Father and Son "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." -Colossians 1:26,27 Paul's idea of the "mystery" about God was steeped in Mithraism. Nothing about God's relationship with Jesus that is vital to our salvation has been hidden by God from anyone. It is misled or corrupt religious leaders who have tried to make God's people believe that Ehyeh and Jesus are "incomprehensible to human intelligence" (as per the Catholic Encyclopedia). The only mystery about God is this: Exactly how was Jesus "begotten" from His Father's essence or being? We as humans can only begin to comprehend the nature of God and His Son by looking at our own human ability to produce children and the love and self-sacrifice that goes along with that gift. But we do have what both God and Jesus told us about their relationship: That they deeply love and respect each other as only a father and son do, and the son never considers himself greater than his father. Rather, he thanks him for the love and sacrifice that he puts into making him into a success. We start out in Genesis, where we see God had some company: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…" (Genesis 1:26.) "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." –Genesis 11:7 Jesus is the WORD and Jesus is of the same essence as EHYEH, ADONAI, God the Father. The Deity of Jesus is not in question. (John 1:1) But is that the end of the matter? As lovers of God and truth, we being his children, we listen to the words of our loving Father as though He were speaking to us individually. After all, the Bible was written for that purpose, for God to explain the truth to each of us as His children. No organized religion or group can save us, we each need to be accepted by God. And God says that if we seek Him in spirit and truth, we will not be turned away. And if God accepts you as His child, that makes YOU holy to Him! Let’s continue our examination of God’s language in scripture and see if we can open ourselves up to understand the true nature of this Father-Son relationship: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." -Isaiah 53:4-12 Remember that God cannot lie: “Your word is truth.” God is telling us of His relationship with His dearly beloved Firstborn Son, through whom all things in Heaven on Earth were created. Jesus is the Word, and all things came into existence by the spoken word of God. Notice in the creation account that God said: “Let there be light”, and there was light. Light is a vibration, a wave, and it contains energy. So God “spoke” things into existence! Now let’s take a look at John chapter 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the [God was the Word] (KJV Interlinear). He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" -The Gospel of John 1:1-15 The definition of the "Word" used in the above scriptures is taken from the Greek word ‘Logos' which means "something said". This implies that Jesus Christ is the Word spoken by our Father to create light and life. It is interesting to note both Word and Light are used in the same scriptural context since both are wave vibrations in the scientific realm. We can conclude that since the Word spoken creates sound-waves and the Light shining creates similar waves, that Jesus Christ is the fullness of all light and sound! The Trinity The Trinity is probably the most controversial and division-causing doctrine among Christians, not only today but for the last 1,900 years. The Roman Catholic and Protestants Churches believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three persons in one substance. The Son is Eternally Generated and the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Greek Orthodox Church believes that the Son is Begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father and then through the Son. Only through study of the Bible as a whole can possibly give us an accurate picture of the nature of this Father-Son relationship. “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” -The Gospel of Matthew 14:33 The Bible repeatedly states that Jesus is the “Son of God”. These words were inspired of God and written down for us mere humans. All of us, whether we are fathers, mothers, sons or daughters, can fully comprehend the relationship between a parent and a child, and God knows this, because He created us! Jesus humbled Himself and took the form of a man. He had no fleshly father on earth, as He was miraculously conceived inside the womb of Mary. That means that Jesus had the DNA of His Father in Heaven. More often than not we see amazing similarities between parents and their children, and sometimes we are compelled to exclaim, “He’s a spitting image of his father!” It is exactly like that with God and His Son. In fact, He is so much like His Father that Jesus taught His disciples that since they had seen Him, they had seen His Father also. -John 8:19; 14:7,9. Jesus is elevated to the status of God! An adaptation of the epic essay: "The Trinity Doctrine, It's Clarification Time!" By Marshall Hall The truth about Jesus is that His role in the eternal plan of the Father is one where He is given complete power and authority, for a specified period of time that is easily identified in the Bible. The Father has bestowed upon Him the title of Almighty God. If Jesus was already God before He came down here, how could he have been elevated to any higher position? Think about it! “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” –Revelation 1:8 That specified period of time begins with His ascension to the right hand of the Father in Heaven, until He hands the Kingdom and authority back to His Father: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” -1 Corinthians 15:20-28. During this time from the ascension to handing the Kingdom back to the Father, which has now been almost 2,000 years, the Holy Spirit, or God’s active force, has been sent to be a “helper” to indwell in Christian believers and to be a witness to Jesus. