glory to GOD FOR TRUTH Amen ! When God brought Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness, they had one very distinctive sign. They had the cloudy pillar by day and the pillar of fire by night over the encampment. These told all of the surrounding nations that Israel belonged to Yahweh, that their God was in their midst in power and glory, and they were under God’s protection day and night. The cloud and the fire were visible both day and night and no enemy could come into the camp even by night, for the fire made it as light as day. I do not believe that Christians today have any real conception of the marvelous and great work which God did in delivering the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt! We have seen pictures painted by some of the great artists supposedly to illustrate this, and we have seen Moses striking the rock with some half-dozen people around him drinking from a stream little larger than a finger, with a cow or two and a few sheep standing near. What a crude conception of the majesty and glory by which the mighty Yahweh delivered His people! It is estimated, on the basis of the biblical record, that there were at least two to three million Israelites that came up out of Egypt. God did a wonderful and mighty work in that Exodus! It was not a little handful of people that left Egypt, but it was millions that God brought out. Little wonder that some of the people asked if God could set a table in the wilderness! For this was a great multitude and God was taking them into a desert place where there was little food for man or beast. There was no water, and God had the Israelites take no supplies or provisions with them. GOD WAS THEIR SUPPLY and OUT OF HIMSELF He would feed them! God further manifested Himself in the sight of all Israel through thunder, lightnings, a voice of a trumpet, smoke, fire, and earthquakes (Ex. 19:11-19; Deut. 5:4-5,22-27). He also showed His glory and sent fire from His presence in the sight of all Israel (Lev. 9:23-24; 10:1-2). Job saw God in a whirlwind (Job 38:1; 42:5). Various prophets saw visions of God. To Ezekiel He appeared in the form of a man, enveloped in fire. To Daniel He appeared as the Ancient of Days. Many other verses of scripture tell us that God appeared to someone but do not describe in what manner He did so. For example, God appeared to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Samuel (Gen. 12:7; 17:1; 26:2,24; 35:9-15; I Sam. 3:21). Similarly, God descended on mount Sinai and stood with Moses, revealed Himself to seventy-four elders of Israel, and came at night to Balaam, and met Balaam on two other occasions. All of these were the Logos, the Word! The Word was not a separate person from Yahwey or a separate God any more than a man’s word is a separate person from him. Thus, the Logos, the expression, manifestation, and revelation of God appeared in many forms. The burning lamp, the smoking furnace, the burning bush, the tempest, the angel, the cloud, the pillar of fire, the form of a man — each had its ministry, all in turn served the one grand purpose, like the ray that is broken into many prismatic hues, each revealed something of the nature, power, wisdom, purpose, will, and glory of God. We find that in the phrase “and the word was with God” that this word “with” is the Greek pros meaning TOWARD. All that the manifestation of the Word of God was, all that He said, all that He showed, all that He did, was pointing TOWARD THE FATHER. Hence He is rightly called THE WORD OF GOD. The Word revealed God, led Him forth into view and caused men to turn toward Him, to understand Him, to know Him.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 21:12:51 +0000
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