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The gods of ancient paganism were for the most part unknowable and unpredictable. People lived in fear of what might be done by gods they knew nothing about. In stark contrast, the God of the Bible makes Himself manifest. He openly declares who He is and how we may have fellowship with Him. We often take this for granted, but we should be thankful that God has graciously revealed to us His character and His will.
Learning more of the truth about God ought to be the ultimate aim of our Bible study. We do not search the Scriptures simply to glean information about the things God commands us to do. As important as that is, it is even more important that we learn the character of the God who gave the commandments. To the extent we come to know Him more deeply, we come to love Him more fervently. And it is only when we love Him that it can be said that His commandments “are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5:3).
Ultimately, of course, it is in Jesus Christ that we get the clearest and fullest revelation of God. When Philip asked Jesus to show God to the apostles, Jesus replied, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn. 14:9). John wrote, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (Jn. 1:18). In Christ, we do not merely get a vague representation of God; Jesus is the “exact imprint of his nature” (Hb. 1:3).
So we do not have to guess what God is like or speculate about what His will for us might be. The Scriptures contain the written record of the words and deeds by which God made Himself known to a world that had lost the true knowledge of Him. He wants us to know the truth about Him!
This week, let’s remind ourselves to be thankful for what we can know about our great God and Father. Through Christ, we can know Him and live in fellowship with Him. We can live in the light of the truth about our Creator and about ourselves. And most important, we can live, based on this truth, in the hope of eternal life.
Monday: Romans 1:18–20
Key Idea: God reveals Himself in the creation.
Questions for Family Growth: What does Paul say can be “clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (NKJV)? What is meant by the statement that what may be known of God is “manifest” (v.19 NKJV)?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 4:7–9.
Tuesday: Acts 17:22–29
Key Idea: God reveals Himself in the nature of mankind.
Questions for Family Growth: In v.28, what point did Paul say had been made by the Greek poets? If we are indeed the offspring of God, what does Paul say in v.29 must be true about God? According to v.27, is God far away and hard to find?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 4:10–19.
Wednesday: 2 Timothy 3:14–17
Key Idea: God reveals Himself in the Scriptures.
Questions for Family Growth: What does the word “Scripture” mean? How do the Scriptures make us “wise for salvation”? What does it mean that the Scriptures are “given by inspiration of God” (NKJV)?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 4:20–27.
Thursday: Exodus 10:1,2
Key Idea: God reveals Himself in the mighty acts He has performed in history.
Questions for Family Growth: Why did God instruct the parents of Israel to tell their children about the powerful things He had done in Egypt? If the amazing deeds recorded in the Bible really happened, what does that tell us about God’s nature and His purposes?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 5:1–14.
Friday: Hebrews 1:1–4
Key Idea: God reveals Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Questions for Family Growth: According to v.1, how did God reveal Himself in previous ages of the world? How has He revealed Himself now? What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the “express image” (NKJV) of God?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 5:15–20.
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
