God the Creator
Intro_
Genesis 1:1-9. In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth and all things in it with His word alone. He spoke, and heaven and earth were divided. He spoke again, and the waters were put into place. Thus is the power of God, the Creator.
The Lord God speaks and all creation must obey. Isaiah also attests to this saying “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11.The church is part of God’s creation and is subject to his authority. And because God is creator of all things we know there is no power that can withstand Him, there is no other god beside him.
The Power of God and the Incapable Idol
Many times we see the power of God shown by his control over nature. In Joshua 10:12-14 the Lord held the sun in its place until Israel’s enemies were defeated “Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.” And again we see the Lord open the earth and swallow up rebellious Korah and his company “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.” Numbers 16:31-32.
Our Lord God is a living God. He hears our prayers and supplications and speaks to us, comforting and guiding us by his living word; the gospel. Isaiah 65:24 reads “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Compare this to the incapable and powerless nature of an idol. Jeremiah 2:26-28. The idol cannot save. Only God, the creator, has the power to save the believer.
The Flood of Many Waters
The individual Christian needs the saving power of God because we must endure trials and tribulation of our own. Yet the bible speaks of a trial that the entire church would undergo. David writes in the spirit regarding this time of trial in Psalms 93:3-5 and Psalms 18:1-6A. The voices of those that persecute the church are described as a flood, as mighty and boisterous waters. These waters represent strong contentious words of persecution related to the doctrine of Christ. We find similar language in Revelation 17:1, 5-6, 15. These waters are described as a people and a nation. They are those who profess the saving power idols rather than the saving power of God. We believe these texts to apply to the Church of Christ. The church failed to obey the commandment for the woman to cover in prayer found in 1Corinthians 11, and they despised the natural order of authority set in place by God the creator. In 1Corinthians 11:13 we are all prompted to judge in ourselves regarding the divine order. Preachers of the church chose for themselves to take liberties with God’s word and build for themselves idols in the form of false doctrines.
Yet there was one member who chose not to take part in the worship of these idols. This woman also spoke out against the church for their unfaithfulness and was thus persecuted. Yet as we read earlier, the Lord God does not close his ears to the faithful.
Quenching the Rebellious Flood
Only God, the creator, has the power to save the believer. Isaiah 45:5-7 reads “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 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. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.”
Revelations 12:13-16 gives us another image of the persecution of the Lord’s elected servant, who alone remained faithful. The serpent cast out of its mouth flood waters, which were scourges, persecutions and curses at the Elect. Using perverse doctrines, they attempted to carry her away. Yet God the creator opens the earth and quenches the flood. As it is written in Isaiah 45:8 “Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.”
In Revelations 12 the Lord brings salvation to His church. The Lord “Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people” Ps 65:7. Isaiah 59:19. The enemy came as a flood upon the church and upon the Lord’s elect servant but the Lord lifted His standard of love against it and brought salvation as he only he could. Read with me the prayer of Jonah in Jonah 2:2-9.
Conclusion
When the Lord God speaks, all creation must obey. It was the disobedience of the church that led it to rebellion, to fall away and to be overcome with a false doctrine. Yet despite its unfaithfulness, and its persecution of the truth, the Lord brought salvation by his own strong arm in the form of judgement and restoration. Psalms 18:6B-18.