God's Greatest Desire
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Biblical Snapshots
Biblical Snapshots
If you were a photographer in the Bible and were tasked with capturing moments of surprise what would you capture? Maybe Balaam’s face when he first realizes the donkey was the one speaking? Or how about when Peter found the money in the fish’s mouth?
How about moments of joy? Would you take a snapshot of Simon as he sees the baby Jesus before he dies. Or would you take snap a picture of Noah as he takes the olive twig from the dove knowing that there is land?
What about if you had to capture moments of intimacy? What or who would you photograph? Maybe you would capture the entire scene of Mary adorning Jesus’ feet with a costly perfume while the entire room is in disgust. Or how about the closeness of David and Jonathan.
God loves all three of these pictures. But what I believe God desires most is intimacy with his creation. God desires to be close.
In fact just about everything God does in the Bible is built around intimacy. You can look at any book of the Bible and you will find a God who desires closeness with his creation.
God’s Quest for Intimacy
God’s Quest for Intimacy
The Bible story is a number of things: it is a story of redemption. A story of returning home, a story of good versus evil, but maybe the most beautiful story it tells is the story of God’s Quest for Intimacy.
The entire biblical story puts on display God’s desire for closeness. Our very first introduction to God is in a word intimacy.
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis
The word we have here isn’t just God, but God plural. As in there is more than one individual, but individuals. Elohim conveys this idea of more than one but togetherness.
In the New Testament this idea is further dealt upon.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
John tells us that God is love. So check this out. God is love. God has always existed for God was never created. He has no beginning nor no end. God has always been here. God is also three individuals. If God was only one person it would be impossible for God to be love, for love only exists when there is more than one. God’s very existence is intimacy.
Intimacy and closeness is what God is all about. It is in God’s very nature to be close, it is who God, Elohim is.