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” (John 14:16.) “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.” –John 15:26. The Bible couldn’t possibly be more clear that from Jesus’ own lips came the testimony that: “my Father is greater than I.” –John 14:28 And yet, Jesus is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”, the All-Controlling Sovereign God of the Universe, for a specified period of time. Let’s take a look at clear Scriptural teaching that puts the unholy Trinity Doctrine that has been mauled by the churches into the plain light of day where God intended it to be as He prepares to bring the churches of Babylon down to the devastated place prophesied in the 18th chapter of Revelation. Rather than making hundreds of millions of people into immediate enemies of Christ and the New Covenant, the truth about the Trinity doctrine will appeal to God’s people from all nations and all walks of life! Due to the multitude of scriptures that show that Jesus’ role as “God” is real but temporary, it helps to break them down into four segments: 1: Prior to Jesus’ Death And Resurrection 2: From the Resurrection to the Ascension 3: From Pentecost to the end of Jesus' Reign 4: Jesus Hands the Kingdom Back to His Father #1: Prior to Jesus' Death and Resurrection In the following group of scriptures we see the Absolute Monotheistic Hegemony of God the Father repeatedly affirmed by Jesus Himself and the Gospel writers: Jesus said: "...my Father is greater than I...." -John 14:28. Jesus said: "...the Word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s...." -John 14:24. Jesus said: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee [Father God] the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." -John 17:3. Jesus said: "Why callest thou me [Jesus] good? There is none good but one, that is God [The Father]." -Matthew 19:17. Jesus said: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." -Luke 22:42. Jesus said: "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that thou may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom...." -Luke 22:29,30. Paul said: "...there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him." -1 Corinthians 8:6. Jesus said: "I [Jesus] of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." -John 5:30. Jesus said: "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He [the Father] doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." -John 5:19. Jesus said: "For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself [the Father] doeth...." -John 5:20. Jesus said: "..My doctrine is not mine, but His [the Father’s] that sent me." -John 7:16. Jesus said: "I [Jesus] come...to do thy will, O God [the Father]." -Hebrews 10:7. Paul said: "One God and Father of all, who is above all...." -Ephesians 4:6. During this time before Jesus' death and resurrection, even Satan acknowledged that Jesus could not save himself! While attempting to take advantage of Jesus at a moment of weakness in the wilderness, the Devil tried to get Jesus to test His Father by saying: "If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." (Luke 4:3) Jesus' response was: "It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." -Verse 4. Again in verses 6 and 7 the Devil says: "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." Jesus responds by saying: "Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." -Verse 8. It is beyond dispute that during this time, Jesus says nothing that would indicate that He has authority to do anything of His own initiative, and that everything He does is given Him by the Father. #2: From the Resurrection To The Ascension At the empty tomb on resurrection morning, Jesus said to Mary Magdalene: "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20:17) Only minutes later, speaking of Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother Mary: "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘All hail’. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him." (Matt. 28:9) Jesus had ascended, gotten His reward from the Father, and returned. He met his disciples in Galilee and told them of His reward: "And Jesus came and spake to them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." -Matt. 28:18. God The Father has all the power, and He gave all of it that was required to rule and reign over heaven and earth until He [the Father] puts all things under His [Jesus’] feet. This great honor was given to Jesus, as is written, because: "...He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God [the Father] also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name...." -Philippians 2:8,9; Rom. 5:19; Heb. 5:8. Had Jesus not been obedient unto death, Almighty God the Father would have been proven a liar because the Old Testament prophecies would not have been fulfilled. The first thing Jesus did with His new authority was to instruct His disciples to: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in [my name]: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world..." -Matthew 28:19. It was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost that would give them the strength, courage and all the necessary equipment to carry out the task of spreading the Gospel, the revelation of God’s plan, the “Good News” across the world over the following centuries. Additionally, that plan was to reveal far and wide through Jesus what the Father Himself is really like, a loving Daddy! (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). No longer would God be the one that the Israelites knew, one of formalities and rituals and constant sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice had been provided though the outpouring of Jesus’ sacrificial blood, and all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, could