In the Old Testament Scriptures, there are many recorded instances wherein God has revealed Himself to man. In the first chapter of Genesis, God gave the first man and the first woman a commandment. He told them:
Increase and multiply, and fill the Earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the seas and flying creatures of heaven, and all the cattle and all the Earth, and all the reptiles that creep on the Earth. (Gen. 1:28, LXX)
He also told them:
Behold I have given to you every seed-bearing herb sowing seed which is upon all the Earth, and every tree which has in itself the fruit of seed that is sown, to you it shall be for food. And to all the wild beasts of the Earth, and to all the flying creatures of heaven, and to every reptile creeping on the Earth, which has in itself the breath of life, even every green plant for food. (Gen. 1:29,30, LXX)
and:
Of every tree which is in the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil — of it ye shall not eat, but in whatsoever day ye eat of it, ye shall surely die. (Gen. 2:16,17, LXX)
God was communicating with man from the very moment that He created him. The very first commandments of God had to do with procreation, vocation, and food. God told man to procreate and fill the Earth with his offspring. He said to "multiply." He wanted man's offspring to procreate as well. He told him to subdue the Earth and have dominion over it. He wanted man to govern the planet we live on and rule over all of the wildlife that is on it. He told man that he may eat every herb and from all of the trees except one -- the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
After man chose the path of disobedience and became an outcast from the Garden of Eden, God continued to communicate with man. It is said that Enoch, who is of the seventh generation from the first man, walked with God and God took him. (Gen. 5:22-24)
God revealed Himself to Noah. (Gen. 6:9-21) He told him to build an ark and take two of each species of unclean animals and seven of each species of clean animals on board the ark with him. (Gen. 6:14; 7:2,3) God appeared to Abraham. (Gen. 12:7) He appeared to Moses. (Ex. 3:2-22) He revealed Himself to many different individuals in many ways.
In Baruch, it says:
This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of Him. He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. Afterward did He shew Himself upon Earth, and conversed with men. (Baruch 3:35-37)
This is a prophecy about God living among men and conversing with them. The prophet described this prophecy in the past tense although it was not fulfilled until many hundred years later.
The fulfillment of this prophecy has already occurred over two thousand years ago. God entered into History as a Man. He retained His Divinity, but also partook of our humanity. God walked among us. The history of God walking among us is documented in four books called the Gospels. There are only four that Orthodox Christians recognize as being authoritative and trustworthy: the Gospels according to Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
In St. John's Gospel it says:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. (St. John 1:1-4)
and:
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. (St. John 1:14)
God was made flesh and dwelt among us. In future blogs, I will talk more about God and His revelation of Himself to us.
Steve
Increase and multiply, and fill the Earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the seas and flying creatures of heaven, and all the cattle and all the Earth, and all the reptiles that creep on the Earth. (Gen. 1:28, LXX)
He also told them:
Behold I have given to you every seed-bearing herb sowing seed which is upon all the Earth, and every tree which has in itself the fruit of seed that is sown, to you it shall be for food. And to all the wild beasts of the Earth, and to all the flying creatures of heaven, and to every reptile creeping on the Earth, which has in itself the breath of life, even every green plant for food. (Gen. 1:29,30, LXX)
and:
Of every tree which is in the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil — of it ye shall not eat, but in whatsoever day ye eat of it, ye shall surely die. (Gen. 2:16,17, LXX)
God was communicating with man from the very moment that He created him. The very first commandments of God had to do with procreation, vocation, and food. God told man to procreate and fill the Earth with his offspring. He said to "multiply." He wanted man's offspring to procreate as well. He told him to subdue the Earth and have dominion over it. He wanted man to govern the planet we live on and rule over all of the wildlife that is on it. He told man that he may eat every herb and from all of the trees except one -- the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
After man chose the path of disobedience and became an outcast from the Garden of Eden, God continued to communicate with man. It is said that Enoch, who is of the seventh generation from the first man, walked with God and God took him. (Gen. 5:22-24)
God revealed Himself to Noah. (Gen. 6:9-21) He told him to build an ark and take two of each species of unclean animals and seven of each species of clean animals on board the ark with him. (Gen. 6:14; 7:2,3) God appeared to Abraham. (Gen. 12:7) He appeared to Moses. (Ex. 3:2-22) He revealed Himself to many different individuals in many ways.
In Baruch, it says:
This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of Him. He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. Afterward did He shew Himself upon Earth, and conversed with men. (Baruch 3:35-37)
This is a prophecy about God living among men and conversing with them. The prophet described this prophecy in the past tense although it was not fulfilled until many hundred years later.
The fulfillment of this prophecy has already occurred over two thousand years ago. God entered into History as a Man. He retained His Divinity, but also partook of our humanity. God walked among us. The history of God walking among us is documented in four books called the Gospels. There are only four that Orthodox Christians recognize as being authoritative and trustworthy: the Gospels according to Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
In St. John's Gospel it says:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. (St. John 1:1-4)
and:
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. (St. John 1:14)
God was made flesh and dwelt among us. In future blogs, I will talk more about God and His revelation of Himself to us.
Steve
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