"ACKNOWLEDGING THE LORD IS GOD"

B11 July 31, 2011
Dr. Glen A. Thorp Psalm 100,
(All Rights Reserved Exodus 33:12-23

“ACKNOWLEDGING THE LORD IS GOD”
(God Made us, We did not Make God)

INTRODUCTION: Through Facebook I have connected with a cousin in Sweden. The other day she asked: “Are Darwin’s evolution and believing
in God an absolutely impossible mix?” I responded:
“No. If Darwins would believe in a God,
Evolution is compatible with a Creative God.
If Darwinians believe creation/evolution is just by chance,
it would be difficult.”

Elisabet Pettersson’s question (I have my cousin’s permission to use her question and name) prompted me in recalling an article I read in the Wall Street Journal entitled: Man vs. God, WSJ, 9/13/09+
The two people named below were commissioned to respond independently to the question: “Where does evolution leave God?”

Richard Dawkins: an Atheist and author of many books including:
The God Delusion and published in 2009, The Greatest Show On Earth, responded: Evolution leaves God with nothing to do.

Karen Armstrong: Author of many books, The Case for God also published in 2009 responded:
We need God to grasp the wonder of our existence.

Richard Dawkins continued:
“Evolution is probably the Greatest Show on Earth.
Alien life, if it does exist, will be Darwinian life.
It is possible we really are alone in the universe, in which case Earth, with its greatest show, is the most remarkable planet in the universe.
What is so special about life? It never violates the laws of physics...If it did, scientists would just have to formulate new laws...there never was a rock that bounded like a kangaroo, never a pebble that crawled like a beetle seeking a mate, never a grain of sand that swam like a water flea...
Never once are the laws of physics violated, yet life emerges into unchartered territory...What if there are life forms on other planets that have evolved so far beyond our level of intelligence and creativity that we should regard them as gods...they would not be gods...they did not create the universe, it created them, just as it created us...Where does this leave God. The kindest thing to say is it leaves him with nothing to do, and no achievements that might attract our praise, our worship or our fear...God is not dead. He was never alive in the first place.”

There is one major problem with Dawkin’s argument, physics can not indicate what life is or where it came from. There are multiple hypothesis, but none that have been proven. Dawkins is correct: "beings did not create the universe," but he is wrong in saying that the universe created beings.
Physics cannot explain why life exists or where it is going.
(Read story at the end of this blog) about Albert Einstein riding a train from Princeton, N.J.*

I won’t take time to discuss Karen Armstrong’s rebuttal.
I will go our Authority, God’s Word, The Bible..

Know this: God is God and
God made us, we didn’t make God.

God is our Creator, we did not create ourselves.
Many people live as though they are the creator and center of their own little world. This mind-set leads to a greedy possessiveness and if everything should be taken away, a loss of hope. When we realize God created us and gives all we have, we will want to give to others as God gave to us. (II Corithians 9:8)
If all is lost, we still have God and all he gives us.

Let us look at Psalm 100 to see what we learn about God and how we respond to the God who created ...

It was written for use by the Jews in their worship.
It is one the “Psalms of Ascent” used by pilgrims.

PSALM 100 is a invitation to worship and joyfully enter the Temple and into God’s presence.
As Pilgrims approached, a Choir summoned them.
The Pilgrims respond - Antiphonally between the choir and the pilgrims.

Written in Hebrew Poetic Parallel Structure this Psalm was likely sung.

Acknowledging the Lord is God.
Surrounded by countries who worshiped their own gods, especially when in Babylonian captivity, the Hebrews were reminded of who their God was, God’s Character and why they journied to the Temple to worship God.

God alone is worthy of being worshiped.
Do we need church? Why do we attend worship?
What is your attitude toward worship?
Do you willingly and joyfully come into God’s presence or are you just going through the motions; reluctantly attending worship?