now be God’s children. This loving Daddy is ready, willing, and able to create an eternal paradise Earth for his fleshly children, those who have shown Him that they love what is good and hate what is bad. -Amos 5:15; Isaiah 66:24. With that parting message, Jesus publicly ascended to the right hand of His Father to carry out the role that was bestowed upon Him, namely, that of ruler and sustainer of the universe, Head of the congregation, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and, the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending…. which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”. -Revelation 1:8. The Disciples were obedient (Acts 1:4,5,13,14), and God proved faithful and rewarded their obedience. -Acts 2:1-4. #3: From Pentecost To The End Of Jesus’ Reign Jesus is given the name above every name, and all the power and dominion, and these are all rewards and privileges that are given to Jesus by the Father, and yet, even though highly exalted, Jesus remains subordinate. Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand, but NOT YET with Him on His throne: "And what is the exceeding greatness of His [the Father’s] power to usward who believe, according to the working of His [the Father’s] mighty power. Which He [the Father] wrought in Christ when He [the Father] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave Him [Jesus] to be the head over all things to the Church. Which is His [ Jesus’] body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." -Ephesians 1:19-23. The Apostle Peter, a galvanized new man after his baptism in the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, along with 119 others on Pentecost, confirms and expands on Jesus’ position at Acts 5:29-32: "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God [the Father] rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him [Jesus] hath God [the Father] exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God [the Father] hath given to them that obey Him [Jesus and the Father]." Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father and has all power and dominion over everything and everyone except the Father Himself, he is given the “name that is above every other name”, and becomes all of the following: "God our Savior" (Titus 3:4); “The Almighty” (Revelation 1:8); “Our God” (Isaiah 40:3); "King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2); “The Holy One” (Acts 3:14); “The Great High Priest” (Hebrews 4:14); and many other titles. Jesus is now made to be the cornerstone of all of the Father’s eternal plans because of His obedience unto death. Jesus HAS been working behind the scenes through all these centuries, moving the Father’s plans along exactly as He would have done and has not only kept the inspired word intact, but he has held Satan at bay and kept what is right in the churches from being destroyed. He has prevented Satan from establishing a One-World Government until the time that the Father has designated to allow that to happen, and we are now on the threshold of that appointed time! Once that World Government is established, within “one hour” (Rev. 7:14) Jesus will rip the mask off all of the Bible-bashing deceptions upon which it is built, Babylon the Great. This will force everyone on earth to declare which side they choose to support, and the world will be separated into “sheep and goats”, Satan-worshipers and God-worshipers. The Devil-worshipers will then suffer the wrath of God in the form of seven plagues, the intensity of which are “unusually great”. (Revelation 16:21) Then follows the 7th Trumpet, and Jesus destroys all enemies of Him and His Father with a wipe-out from the sky at the Battle of Armageddon! #4: Jesus Hands the Kingdom Back to His Father The following verses from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 put many things into perspective. This is an aspect of the Divine Plan and its impact on the Trinity doctrine that the churches continually sidestep. [At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus hands the Kingdom back over to God the Father.] Once the time comes "when all enemies are put [by Father God] under Jesus’ feet" (vs. 24,26), Jesus voluntarily relinquishes and returns His "Almighty God" position back to the Father and assumes His eternal throne (v. 28) at the right hand of the Father. On that throne, Jesus will forever be known as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and many other titles that He alone holds: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He [Jesus] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and authority and power. For He [Jesus] must reign, TILL He [Father God] hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He [Father God] hath put all things under His [Jesus’] feet. But when He [Father God] saith all things are put under Him[ Jesus], it is manifest that He [Father God] is excepted, which did put all things under Him [Jesus]. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him [Jesus], then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him [Father God] that put all things under Him [Jesus], that God [the Father] may be all in all." -1 Corinthians 15:21-28. Once the last enemy, death, is brought to nothing, Jesus will be remain permanently subject to His Father, who will once again be “all in all”. