kingdom of God can continue to grow in righteousness, honoring the original parents whom God set over all Creation.

The Sabbath is a feature of the kingdom built into Creation itself

The Sabbath has always been intended by God to be a benefit, not a burden.

Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27

The kingdom of God has been designed by God to be not just an ideal to strive for, but to be a practical outworking of his desire for human behavior.

In the Kingdom Charter, the Ten Commandments, lies an aspect of the kingdom that is largely neglected among Christians today. God’s people have been instructed to remember the Sabbath and keep it set apart. It is a gift from him, a sacred memorial honoring the Creator (Yahweh), his provision, and his eternal purpose.

Most people assume the Sabbath was instituted for Israel at Sinai. However, we find that the seventh day was actually set apart at Creation, as God demonstrated a practice of rest from his work of creating on that day.

On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.
Genesis 2:2-3

From the very beginning of all things, God declared that this day was to be set apart as special. The word Sabbath actually conveys more than just rest, but an intermission; the cycle of days is intentionally interrupted by something different, a unique day unlike the others.

Yeshua, seeing that the Jewish authorities had corrupted the purpose of the day into a long list of requirements and restrictions, stated simply that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath. The day was intended to be a benefit, not a burden.

The New Living Translation brings this out in its rendering of this verse:

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27 – NLT

As humans come to recognize and honor their Creator and the Kingdom of God expands, the Sabbath cycle instituted at the creation of all things intentionally interrupts our daily routine and becomes the mode of reconnecting with the Source of our true life.

The awe-inspiring perspective that changes lives

When we live in awe of God’s majesty, we are compelled to act compassionately towards others.

Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14

“The fear of the Almighty” or “the fear of the Lord” are phrases that have fallen out of use in our modern religious vernacular. Rarely is God represented as a being who is to be feared; rather, his mercy and forgiveness are emphasized above and beyond all of the qualities of his being.

To better understand this admonition to fear God, we would do well to investigate the word that is translated in our English versions as “fear.” In regular vocabulary, that word to us means to be frightened or scared of something or someone who might do us harm. However, in biblical terminology, the term goes beyond that into a broader usage of “reverence” or “awe.”

If we have the fear of God, we have the deepest respect and reverence for God, recognizing just how awesome and powerful he really is. Whether we read of his power in the creation of all things, or the separating of the Red Sea, or in the resurrection of Yeshua, we are glimpsing the majesty and glory that sits outside of our natural understanding into the supernatural realm of God’s character and abilities. When we incorporate that perspective of the other-ness of God into our daily lives, we cannot help acting and working differently than others around us who have a physical-only worldview.

In Job’s perspective above, he mentions how the fear of the Almighty is a factor in us helping those around us. If we do not have the fear of God, Job says, we have no motivation for expressing compassion to those less fortunate or those who are going through rough patches in their lives; we withhold kindness. We instead focus on our personal agendas which end up being relatively insignificant by comparison. Having the larger perspective of awe can help us realize that the things we value as important to us in the short term of our temporary lives pale in contrast with the more important things that the God of the universe expects of us, such as helping others.

This concept of perspective-changing awe is a known commodity, even outside of religious environments.

Imagine yourself at a scenic vista somewhere on Earth, such as the rim of the Grand Canyon or the shore of an ocean stretching out past the horizon line. As your brain processes the view and its sheer vastness, feelings of awe kick in. Looking at a photo is not the same, but we might get a dose of that when we look at a particularly sparkly Hubble picture of a star cluster. The experience of awe, whether we’re standing at the summit of a mountain or sitting in front of a computer screen, can lead to “a diminished sense of self,” a phrase psychologists use to describe feelings of smallness or insignificance in the face of something larger than oneself. Alarming as that may sound, research has shown that the sensation can be a good thing: A shot of awe can boost feelings of connectedness with other people.
Galaxy Brain is Real, The Atlantic.

Taken as a whole, the Bible is all about instilling in us a sense of awe and wonder for the God who created all things and who placed us within his creation to make a compassionate difference in the lives of those around us. When we operate within that sense of big-picture reverence for our Creator, we are not only encouraged but compelled to express his compassion. In this way, the two greatest commands, to love God and love others, can be fulfilled in us.

Contemplating the Source of all holiness sets believers apart

As believers we are set apart from the world when we consider the majesty of the one true God.

Give to Yahweh the glory his name deserves. Worship Yahweh in [his] holy splendor.
Psalm 29:2

Within this psalm is a description of God’s awe-inspiring power displayed in the majestic outworking of his Creation. He is extolled in the demonstration of the power of a mighty storm, in which echoes of the all-consuming Flood of Noah are hinted at.

Our own holiness, or separation from the world, is derived from our perspective and meditation of God as the Creator of all. Amidst a people who have no recognition of any God, or who are self-absorbed in the creations of their own making, believers stand apart in our honoring of the one true God of the universe. In so doing, we ourselves become set apart.

