The Revelation of God

Lesson 4

Lesson Text—Isaiah 40:18, 25

Isaiah 40:18, 2518 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? 25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

Lesson Text—Isaiah 43:10-13

Isaiah 43:10-1310 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Lesson Text—Isaiah 43:10-13

11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Lesson Text—Isaiah 43:10-13

13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Lesson Text—Isaiah 45:5-6

Isaiah 45:5-65 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Lesson Text—Isaiah 45:21-23

Isaiah 45:21-2321 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

Lesson Text—Isaiah 45:21-23

22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Focus Verse—Exodus 3:15

Exodus 3:15 And God said moreover unto

Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me

unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all

generations.

Focus Thought

Moses realized the existence of

one, and only one, God.

I. One CreatorCulture Connection

The Created Declares the Creator!

Have you ever closely examined a wristwatch, or a motorcycle, the gas logs in the fireplace, or a timer for cooking boiled eggs? As diverse as all these may seem to be, they all share at least one thing in common: they all declare their creator.

I. One CreatorA person cannot pick up or examine any of these inventions and come to the conclusion, “This invention just happened; this device evolved from a drying piece of seaweed.” That would be ludicrous! Rather, we observe created items and recognize upon scrutiny the genius of their creators. Clearly, every invention declares the intelligence and creativity of its inventor, or creator.

I. One CreatorThis principle is true also of everything in this beautiful planet upon which we reside. In fact, if one can see a wristwatch and recognize the work of its creative inventor, how much more is it true when one admires the majesty of a towering mountain peak? Every aspect of nature declares the creativity of the almighty Creator! All this did not just happen; it all came about by the powerful work of the Creator. 

I. One Creator“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1).

As stated in today's lesson, “When given to sincere and honest contemplation, mankind must conclude there is a power far superior to himself. Creation itself is a constant witness to the omnipotence and omniscience of God.”

I. One CreatorHow can a person of reasonable intelligence deny the existence, power, and glory of God while observing and enjoying the beautiful world He has created? Indeed, the heavens declare His glory!

I. One CreatorContemplating the Topic

When given to sincere and honest contemplation, mankind must conclude there is a power far superior to himself. Creation itself is a constant witness to the omnipotence and omniscience of God. Who can make a tree such as a living gigantic oak? From where did the animals come? How did mankind come into existence? Who fashioned the sun, moon, and the starry heavens?

I. One CreatorWho designed fish in their various sizes and shapes to live in the watery depths? There can be only one answer to these questions, and that is God who is infinite in wisdom, knowledge, and power.

For the child of God there is no mystery to the age-old question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” That the chicken was first is realized through the Word of God.

Genesis 2:19

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and

every fowl of the air” (Genesis 2:19).

Hebrews 11:3

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word

of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which

do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).

I. One CreatorCreation itself attests to the super intelligence and super power of the Creator. And that Creator is God! Not only did God create the vast universe and place mankind on this little sphere called Earth, but God also revealed Himself to humankind through various means.

Hebrews 1:1-2

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath

appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds”

(Hebrews 1:1-2).

Transparency 1

I. One CreatorThe purpose behind divine revelation is that the human family might know “the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and that mankind would love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:29-30).

I. One CreatorSearching the Scriptures

One Creator

“In the beginning God created.” There is no need for confusion in this matter; God created! Not a god, or the gods, or one of the gods, but the one true God alone created the heavens and the earth.

I Corinthians 8:5-6

“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all

things” (I Corinthians 8:5-6).

I. One CreatorCreation was the result of the action

of God alone. He did not employ the services of the angels, nor did He turn the task of creating to some supposed lesser deity or imagined second person. (See Isaiah 44:24.)

Before ever uttering the words that brought the world into existence, God had a plan, a finely detailed plan that is so exact in minute details that even the hairs of our heads are numbered. God alone designed the plan, for before “the beginning” there was not any thing or being but God only.

Isaiah 46:9-10“Remember the former things of

old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none

like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times

the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and

I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

I. One CreatorTo bring into fruition His plan to

have a people who would inhabit eternity with Him, God created out of nothing all we see and much more than we are able to see. He created the human race, and from it He has a chosen people, a redeemed church, which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

II. The Supremacy of GodThe Supremacy of God

The word supremacy means the greatest in power, authority, or rank. It also refers to the greatest in importance, character, or achievement. The Bible clearly states God’s supremacy over all living beings and over His natural creation, but it is impossible for our finite minds to understand the infinite degree of His supremacy.