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ A Father and Son! By Sister BruisedReed What joy it brings to one’s heart to see a father and son working together, playing together, and rejoicing in a close, warm and loving relationship! Both father and son, by being together and learning from one another, can grow in ways that they would not have done before. The father reaps an expanding heart of pride and love and satisfaction to watch his son grow before his eyes into a man he can be proud of, guiding his steps along the way so as to prepare him for life ahead, knowing he had taught him well all that he knew and imparted to him to love that he felt. The son will feel secure and safe as growing up he looked to his father for support and encouragement, a comforting hug and the freedom to learn, increase and grow in his own knowledge and way of doing things. His father is his anchor and rock, his guide and mentor, his disciplinarian and teacher, his companion and playmate and he hopes in heart that he can be like his father was to him to his own children. Yes, in a loving and healthy arrangement the relationship between a father and son is a beautiful thing to behold and to feel and to deeply cherish. However, when it comes to our Almighty God and his Son, can it be said that they have this kind of ‘human-like’ relationship with one another? Can these awesome and powerful Spirit beings be viewed in this rather simplistic and human kind of way? Sadly, to me, so many people have put our heavenly Father and his Son on so ‘exalted’ and ‘impersonal’, just as ‘God’ and ‘Son’ instead of thinking of the full implications of their role as our ‘Father’ and ‘Savior’; and thus lose out on seeing and developing the close and personal relationship that having Him and his Son as a part of our FAMILY and being a part of THEIR FAMILY! In reading over Proverbs chapter 8 and seeing the beginning of creation unfold and stopping to meditate on it, I was so thrilled to get a glimpse of the closeness and the tremendous joy that our Father and his Son must have in one another, the incredible bond that exists between them and will do so for all time; and a bond and joy that we too can be a part of as well! Because it is written in the first person, to me, it is as if we were being spoken to by the ‘one who was brought forth or born’ it makes these words even more personal, as if they are being spoken to us individually, as in a one on one conversation, making them even more powerful and compelling! In the opening verses of this chapter we see specific things mentioned about the coming ‘Messiah’, Christ Jesus being described. The ‘wisdom’ he has learned from being with his Father and Teacher, the Honesty that they both have when dealing with others, yes the ‘sterling character’ and the abhorrence of wickedness is clearly seen in these verses. And why not; for all he knows and learned came from his Father, the wisest One that ever existed! And as one of Jesus roles is to be as our ‘Eternal Father’, he too wants to ‘pass on’ what he learned to help us to grow as mature and fully rounded spiritual people! We see that he yearns to teach us this ‘wisdom’ he has learned and to offer it to us from what is said at Proverbs 8:4--- (BBE) "I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men." (CEV) "I am calling out to each one of you!" Yes, our Lord Jesus is calling out to us to give us what we need to make our paths straight and to make us happy as we can see by what he said when he came down to earth to teach us in the way in which we should go at Matthew11:15 … (BBE) "He who has ears, let him give ear." (CEV) "If you have ears, pay attention!" (GNB) "Listen, then, if you have ears!" So then, I think it might be ‘wise’ to listen to these ‘wise’ words of Jesus, and listen to what the Proverbs are telling us about the RELATIONSHIP between Jehovah God and his Son, Christ Jesus, the Word! How ‘solid’ or how much trust can we put in these words that Christ and/or his Father heavenly speak to us? Proverbs 8:8 …(BBE) "All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them." (CEV) "Every word I speak is honest, not one is misleading or deceptive." (GNB) "Everything I say is true; nothing is false or misleading." To me these words above cannot be said of any man here on earth, except for when Christ came down from heaven to speak to men personally, for notice what is said at Proverbs 14:12 ... (BBE) "There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death." (Darby) "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death." With the things taught by Christ there is no ‘seeming to be right or straight’, it IS. Proverbs 8:19,20 … (ASV) "I walk in the way of [b]righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice; That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries." (Darby) "I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 21 that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries." As we know, Jehovah has given the future judgment of mankind to his Son, the conquering King Christ Jesus, another indicator to me that these verses could very well be speaking about our Lord and Redeemer. And the way that he leads us and shows us to walk is to LIFE! Isaiah 11:4 is an example of his role as future King and judge … (ESV) "but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked." With such a judge how could we ever go wrong or fear injustice or unfair treatment from the smallest one! For when he judges he doesn’t judge by what he ‘sees with his eyes’, but from what ‘knows is in the heart’, taking full advantage of all the gifts and skills that he has learned as God’s Son! As it said in verse 21 of Proverbs 8, "that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries."; those whom he, Christ Jesus, judges to be worthy for life he will FILL their lives with good things, in all ways, both material, physical, and spiritual as can be seen by his promise at Matthew 25:34 … (ALT) "Then the King will say to the [ones] at His right hand, 'Come, the ones having been blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom having been prepared for you* from [the] laying of the foundation of [the] world [or, from [the] beginning of the creation of [the] universe]. (CEV) Then the king will say to those on his right, "My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created." Yes, Christ Jesus openly acknowledges here that it is because of HIS