Knowing the Unknowable

Continuing last Sunday’s message, Denying God’s Sovereignty Is Fashionable, from Genesis 24, read Genesis 24:36-67.

Anthropology is a natural transition from theology. Truth is revealed to the recipients of grace. The Christian life is one of growth in the knowledge of Him who is truth. Therefore, Paul said, “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth” (Col. 1:3-6). Christ said, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27).

Mysteries of the Christian life are better understood by believing than they are believed by understanding—“By faith we understand…” (Heb. 11:3). For a Christian to have some concept of a mystery, it is like knowing the unknowable (Eph. 3:18, 19).

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the foundation of Christianity. Therefore, it is evident from the context of Genesis 1:1-2:3 that the creation of the universe preceded the week of restoration described by Moses. Isaiah said, “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), I am the LORD, and there is none else” (Is. 45:18).

The creation story uses two words that must be used and not abused—“created” and “made.” Moses describes the Eden before the fall of Adam. Lucifer’s position and advantage of leadership enabled him to traffic with the angels. Thus the primary source of evil is a supernatural being who hates God and is bent on turning man against Him. This began in the Garden of Eden, and it will not cease until Satan is bound for one thousand years. Then, after being loosed for a little season, he shall be cast into the lake of fire.

The believer, though delivered from the slavery of Satan, cannot stand up against the attacks of Satan apart from God’s provision for his Christian life (Eph. 6). A soldier, discounting the words of his captain, who goes out to meet a well-armed foe with a toy pistol, deserves the fate he encounters. How many “believers” are going up against their supernatural foe with the weapons of their own devising?

Man begins at the bottom before he goes up; God begins at the highest before He comes down. Only by grace can man ascend. The condescending God alone saves. The will of God is expressed by the Word of God and executed by the Spirit of God.

In Abraham, the Father’s purpose is typified. His purpose centered in Isaac. All spiritual blessings centered in Isaac, who typified the Son of God (Heb. 11:17-20). There is a distinction between “revelation” and “redemption.” Revelation is from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. Redemption is to the Father, by the Son, and through the Holy Spirit. What about the person who says, “I want to believe, but I can’t.” This is not an honest statement. If he wanted to believe, he not only could but would believe. The question is this: Does he want to be saved from hell or saved from sin? Every one wants to be saved from hell, but only the regenerated want to be saved from sin. The act of saving faith is not turning from something to something; it is turning to something from something. Paul said, “Knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia” (I Thess. 1:4-7).

In Isaac, the Son of God as Bridegroom is symbolized, because He was not only the Bridegroom but the heir of all things. Moses said, “Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has” (Gen. 24:36). Paul said, “God…has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Heb. 1:1, 2).

In Eliezer, the messenger’s ministry is represented. His ministry is carried on in the power of the Holy Spirit. The reason many believers spend so much time trying to find God’s will for their lives is because they are blinded by their own will. Subjection to proper authority is the foundation principle for every servant of Christ. The moral sense of Abraham was anchored in the sovereign will of God. That which he did on Mount Moriah was not inconsistent with that moral sense. Such a moral sense must not be set aside by some kind of subjectivism, as making a special revelation of that will has been given to him.

Following the death of Sarah, Abraham, directed by Divine wisdom, showed great concern for the unconditional covenant as he approached his own demise. It was the function of parents to provide for the marriage of their children in those days. The Bible knows nothing about love that is regulated by sentimental feelings. Love is based on relationship, and love flows from that relationship which results in a commitment. This is a Biblical principle that produces good marriages, which is the opposite of television serials, movie scripts, popular songs, etc., portrayed in this amoral society. The love that God recognizes is based on relationship, and that love is shed abroad (poured out) in the heart of the recipient and manifested in his life.

Subjected to proper authority is the foundation of good marriages. The scriptural witness on freedom is limited to man’s relation to God. Man’s enslavement does not mean impotence in the face of omnipotence, but rather sin, guilt, rebellion and alienation. Man’s sin is not a manifestation of his freedom, but its perversion. Freedom is spoken of in a completely rational sense—our relation to Jesus Christ. He said, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. They answered Him, We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, You will become free? Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-36).

Abraham was the beginning of the chosen race. Adam failed, but God gave the race a new start in Noah. But the new race failed, and it ended in universal idolatry. God chose Abram; and from that time, God deals with mankind through the chosen race.

Genesis falls naturally into two parts: (1) Chapters 1-11 give a comprehensive history of the world from creation to the confusion of tongues. (2) Chapters 12-50 narrate the history of Abraham and his family to the death of his great grandson, Joseph.

Choice of the insignificant is the very method of the Divine honor. Out of all the heavenly bodies, God has chosen this tiny earth, and on it, the small land of Canaan (Deut. 7:1-11). The Lord did not choose Israel because they were a mighty nation, but because she was the smallest. From the manger, Jesus Christ went to the cross.

Israel had a flourishing time in Egypt. God, who had chosen her, knew that the best way to bring her to the end of herself was to raise up Pharaoh “who did not know Joseph” (Ex. 1:8). Therefore, Egypt became the “the smoking oven” of Abraham’s vision (Gen. 15).

The life of God begins in the ability to feel death, and the light begins to shine on chaos (Gen. 1:2, 3). Thus, Egypt became to the elect “the house of bondage,” and Pharaoh became to Israel “the prince of this world.” God’s purpose was to bring in the Redeemer and give Him as the object of faith and affection to the elect (Deut. 7).

It must be understood that the message, messenger, authority, purpose, power, and fruit are all of God. Furthermore, God’s providence places the right servant, at the right place, at the right time, to speak to the right person, about the right subject. Therefore, there is no politicking for the place, forcing the time, or humanly forcing a decision. These were all differentiated and determined in God’s eternal covenant. The gospel is not the same as ability. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).

Responsibility is not the same as ability (Acts 17:30, 31). While preaching, from our point of view, is unrestricted (general), the content of the preaching is restricted (particular). It is not due to natural ignorance, but it is a matter of the heart. The response must be either faith or unbelief; a third possibility does not exist. There is no such thing as “I will think about it.”

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The NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE—UPDATED EDITION is the source of all Scripture quotations in this message, unless otherwise noted.