I. One CreatorFor example, we cannot comprehend that God is eternal, that He is all powerful, that He is everywhere present, or that He knows all things. We can state these attributes of God, but we cannot know the depth of them.

Romans 11:33-36“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and

his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or

who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him

again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans

11:33-36).

I. One CreatorWe can know God, but we cannot

know all there is to know about Him. Someone has said that His attributes we may name, His benefits we can claim, His help we can receive, His love we can experience, His salvation we can appropriate, His Word and promises we can believe, but His being will still remain behind the mysterious curtain of infinity, and when we encounter Him we can only bow ourselves before Him in worship and adoration.

I. One CreatorLet us consider how great God is in terms of the universe. Modern science informs us that the universe is about sixteen billion light years in diameter. A light year is how far light travels in one year at the speed of slightly more than 186,000 miles per second; this distance would be some 5.878 trillion miles a year.

I. One CreatorIf we assume with the scientist that the universe is sixteen billion light years in diameter, we could compute its measurement in miles by multiplying 5.878 trillion by sixteen billion, which would be some ninety-four billion trillion miles. But this would not be the measurement of God. Even if sixteen billion light years is the extent of the universe, we still know that space does not stop at the edge of the last galaxy. It extends into infinity. And yet God is greater than the universe and the infinite space that surrounds it.

I. One CreatorIt is little wonder that the prophet

Isaiah proclaimed that Heaven is God’s throne and the Earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1). Before Him the nations are as a drop of water in a bucket and are considered as the small dust on the balance of a scale (Isaiah 40:15). He measures the oceans in the hollow of His hand and calculates the distances between the galaxies of the universe with the span of His hand (Isaiah 40:12).

Transparency 2

I. One CreatorThe Attributes of God. Bible

scholars use four terms to identify the natural attributes of God that describe His nature and essence: omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and eternal. Omnipotent means God is all powerful; omniscient means He is all knowing; omnipresent means He is present everywhere at all times; eternal means God has no beginning or ending, He exists in infinite duration without past or future, and He is the self-existent “I AM” who forever remains the same

and unchangeable.

I. One CreatorIn addition to these natural

attributes, God is also said to have moral attributes. Moral attributes include God’s holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, love, and grace.

Isaiah 40:25

“To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy

One” (Isaiah 40:25).

I. One CreatorThe supremacy of God is so

majestic and solitary that comparison is impossible! The very heavens are as a mere tent for Him to dwell in (Isaiah 40:22), but the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him (I Kings 8:27). He is not confined geographically, for He is a God at hand and a God afar off. He fills all Heaven and Earth (Jeremiah 23:24). There is absolutely nowhere a person can go to place himself out of or beyond God’s presence.

Psalm 139:7-10“Whither shall I go from thy spirit?

or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into

heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the

morning; and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even

there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me”

(Psalm 139:7-10).

I. One CreatorHis name is holy and reverend

(Psalm 111:9). He is the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity (Isaiah 57:15). He is the I Am, the ever-present tense, the self-existing One who always has been and always shall be. From everlasting to everlasting He is God (Psalm 90:2). His goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2).

His judgments are unsearchable, and His ways past finding out (Romans 11:33).

I. One CreatorIn Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). His brightness and glory are such that He is a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17; Hebrews 12:29). He is excellent in power (Job 37:23), wonderful in counsel (Isaiah 28:29), and tremendous in majesty (Job 37:22).

I. One CreatorAdding to His excellence in

greatness is His righteousness in judgment (Revelation 16:7). He is full of compassion (Psalm 86:15) and plenteous in mercy (Psalm 103:8). He is perfect (Matthew 5:48) and He is love (I John 4:16). He is God, the Almighty!

III. The Recognition of One GodThe Recognition

of One God

In essence, recognition deals with both knowledge and acceptance. In one sense, it is the identification of a person as being known to another. However, recognition in another sense is the acknowledgment, the admission as of a fact, and the approval or acceptance of a matter, condition, or person.

