Faith in God as He Reveals Himself
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
8/3/2014 AM
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Text:
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Isaiah 40;
Lord's Day 35
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Psalters: |
17, 334, 415, 137 |
- The basis.
- This commandment teaches us about God’s being and His relationship.
- He is a Spirit (John 4:24) without tangible, visible form (John 1:18; Col.1:15), and thus we cannot make images of Him.
- He is infinite in His being and His glory, with nothing equal to Him (Isa. 40:12-17) and every image limits Him (25,27,28).
- His relationship with His people (covenant friend) makes images unnecessary.
- God requires that He be worshiped, loved, and thanked accurately, i.e., as He has revealed Himself.
- Natural man is able only to know about (not "know") God; they cannot understand the things of God (I Cor. 2:14; Rom. 1).
- God further reveals Himself in His Word and in the preaching of His Word (I Cor. 1:21).
- This command prohibits the use of anything to represent God because they conflict with His revelation of Himself.
- Any image or representation of a creature is material, external and limited (calves of Aaron and Jeroboam).
- Image worship is an effort of man to form his own concept of God, which is always less than what He is.
- The implication.
- This commandment establishes the "regulative principle" of worship, i.e., God tells us how He is to be worshiped, so the manner of worship is regulated by God's Word (q. 96; Westminster Shorter, q.50) (Deut. 4:2; 12:31,32).
- We include in worship only what God commands, so He determines how man will serve Him.
- The Reformed tradition is that God alone may determine how we will serve Him – all else is self-willed service.
- Only those elements prescribed by Scripture are permitted: preaching, sacraments, prayer, offerings, singing.
- The lively preaching of His revelation (I Cor. 1:21) is God's way of instructing and correcting our mental images.
- The singing of versifications of the Psalms is because it is the inspired songbook of the church given by the Spirit.
- The characteristics of public worship are: spirituality, simplicity, solemnity, orderliness, and stability.
- The commandment gives powerful motivations and encouragements to obey Him.
- First, God pursues with anger and jealousy those who hate Him by not worshiping Him as He commands.
- Second, God makes clear that the violation of this command bears fruit on our children.
- Obedience is encouraged when God promises to show His mercy on those who serve Him as He commands.
- Resulting admonitions.
- May the solemn formality of our worship services be a reflection of our love for our God.
- May our relationship to God be sincere (love), and not mere formality.