February 24, 2020

What you can and cannot know by Gary Rose


First, let me say: I didn’t invent this saying, my Mother-in-Law has never even entered a Starbucks, nor have I ever seen a drunk gorilla. Second, I have tried and tried and tried to understand this (I am fascinated by problems) but I just cannot. Lastly, this comparison is absurd and a little insulting to women in general, but it does make a point: She had problems ordering at Starbucks (who wouldn’t, with all those choices?).

In this world there are things we all will never fully understand and those things are different for each individual. Some people have difficulties with Math or Science, others hate Mechanical things and would not be able to fix a car if their life depended on it. Still others, have inter-personal problems; for instance, has there ever been a man who TRULY understood EVERYTHING about a woman? And, if any man says that he does- He is lying through his teeth.

I wonder, has anyone truly understood everything about God? The Bible says in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 55 ( WEB )
[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh.
  [9] “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

OK, God’s thoughts and ways are beyond me. But, what about the essence of his being, that is, HIS TRUE LIKENESS? The prophet Ezekiel gives this “description”...?

Ezekiel 1 ( World English Bible )
[4] I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of its midst as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.  [5] Out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.  [6] Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.  [7] Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.  [8] They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings thus:  [9] their wings were joined one to another; they didn’t turn when they went; each one went straight forward.  [10] As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.  [11] Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.  [12] Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn’t turn when they went.  [13] As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.  [14] The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.  [15] Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.  [16] The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.  [17] When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn’t turn when they went.  [18] As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.  [19] When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.  [20] Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.  [21] When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. [22] Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched out over their heads above.  [23] Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies. [24] When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.  [25] There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.  [26] Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.  [27] I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.  [28] As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.


Confused yet? You should be! Only that emboldened verse really makes sense (well, sort of). Question: How do you describe one who has the power to create everything, to know everything and be everywhere? The answer is that you can only describe it in terms that can be understood by the hearer (in this case, you and me). Well, how do you describe the incomprehensible? With visions and figures of speech that convey a very general meaning, that’s how. Having said this, we can really only hope to understand what God really wants us to know (for our own good). Moses says (in the book of Deuteronomy)..

Deuteronomy 29 ( WEB )
 [29]  The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

And Jeremiah says…

Jeremiah 29 ( WEB )
 [31] Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  [32] not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh.  [33] But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:  [34] and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.

Jeremiah is referring to the NEW Covenant given through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, but the question remains: How do we know God?

The apostle John says…

John 1 ( WEB )
 [10]  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.  [11] He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.  [12] But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:  [13] who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  [14] The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.  [15] John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’” [16] From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.  [17] For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.  [18] No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him

Want to know God- look to Jesus; listen to him and live. Matt. 7:21-27, Matt. 17:1-5. Not interested; well, there is always that mental image of a drunk Gorilla try to start a car with a French Fry….

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