I. One CreatorMany people in the world neither

know who God is nor acknowledge there is only one God. But God desires that we should both know Him and know there is no other God beside Him (Isaiah 45:22).

Our recognition of God is not dependent upon some mystical sign or dream or even our subjecting the Word of God to human reasoning. Let us consider some verses of Scripture in which the Lord emphasized that He alone is God.

Isaiah 43:10

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have

chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am

he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after

me” (Isaiah 43:10).

Isaiah 44:6

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD

of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no

God” (Isaiah 44:6).

Isaiah 44:8

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even

my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I

know not any” (Isaiah 44:8).

I. One CreatorTo properly understand the Word of

God, a person must have his heart and mind open to spiritual discernment. Our natural mental faculties are inadequate to grasp the infinite; further, carnality may hinder us from receiving divine illumination, or revelation from God’s Word. 

I Corinthians 2:14

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for

they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually

discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).

I. One CreatorWhen it comes to knowing God,

recognition comes by the illumination of God’s Word to our understanding. Though there are many who believe in gods and in the plurality of God, we must confess to one God who is indivisible and who alone has self-existence. The Bible emphatically presents monotheism. There is no tritheism or polytheism suggested or acceptable. The Scriptures denounce all such beliefs as idolatry.

A. Various Old Testament Manifestations

The Manifestations of GodA. Various Old Testament

Manifestations

In dealing with persons in the Old Testament, God revealed Himself at various times and in different ways. These appearances often took such forms as a burning bush, a cloud, or a pillar of fire. He also appeared in angelic form or the form of a man.

I. One CreatorIn this manner He appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18:1-33), to Jacob (Genesis 32:24-32), to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15), and to others. (See Daniel 3:19-25.)

All of these manifestations of God in the Old Testament were “stepping stones” to lead mankind to the glorious appearance of the almighty God in Jesus Christ.

B. Jesus, God Manifested in the Flesh

B. Jesus, God Manifested in the Flesh

God revealed Himself in the New Testament in His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3).

God revealed Himself as the Father in Creation and in relationship to His Son; in the Son as the Savior of sinful mankind; and as the Holy Ghost in the work of regeneration. We should not conceive these manifestations as three persons who are co-equal and

co-existent.

I. One CreatorThe Scriptures do not support the idea of a trinity or the theory of tritheism. For example, the scriptural terms of Father and Son would be without meaning if these were co-eternal persons. The terms imply that the Father is older than the Son. The Scriptures do not refer to God the Son, but they do state that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself’ (II Corinthians 5:19). In other words, God was manifested in flesh (I Timothy 3:16) in the Son, who was born of the virgin Mary.

I. One CreatorJesus Christ was both God and

man. He could assume the prerogative of deity and at the same time submit to the limitations of His flesh (Philippians 2:5-8). He commanded the physical elements, controlled demons, forgave sins, and received worship. But He also became weary, hungry, and tempted. He prayed, fasted, and eventually died on a cross.

I. One CreatorAs God, He was the everlasting

Father (Isaiah 9:6); He could say, and did say, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him” (John 14:7). When Philip asked Him to show them the Father, Jesus answered, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (John 14:9).

I. One CreatorThere are many titles and attributes

of God in the Old Testament that also apply to Jesus Christ. These clearly identify Jesus as the one true God of the Bible.

The Lord in the Old Testament plainly states He is the first and last and beside Him there is no God (Isaiah 44:6). When John, on the isle of Patmos, saw Jesus Christ in the midst of the golden candlesticks, the sight was so awesome that John fell at Christ’s feet as though he were

dead.

I. One CreatorChrist laid His right hand upon John and said, “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:17-18).

The Old Testament Scriptures identify God as the “Holy One” (Isaiah 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4), and even the demons in the New Testament recognized who Jesus was, calling Him the Holy One (Mark 1:24).

I. One CreatorIsaiah prophesied that when God

came, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6). While John the Baptist was in prison, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus with a question: “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” While these two disciples watched, Jesus opened blinded eyes, caused the lame to walk, cleansed the lepers,

and caused the deaf to hear.

I. One CreatorThen He told the two disciples to tell John what they saw and heard (Matthew 11:2-5). Jesus knew John would identify Him as God in the flesh from the prophetical account of Isaiah.

Isaiah 9:6 prophetically refers to the mighty God and the everlasting Father, both of which are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the Scriptures call Him Immanuel, which was interpreted “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).

