How does God reveal Himself to us?

One serious effect of sin entering the world was that mankind lost the true knowledge of God. Once lost, that highest and best of all knowledge could not be regained by any effort of man's will or intellect. "Canst thou by searching find out God?" (Job 11:7) ... Since, therefore, we cannot discover God, it is needful that He should make Himself known to us. Revelation becomes a necessity; and the crowning point of that revelation of Himself was touched when in Christ He made Himself known as Father.

The chapter opens with GOD. The word used in the Hebrew is Elohim, a word, remarkably enough, of plural form ... Evidently in order that in the very introduction to our knowledge of God we may receive a hint of the truth afterwards plainly revealed that He is a Trinity in Unity — three Persons yet one God.

All that God made was good. Five times over is this said ... These are important statements in view of the fact that the ordered scene of creation was so soon invaded by evil. It proves that it was an invasion from without and not produced from within. All as it left God's hand was perfect and undefiled.

With the call of Abram the epoch of revelation began. To him at the start the God of glory appeared, and later ... "I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be thou perfect" (Gen. 17:1).

Four hundred years later God called the nation that sprang from Isaac out of Egypt. In so doing He revealed Himself in a fresh light. To Moses He said, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them" (Ex. 6:3) ... the Almighty One stood forth, pledged in connection with Israel, as the I AM — the self-existent and therefore unchanging One, always true and faithful to His word.

Jehovah-Jireh — "The Lord will provide" (Gen. 22:13-14) Jehovah-Ropheka — "I am the LORD that heals thee" (Ex. 15:26) Jehovah-Nissi — "The LORD my banner" (Ex. 17:15) Jehovah-Shalom — "The LORD send peace" (Judges 6:23-24) Jehovah-Raab — "The LORD is my Shepherd" (Ps. 23:1)

The full revelation of God, however, awaited the coming of the Lord Jesus. The utmost that was possible even for so great a man as Moses was to see "the back parts" of Jehovah (Ex. 33:23). Certain of the divine attributes were emphasized such as His mercy and long-suffering; the full-orbed revelation of Himself was only possible in the only-begotten Son who was God and became Man. "No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:18).

To Moses it was said, "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see Me, and live" (Ex. 33:20). Yet is it possible for the Christian to say, "God ... has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). Man can much less look upon God in His essence and uncreated glory than he can calmly fix his gaze upon the sun in noonday splendour, yet the believer today can contemplate all that God is as revealed in Jesus. Not one ray is absent, yet they all shine with a peculiar softness which brings them within the range of creatures such as ourselves.

The Lord Jesus could say, "He that has seen Me, has seen the Father" (John 14:9). He is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15). God spoke in time past by the prophets, but now He has spoken to us, not by or through anyone, but "in His Son" (Heb. 1:2, R.V.) He Himself without intermediary spoke to us in that character, for the Son was and is God equally with the Father. Hence there is nothing more to be said. God is fully "in the light" (1 John 1:7) and finality is reached.

How amazing that when the God of infinite love wished to make His mind known to the creature for his eternal blessing He should give to man a living WORD, a Person, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

We are told in Scripture that God absolute dwells in unapproachable light, that no man has seen Him, nor can see Him, and that is true for all eternity (1 Tim. 6:16). Yet, thank God, He has been pleased to reveal Himself in a Person, who is Himself God.

Can any but God declare God? In some sense God may be described. But the soul of the Church will not rest in descriptions of God; though the wisdom of the world knows nothing else. It asks for declaration or revelation of Him, which must be by Himself. Is not then, I ask, the Son in the bosom a divine Person?

The first step is that of REVELATION. The things prepared of God for those that love Him, things unseen, unheard, and unimagined by man, have been made known by the Spirit of God ...

The second step, then, is that of INSPIRATION. God took care that the apostles and prophets should convey these revelations to others under supervision of a direct and divine kind. They were not left ... to exercise their own wisdom as to the best way of stating the truth, but were guided by the Holy Spirit in the exact words they used.

Thirdly comes the step of APPROPRIATION. The truth having been revealed to men chosen of God, and by them communicated in inspired words, it must now be received or appropriated if it is to have an enlightening and controlling effect upon men.

The Lord Jesus especially emphasized the teaching of the Spirit as regards His disciples. He would "teach" them "all things." He would "guide" them "into all truth" ... The teaching work of the Spirit goes deeper than the mere imparting of information. He instructs so effectually that the believer not only knows mentally but is also possessed by the things that he knows. They are made living and operative in his life.

How vast the range of all those things which have come to light in the revelation which has reached us! Each item has its own peculiar glory which streams toward one central point of focus — the Lord Jesus Christ. His glory shines everywhere, and we may see it without a veil between. As we behold, we are transformed by the Spirit's power, and transformed into the same image, the very character of Christ being thus produced in us.