FATHER’S blessing that he is able to do things. For it is from his Father that he receives his power and ability to do what he will do. For as the Father does and thinks and feels, so to does the Son so close and connected they are to one another after spending eons of time and experiences together. In the next several verses we see Christ Jesus speaking about how it was he came to be and things he was taught at his ‘Father’s knee as it were! Proverbs 8:22 … (BBE) "The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past." (Darby) "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." (GNB) "The LORD created me first of all, the first of his works, long ago." (JPS) "The LORD made me as the beginning of His way, the first of His works of old." The Hebrew word that is used here is the Tertragrammaton, YHWH with the English being Yahweh; and also it seems it can be translated as JHWH, making the English translation being Jahweh, or the more commonly known word 'Jehovah’. So, realizing that this is the ‘LORD’ being spoken ABOUT, as being a ‘separate’ person from the ‘ME’ helps us to see the simple and beautiful truth that the one being ‘created’ or ‘made’ is acknowledging his Creator or his Father who gave him his very LIFE! The Hebrew word used here for ‘possessed’ or ‘create’ is … qânâh kaw-naw' A primitive root; to erect, that is, create; The word for ‘beginning’ or ‘first’ is … rê'shîyth ray-sheeth' From the same as H7218; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically a firstfruit): - beginning, chief (-est), first (-fruits, part, time), principal thing. So, clearly the ‘me’ speaking here is also saying that as far as creation getting its start, HE was the FIRST! And this thought perfectly harmonized and goes hand in hand with the familiar Scripture at Colossians 1:16 … (ASV) "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;" (BBE) "Who is the image of the unseen God coming into existence before all living things;" Thus, to see these two Scriptures together, we see ‘God’ is (YHWH) and the ‘firstborn’ is ‘Christ Jesus’, Father and Son. How do we know it isn’t the writer of Proverbs that is speaking about himself and the fact that he knows that God created ‘him’ or mankind? One way is to think on the next view verses and see what human being could have these things said about him? Proverbs 8:23 … (BBE) "From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was." (ESV) "Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth." (GNB) "I was made in the very beginning, at the first, before the world began." Yes, yes the Son of a King his birthright would ‘royal’, one ‘born to rule’ as it were as it seems the word for ‘given my place’ or ‘set up’ seems to mean … nâsak naw-sak' A primitive root; to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy to anoint a king: - cover, melt, offer, (cause to) pour (out), set (up). I found this definition of the libation very interesting as related to Christ Jesus’ role as king! A libation is a ritual pouring of a drink as an offering to a god. It was common in the religions of antiquity, including Judaism: The liquid used in libations varied; most commonly it was wine or olive oil, and in India, ghee. I couldn’t help but think of the ‘Last Supper’ when I read this definition. Next in Proverbs 8:24 we see how the ‘creation’ of this one is portrayed in a very specific way … (BBE) "When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water." (CEV) "When I was born, there were no oceans or springs of water." (Darby) "When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water." The Hebrew word used here for ‘birth’, ‘born’ or ‘brought forth is … chûl chîyl khool, kheel A primitive root; properly to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively to wait, to pervert: - bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, I looked up the meaning for the word parturition and it is as follows … The act of giving birth. So, it would seem to be very clear that the one being spoken of here, the one who was born ‘when there were no fountains flowing with water’, viewed himself as being ‘born’, a life coming from another life. And how long ago did this ‘birth’ take place? The next few verses speak of it being a VERY long time ago indeed! Proverbs 8:25,26 … (ASV) "25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world." (BBE) "25 Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth: 26 When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world." (Geneva) "25 Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten. 26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde." (GW) "25 I was born before the mountains were settled in their places and before the hills, 26 when he had not yet made land or fields or the first dust of the world." One thing that I noticed in these verses is that this Son, this one who was born, gives the CREDIT to creation, not to himself, but to someone else, the One who ‘bore’ him or ‘brought him into the world, always using ‘he’ in saying who created things …Proverbs 8:27-29 … 27 "When he set up the heavens, I was there. When he traced the horizon on the surface of the ocean, 28 when he established the skies above, when he determined the currents in the ocean, 29 when he set a limit for the sea so the waters would not overstep his command, when he traced the foundations of the earth," How awesome it must have been for this Son to see all the preparatory work that went into the creating of all things! What discussions they must have had, and no doubt he too had a hand in all that we see today as well! How can we determine this must be so? Because of what he calls himself in the verse …Proverbs 8:30 … (ASV) "Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him," (BBE) "Then I was by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times;" (CEV) "I was right beside the LORD, helping him plan and build. I