I. One CreatorIn Isaiah 40:3, the prophet Isaiah predicted the voice in the wilderness would prepare the way of the Lord (Jehovah) and a highway for God. Matthew 3:3 identifies John the Baptist as the voice in the wilderness; as the forerunner of Jesus Christ, he prepared the way for Him. Thus Jesus was the Lord (Jehovah) and God of this prophecy. Moreover, Thomas called Jesus his Lord and God.

I. One CreatorPerhaps the most identifying title

given to Jesus is that of the “I AM.” He asserted that unless a person believes He is the I AM, that person will die in his sins (John 8:24). The title of I AM first was given to Moses (Exodus 3:14), which was a reference to Jehovah, the sacred name that was revealed first to Moses (Exodus 6:3). Isaiah 43:10 clearly identifies Jehovah with the title of I AM. Therefore, when Jesus claimed to be the I AM, He asserted He was the Jehovah God of the Old Testament (John 8:58).

I. One CreatorThere was no way to mistake the claim Jesus made. Immediately, those Jewish leaders who did not believe Jesus’ claim took up stones to cast at Him because they believed He had blasphemed God (John 8:59).

Jesus left no doubt as to His place and role in the eternal Godhead; the fullness of the Godhead is in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:8-10).

Romans 1:20

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his

eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20).

I. One CreatorThe Greek term translated Godhead

means deity, divine nature, or divine majesty. Creation declares God’s deity and His divine majesty. We should note that Romans 1:20 speaks of God in the singular pronouns of him and his. There is no indication the word Godhead means anything but the essence and nature of God, which is evident by the creation of things in the universe. In other words, the knowledge of the divine majesty of God is made known universally by His

creation.

I. One CreatorThe use of the term Godhead

appears again in Colossians 2:9, where it speaks of Christ: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” It would certainly be difficult to try to explain that in Christ there are three distinct, individual, and separate persons. But there is no confusion when the term Godhead is received in its true meaning of deity, the divine nature, or the majesty of God. In other words, in Christ dwells all the fullness of deity.

I. One CreatorGod is a Spirit (John 4:24), the

omnipresent Spirit who fills all Heaven and Earth. As a Spirit, God did not have a body, although sometimes He temporarily manifested Himself in angelic or human form in the Old Testament. A spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) and, consequently, no blood. However, God had to have a body if He was to make a blood sacrifice acceptable as the substitute for the transgressions of mankind. Therefore God prepared Himself a body (Hebrews 10:5).

I. One CreatorHis Spirit overshadowed a young virgin named Mary and she conceived. The holy child she bore was called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Through His Son, God enabled Himself to pay the price of redemption and thereby purchase the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

Christ Jesus was “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3).

I. One CreatorThe Son housed the brightness of God’s glory, the presence of God’s Spirit. That is why Jesus could frequently refer to the Father who dwelt in Him.

To accomplish the one acceptable substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of humankind, God came in flesh. By this means He was able to meet the demand of death for sin; He tasted death for every person.

I. One CreatorGod, as a Spirit, could not shed blood He did not have, nor could He die, but by preparing Himself a body fashioned as a man He could go to the cross for all people.

God, who declared, “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour” (Isaiah 43:11), became our Savior in Christ Jesus. The angel announced this to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

I. One CreatorInternalizing the Message

The one true God created Heaven and Earth and all things, both visible and invisible. He did not require the services of angels or any imagined celestial beings.

While it is beyond the ability of finite humans to comprehend fully everything there is to know about God, we can know Him as our Creator, Redeemer, Lord, Savior, and King. He is the Lord of the universe and He is the Lord of our lives. 

John 1:1

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

John 1:14

“And the Word was made 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 1:14).

I. One CreatorThat there is only one God is the

consistent teaching of the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation. This one God, the creator of all things, has revealed Himself to individuals in various ways and means, but the greatest revelation came in the person of Jesus Christ.

I. One CreatorFrom His birth Jesus was called

Emmanuel, God with us. He was born both Lord and Savior (Luke 2:11). He became flesh to bring the message of truth and grace to a lost and dark world. He came to reveal Himself, and in the revelation, He died upon the cross to redeem the unsaved that He might reconcile us to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19).