One significant blessing of these days when we are more confined in our movements than usual has been the absolutely beautiful weather! It is perfect for going out for a walk (which we are still encouraged to do, provided we maintain a safe distance from others). The colors in the sky, the trees and the flowers are stunning. There is a whole variety of scents - especially after a shower of rain like the one we had at lunchtime today.
We don’t yet understand all there is to know about our own sun and how it works. And when it goes down, the moon and the stars form a display that quickly leads us to awe and wonder. With the Hubble telescope, we have come to realize that we are in one of perhaps thousands of galaxies in the universe - it is literally mind-blowing! Then we start to study objects like black holes, and we attempt to figure out how light bends around planets and what invisible forces there are that hold everything together. How small and limited we are!
All of these things, from the subatomic particles, through atoms, molecules, cells and organisms on the one hand, and on to the stars, planets and cosmic phenomena on the other, are speaking something important to us every day. It is a message that needs no words in order to be understood by everyone, and one which no place on the surface of the earth cannot hear. It is loud. It is in all of our faces 24 by 7. This is the message: “A GLORIOUS GOD MADE ALL THIS!!!”
This is how God reveals Himself to every single one of us - it is called “General Revelation” because it reaches every creature under heaven and we all understand it. Paul assures us that God’s “invisible attributes namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” (Rom 1:20).
But if we look further, we may realize from the disasters that beset us in this world (including the current pandemic) that something is wrong. We might even deduce that the God Who made all this is angry for some reason. Our consciences, which can condemn us or acquit us, and may cause us to fear an ultimate reckoning, might lead us to believe that we are the ones who have caused the problem.
We can’t tell much more than this by looking at the world around us and at the stars, however. We need more information about this God and specifically about our relationship with Him to help us - a Special Revelation. And we have this available to us as well - in the Bible!
Psalm 19:7–14 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
God’s Word tells us about His perfections and His matchless beauty. But it also tells us that we do indeed have a problem in our relationship with Him because we rebelled against His rule over us and we became separated from Him. Our refusal to submit to Him killed us - we became dead to Him and set on a path towards an eternal death.
But the Special Revelation of God tells us that He intervened to rescue us from this plight - that God the Son lived a life of submission to God that we couldn’t, and then sacrificed Himself, dying the death we deserved, and then rose from the dead to show that He had conquered death and that His rescue mission was successful. By being joined to Him in His life, death and resurrection, we escape the torment our rebellion deserved and enjoy eternal life with God.
So the message in God’s Special Revelation is very special indeed! It revives our souls, makes us wise instead of being fools, rejoices our hearts instead of leaving them dead, gives light to our eyes (which were blind). It is pure and lovely and good - much more precious than all the treasures in this world to us who hear this message and respond to it. It offers a reward of eternal bliss to all who will submit to God and rest in Him alone for all their righteousness!
This Easter is the opportunity to remember the focal point of this Special Revelation from God - the cross where our sins were dealt with by the conquering, spotless Lamb of God!
Is this God your God? Is this Savior your Savior? Has He revealed Himself to you not just in all the wonderful things He has made but in the amazing grace of the salvation that He has made possible and has told us about in His Word?