made him happy each day, and I was happy at his side." (GNB) "I was beside him like an architect, I was his daily source of joy, always happy in his presence---" (GW) "I was beside him as a master craftsman. I made him happy day after day, I rejoiced in front of him all the time," (Webster) "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;" The word for ‘brought up’ is … 'âmôn aw-mone' From H539, probably in the sense of training; skilled, that is, an architect (like H542): - one brought up. So, this Son of God was ‘taught’ or ‘trained’ and became ‘skilled’ at the hand of the Greatest Architect, his Father, Jehovah God! As a perfect son he would have excelled in understanding and abilities, he would have been able to see and understand why his Father would have wanted things to be created the way they were and saw the wisdom of all that his Father taught him. This verse is so very beautiful to me for it says so much about how the Son feels about the Father!! When he says he ‘made his Father happy or rejoice day after day’ I looked up the word to see its meaning and what joy it brought to my heart to see the FEELINGS of both the Creator and his Son! śâchaq saw-khak' A primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication to play: - deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock (-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport. Yes, in thinking on the meaning above, can we not see that far from Jehovah being a staid and cold ‘Spirit-Being’ … he was not just a ‘God’ to his Son … he was a REAL FATHER … He was not only his Teacher but had DEEP and PERSONAL HEARTFELT FEELINGS for his Son … he rejoiced with him, played with him; and I would even hazard to guess they ‘sang’ together for how else would the angels know to ‘sing’? Yes, the One who created Christ Jesus, possibly using the Holy Spirit to do so, started a FAMILY when he did so! And once a true and loving family is ‘tasted’ and ‘felt’ does not one’s heart yearn to want to have a BIGGER family to share the joys and happiness’s with? To me this is how our heavenly Father must have felt when his relationship with son flourished and grew! So, then he along with that son, began to create not only ‘things’ but a family, that in time grew to include other sons both invisible and well visible. No wonder when he was on earth he yearned so strongly to be once again by his Father’s side! The love, being able to see and touch each other once again, the deep bond they had for one another must have caused Jesus to feel a loss even though he loved us dearly. No wonder he spent so much time in prayer with his Father! Proverbs 8:31 … (ASV) "Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (CEV) "I was pleased with his worldand pleased with its people." (ESV) "rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man." (GW) "found joy in his inhabited world, and delighted in the human race." This delight felt by Christ Jesus is not a one-way thing is it? For do we not delight and rejoice to know that we are in a familial relationship with him as well! That he is the kind of person we would be proud to call ‘family’!! And in this realization, this coming to understand that Christ can be in us and we with him; that we are ‘of his body’ we will not only find incredible happiness but we can be a permanent and everlasting part of the ‘family of God’ because of the ‘grace of Jehovah’! Proverbs 8:35 … (ASV) "For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah." (BBE) "For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him." (CEV) "By finding me, you find life, and the LORD will be pleased with you." This thought is also in perfect harmony with what Jesus again said when he walked the earth as recorded in John 3: 35,36 … (BBE) "35 The Father has love for the Son and has put all things into his hands. 36 He who has faith in the Son has eternal life; but he who has not faith in the Son will not see life; God's wrath is resting on him." Yes, the Father, because of his deep love, has placed much in his Son’s hands as his Master Worker and heir hasn’t he; even LIFE! Yes, similar to his Father giving life to Christ Jesus; Christ Jesus because he was given this tremendous authority to say who ‘lives or dies’ as Judge, because he ‘bought us with his own life, has life given in his hands as well, and thus in this way he becomes a ‘Father’ to us as well does he not? John 14:6 … (ASV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me." (BBE) "Jesus said to him, I am the true and living way: no one comes to the Father but by me." (CEV) "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father." Yes, the only way to go TO the Father is to go THROUGH the Son. To me this could be illustrated kind of like what it would be like trying to see a queen or king or president or judge. You cannot get to ‘see’ or ‘speak’ with them until you go through ‘channels’ or ‘protocol’. Once you do that you can have an ‘audience’ or directly speak with whoever it is you are wishing to. So, wouldn’t it be showing the ‘course of wisdom’ to seek to get to ‘know’ our heavenly family? To seek to understand the ‘home rules’ … to want to have people recognize the same family ‘traits’ that they have in us, and so on? John 17:3 then would be something we need to take to heart … (ALT) "Now this is eternal life: that they shall be knowing You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You sent." (CEV) "Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent." I have to ask myself in light of this Scripture; how could God send himself? All in all, it seems crystal clear that the idea of a Father and Son, separate individuals, yet one in mind and purpose and love is supported throughout the Bible and able to be easily understood by one and all! A Father and Son … what a beautiful thing!! ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Back to top Home |
