God with us.

[msethsmile]

Matt 1:23b "...they will call him Immanuel--which means, 'God with us.'"

King David got it: Psalm 139:8-18

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you."

[msethsmile]

"Comfort, comfort, ye my people."

Ever notice that when the disciples are full of fear, Christ always gives the reason for calm, comfort: "It is I.", "Lo, I am with you always...".

[digthemup]

Matt 1:23b "...they will call him Immanuel--which means, 'God with us.'"

King David got it: Psalm 139:8-18

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you."

This Psalm is another very good explanation why there is NO place anyone can hide from GOD or His wrath.

[msethsmile]

The most pronounced attribute of God is _________________. (fill in the blank)

[msethsmile]

On second thought, God gets to describe Himself:

Exodus 34:6-7

⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

[digthemup]

The most pronounced attribute of God is _________________. (fill in the blank)

"the I AM THAT I AM"

[sdbrison]

1 Corinthians 1:25Verse Concepts

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

[msethsmile]

There's a ton of stuff in that Ex 34 passage--
1. This was Moses' second trip up the holy mountain. Recall that after the first trip he came down and saw the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. In rage, he cast down the stone tablets on which the finger of God had written the Ten Commandments. Moses needed reassurance God would stand with them (vs. destroy). Assurance to Moses' leadership abilities too. Things not looking too good.

2. The golden calf incident took place in the same general locale as the burning bush, "I am that I am" (post #6). God introduced Himself as the God of the living, "I am the God of Abraham...". Talk about a slap in the face. Of coarse, we're better--right? We have the same DNA.

3. God reassures Moses and the Israelites (and us) of His steadfast grace. We can't out sin God's grace so why even try? The hottest thing in the fatherheart of God is compassion/mercy/grace---far hotter than His wrath.

Mal 3:6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed."

Whew, I feel better. The spiritual descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are Christians.