But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:15-16

Resting in His Care

When we focus on the things of this world more than God, then we have lost our true perspective.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
Matthew 6:26-32

Your life is more valuable to God than all the beauty and provision represented in his Creation; he knows all of your needs.

As believers, we are easily and constantly distracted from what is truly important by our bodily needs and desires. Living on this earth presents us with challenges and struggles that can pull our focus away from God.

Trust is about perspective. When we focus on the things of this world more than God, then we have lost our true perspective. Yeshua calls this condition “little faith.”

Yet, the simplicity of trusting God can restore us to our spiritual and emotional “center.” A sincere understanding of God and his ability to provide for our basic needs gives us a foundation of trust that we can then build on. When this reality seeps deep inside to our core, it becomes a tap-root that can sustain us through the most adverse conditions.

God cares for what he creates. Whether birds, flowers, grass or people, he has built into his Creation practical mechanisms for sustenance that allow his universe to thrive. Seeing this provision and beauty within his Creation is his evidence to us, his proof, that he has the ability to provide for our needs. All we have to do is recognize this, and rest safely and securely within his care.

The ancient believers expressed a similar amazement at the care that God bestows upon mankind within the vastness of his Creation:

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. … When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Psalm 8:1, 3-4

The Kingdom

From the beginning of all things, God designed mankind in his own image for the purpose of providing representative rulership for him on the earth. In its simplest definition, the kingdom of God is present anywhere God reigns supreme.

Episode 2 – The Kingdom

From the beginning of all things, God designed mankind in his own image for the purpose of providing representative rulership for him on the earth. According to Yeshua, this was so that God’s will would be accomplished within his physical Creation, to mirror what is always accomplished in the ideal of God’s reign in his spiritual realm.

Matthew 6:9-10 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

What is the kingdom of God?

God’s reign is revealed to us as the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven, which are synonymous terms. The root of the word kingdom as used in the Bible literally means the realm in which a king sovereignly rules. In its simplest definition, the kingdom of God is present anywhere God reigns supreme.

God, as the Creator of all, has the inherent right to instruct people as to what is good and right, and he has done so through his Word (or torah/instruction), what we now call the Bible. Because he has created all things and given life to all, he deserves our honor, respect, and allegiance.
The kingdom is present anywhere and anytime that people acknowledge God and his instruction as sovereign; when he is honored, respected, worshiped, and obeyed in spirit and in truth.

The Rule of God expressed in Creation

To teach all of mankind the principles of God’s reign, the kingdom of God on earth was first foreshadowed by Adam and Eve in the Garden, then the nation of Israel at Sinai, and ultimately the reigns of David and Solomon.

Adamic – Natural kingdom (rulership)

Genesis 1:26-28- Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Psalm 8:4-8 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

Man has been designed by God from the beginning to be an overseer of all that God has created. For us to do that effectively, we must be faithful to the Creator and the principles he has provided for us to operate by: his torah/instruction.

Mosaic – National kingdom

Exodus 19:3-6 Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and [how] I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

At the foot of Mt. Sinai, God was preparing another example: the people of God would collectively be set apart from all others, and God would be their king. By naming them as priests, he was illustrating the responsibilities of man beyond just the created natural order into the moral/spiritual realm as well. God was beginning to bridge the two realms of his kingdom/rulership into one.

However, he also foresaw that Israel would want a physical king, and they would ultimately fall away from his sole rulership. Even this was by his design, though, since he always intended for a representative individual to be at the head of his people.

1 Samuel 8:6-7, 22 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. … The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.”

Davidic – the Ideal Kingdom

1 Chronicles 17:23-24, 27 “Now, O LORD, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant [David] and concerning his house be established forever, and do as You have spoken. “Let Your name be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, [even] a God to Israel; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.’ … “And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

The physical kingdom of Israel reached its pinnacle with the reign of David and his son, Solomon. David was so faithful to God that he became a type and foreshadowing of a more expansive, universal kingdom that would once again allow God to reign through a leader that he himself would appoint.

All of these representations, from Adam to Moses to David, collectively set principles in place that would instruct mankind about this eternal kingdom of God which was to be fulfilled on the earth in the days of his anointed one, Yeshua.

Prophecy – A Messianic Kingdom

From David on, prophets of Israel began to point towards a new type of kingdom that would surpass any one national representation to a universal reign over the earth.

Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of [His] government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Daniel 2:44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and [that] kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Daniel 7:13-14, 27 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and [men of every] language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. … ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of [all] the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom [will be] an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’

This universal reign expressed by the prophets was to be fulfilled within God’s timing, with a man of God’s own choosing, one appointed by God. He would faithfully carry out God’s directives and be rewarded with lordship over the kingdom, bridging the divide between this temporal, physical reality and the eternal spiritual reality.

Messianic – The spiritual kingdom

The coming of the kingdom with Yeshua was the fulfillment of the pattern and prophecies that had been established for hundreds of years.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Mark 4:11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables…

Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets [were proclaimed] until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Acts 1:3 To these He [Yeshua] also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over [a period of] forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Yeshua taught that the kingdom was not a political or religious rulership, but a dynamic that was already present in his day and being manifested for everyone to see. This demonstrates the spiritual and moral aspects of the kingdom.