This Psalm is for us as well. It reminds us of God’s goodness and dependability. Our response is to worship God with thanksgiving and praise.

vs. 1 Shout to the Lord, all the land, (Earth)
Serve the Lord with gladness; (Worship)
v. 2 Come before him with singing (Joyful Songs)

v. 3 The theme of their glad song is threefold:
Know ye that the Lord alone is God.
He has made us and we belong to Him;
We are His people & sheep of his pasture.

LORD, English for the Hebrew YHWH, is God.
This is foundational to the believe in Monotheism.
KNOW means to ACKNOWLEDGE.
Know a simple truth like 2+2=4
Know YHWH is God is a fact.
Be sure that YHWH is God ... Trust ...
Acknowledge by acting on that belief and living by drawing on that assurance, comfort and strength. Our Response is Grateful Worship.

v. 4 Choir: Invites Pilgrims to enter the gates leading to the courts of the Temple with Three acts of worship:
Enter into His gates
with a thank offering,
Into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him,
Bless His Name. (with bended knee)

v. 5 Reason: Profound acknowledgment
of the three fold Character of God:
For good is the Lord;
His loving-kindness endures forever,
And His faithfulness lasts from
generation to generation.

Dependancy of God’s Character allows us to trust!
John Green-leaf Whittier captures that theme in his The Eternal Goodness:
Yet, in the maddening maze of things,
And tossed by storm and flood,
To one fixed trust my spirit clings;
I know that God is good.

Read I Kings 18:16-39 about a test between,
Elijah, a prophet of YHWH and prophets of Baal.
At the end of the test, the people fell acknowledged
(vs.39) The Lord, He is God!
The Lord, He is God!
(Implied: “Not Baal. Baal is not god.”)

Psalm 100 has enjoyed a long history of paraphrase in Christian hymnody. One:
All People that on Earth Do Dwell
v. 1 All people that on earth do dwell=All the earth
(4 Imperatives vs. 3 in psalm) Praise forth tell

v. 2 Know that the Lord is God indeed; (Psalm 100:3)
“without our aid He did make us.”
We belong to Him.

v. 3 O enter then His gates with praise ...(Psalm 100:4)
For it is seemly to do so (Reason - v. 5)

v. 4 For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure. Connects v. 3 to 4.
4 Clauses in vs. 3 come from the psalm.
His truth at all times firmly stood
And from age to age endure.

CONCLUSION: Acknowledge the Lord is God?

For what are you most Thankful?
To whom or what do you give thanks?
The Universe? as Dawkins writes. If so how?
Psalmist calls us to give thanks to God - YHWH
Six Reasons:
Know ye that the Lord alone is God.
He has made us and we belong to Him;
We are His people & sheep of his pasture.

For good is the Lord;
His loving-kindness endures forever,
And His faithfulness lasts from generation to geneneration.

Applies to all the earth ...
Nothing is outside God’s concern.

Reasons we gather with praise and thanksgiving.
Which of the six reasons most motivates you?

Read Exodus 33:12-23 recording a dialogue between Moses and the Glory of YHWH. Moses: Teach me your ways so I may know you ...

Fulfilled in Transfiguration of Jesus Lk 9:30
(Those who started reading my messages back on March 6, 2011 will understand how God’s Glory was revealed through Jesus with Moses and Jeremiah standing on either side of Jesus. Moses was the Law giver and Elijah, the same Prophet who took on the prophets of Baal.
Jesus was that one called Lord God, the one who gave the Law and who came to fulfill it.)

I ended my conversation with referring Elisabet to the Wall Street Journal article and said:
The point of the article is that Dawkins writes: "Evolution leaves God with nothing to do." Therefore, we don't need God. Armstrong replies: "Looking at the Universe, we need God to appreciate the wonder of our existence." How is it that we are unique in the Universe, at least as we have expolored it so far? God Created ...

Acknowledge the Lord is God
Respond with JOY!
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*Albert Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.

The conductor said, "Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it."

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned
around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said, "Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket.
I'm sure you bought one."

Einstein looked at him and said, "Young man, I too, know who I am.
What I don't know is where I'm going."

+”Man vs. God, The Wall Street Journal, 9/13/09
Here is the link. Copy to open: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574405030643556324.htm