Luke 17:20-21 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He [Yeshua] answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here [it is!]’ or, ‘There [it is!]’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

John 3:3, 5 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” … Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The kingdom, not the church

Today, many believers equate the “church” with the kingdom. However, it must be remembered that Yeshua was sent to bring the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, not the good news of the church. He did not come to start a new religion, but to fulfill the promises of God to his people.
Yeshua was sent by God to manifest the kingdom (reign) of God in this physical Creation, starting with the foundational teachings that had been long established since Adam and Eve. However, his teachings were not based solely on a list of things to do and not to do, but on an attitude of genuinely respecting God’s authority in every area of life.

Yeshua taught that right-living is attained through honoring God and his torah (instruction). That’s it. No organizations, no infrastructures, no strategies for growth; just doing what’s right at all times.

Matthew 6:31-34 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This is kingdom living. It is not limited to a certain building or geographical area or time of day or day of the week. It is fluid, organic, and self-replicating through selfless actions of believers seeking the manifestation of the kingdom and the direction of the spirit of God through his Word.

Because this is not a natural concept for most people, God demonstrated kingdom principles through his ekklesia (what we call the church),so people could see what this set apart type of life in this world could look like. But the goal was not to set a pattern of duplicating copies of the temporary ekklesia, but to model the positive actions and attributes of the ekklesia. Just like Israel in the wilderness, the ekklesia represented in the Bible provides object lessons and examples for right-living; it was the kingdom of God expressed among the nations of the earth.

Through the efforts and network of the ekklesia, the disciples also carried this message of the kingdom to the scattered Israelites among the nations, where many different people, Jews and non-Jews alike, were encouraged by the gospel of the kingdom and became believers:

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

Acts 28:23, 31 When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. … preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

Paul also spoke of the spiritual nature of the kingdom, as it was not something to be governed with traditions of men.

Romans 14:17-18 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking [worldly rules and regulations], but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this [way] serves Messiah is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Other than the Messiah (and his post-resurrection first-century body of believers), there has not been, is not now, and will not be any one physical representation of the kingdom on earth. The kingdom is propagated solely by the spirit of God, through his word, working his will in the hearts and minds of people as they submit to its authority in their lives. It does not (and cannot) reside in any one physical building, location, or institution.

The kingdom which cannot be shaken

In Hebrews 12, the writer spends a good deal of time contrasting the New Jerusalem, symbolic of the kingdom, with the fleshly kingdom of Israel which was founded at Sinai. Using imagery taken from Moses and the prophet Haggai, he outlines this contrast.

Hebrews 12:25-26: “Watch out that you do not refuse the one who is speaking! For if those did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth [that is, Israel and Moses], much less will we escape, if we reject the one who warns from heaven, whose voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.””

Haggai 2:6-7,9: “For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land. I will shake all the nations so that the treasure of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts. … ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace’ declares Yahweh of hosts.’””

Hebrews 12:27-28: “Now the phrase “yet once more ” indicates the removal of what is shaken, namely, things that have been created, in order that the things that are not shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be thankful, through which let us serve God acceptably, with awe and reverence.”

The fleshly kingdom of Israel was of this creation and therefore susceptible to shaking and removal. However, the kingdom of God is unshakable because it is not of this world.

John 18:36: “Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.””

Application for today

To rule on the earth is to be “image-bearers” of God and act in ways that honor him and his Creation, as he originally intended. Ruling/reigning on this earth does not necessarily mean to rise to political sovereignty or power, but it does mean to “exercise dominion” by intentionally applying God’s righteous standards in all we do and say. In this way, God’s kingdom standards are expressed and fill the earth at all levels of society.

The kingdom therefore exists as an independent reality within itself, but it is expressed here in this Creation when and where God’s will is accomplished by those who love and serve him. The life that is set apart is a life of right-action, not just words, creeds, or traditions, and is based on the whole of God’s torah/instruction.

While everything in the spiritual realm (the heavenly host) is submitted to him, not everyone in this physical realm recognizes him as the Creator, and therefore his kingdom authority (in practice among humans) is limited by those who either do not know him or who choose not to obey him.

However, as individuals submit to his rightful authority in their lives, he then rules over them; hence, his kingdom becomes expressed in this physical realm through the hearts and actions of those who are faithful to him.
This is the goal (and prophetic declaration) of the entire biblical narrative: for people to honor God as the Creator of all, and righteously represent his standards while propagating humanity in all lands. This is, and will be, the completion and fulfillment of all that was stated from the Garden of Eden through the prophesied New Jerusalem of Revelation.

As God’s standards become more and more prominent with successive generations, then God’s kingdom is increased until it fills the earth. As humans continue to align with God’s sovereign rule over all things, then all things become harmonized with his will, and as Yeshua taught us to pray, his kingdom comes “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rilleLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license