[Lee Grzywinski]

Hello, faithful readers!

Chapter 7 is my favorite chapter so far. Packer’s understanding that the Bible reveals God to us – though in the context of the times over which the Bible was written – is so important for understanding the Bible. The Bible was written for us, not to us, and it was written for us that we would know the God Who acts in history. The God Whose character, truth, and purposes do not change for Abraham, David, or any of us. I love his statement that “all that He has in His Word committed Himself to do will infallibly be done.”

He makes a very good point in chapter 8, and I think it has only gotten worse since the book was written. Because of the “cult of me” our society has embraced, we tend to look at our relationship with God as something “personal” to me. But when we make much of ourselves, we make far too little of God. Our eyes need to come off of ourselves and be fixed firmly on Him. We are “slow…to believe in God as God.” But, “Living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator.”

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[Carolyn Hayes]

What Packer took two chapters to say, Chris Tomlin captures in his song, “Indescribable”:

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation reveals Your Majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings All exclaiming:
Indescribable, uncontainable –
You placed the stars in the sky
And, You know them by name . . . You are amazing, God
All powerful, untamable
Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim . . . You are amazing, God!
Who has told every lightening bolt where to go?
Or has seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who has imagined the sun and gives source to its light?
Yet, conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom . . .
Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And, You know them by name . . . You, are amazing, God!
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart – And, You love me the same
You are amazing, God! You are amazing, God! You are amazing, God!

Now, you might be thinking, ‘It doesn’t seem like Carolyn likes reading Packer’s book . . . However, I do! because it brings to the top of my mind and memory how much I know God! I believe that writers, who write about God, are supposed to enable readers to realize how much they truly know “about God” and then, encourage

his readers to use their finite minds to understand that all that knowledge must be used to light the fire in their hearts to convince them . . . that “Hey! I do know God! Duh! I know so much about Him, that I certainly can’t say, “I don’t know God! I have to “KISS” this whole idea and stop complicating it! . . .

K eep

I t

S imple,

S tupid . . . or the politically correct way, S weetheart!

[Lilla]

The link between the past an the future is the God who does not change. I always wondered, How is it that Abraham and others who heard God’s voice were so sure that God had spoken that they were willing to do great, unimaginable things. Even when He did not reveal Himself in any other way, but His word. Packer’s assurance that God is the same, unchangable in His ways can still be aprehended today just as He was by Abraham and the prophets, etc. The conviction that God would rescue a king facing overwhelming odds in a battle and seeing that come true, is a conviction that I want, too.
Then in chapter eight, the majesty of God was tremendously inspiring. I liked this quote: Living becomes an awesome business when you realizeThat you spend every moment of your life in the sight and the company of an omniscient and omnipresent Creator. It reminds me of C.S.Lewis’ remark that we are all eternal beings. It just gives me a different perspetive on how I view life. And then the series of Packer’s “Behold your God!” brings the song by that name to mind.
… Behold our God, seated on his throne
Come, let us adore him
Behold our king, nothing can compare
Come, let us adore him
It is translated into French, too. Prosterne, adorons-le!

[Lynne Mazza-Hilway]

`Yes Lilla, Packer’s emphasizing *Behold your God ” was beautifully poetic and seems to have gotten both you and Carolyn singing! “Declaring God’s majesty and greatness is always an invitation to worship.” However we ” modern people tend to cherish great thoughts of (our)selves while we have small thoughts of God and therefore need to ‘wait upon the Lord’ in meditation on his majesty, till we find our strength renewed through the writing of these things upon our hearts.”
In trying to compare the past with the present I found it curious that on the one hand Packer seems to present past Christians as having conduct far above ours, perhaps in reference to how they viewed God yet on the other he says that the letters written to them are ” directed against strange errors which, as far as we know, do not now exist.” As we’ve heard in many of our Sunday sermons, there are plenty of consistent similarities of human nature through time. But I do appreciate how he drives home the main idea of God’s immutability. And his humbling reminder that He is the one who “discriminates between sinners, causing some to hear the gospel while others do not hear it. He blesses those on whom he sets his love.” Yes, all glory, honor and majesty to our God whom we behold!

[Joe Del Grande]

I really enjoyed chapter 7. The Bible sometimes is hard for us as we read about how God interacted with people thousands of years ago in a different time, plays in culture. Because of that difficulty, casual readers or unbelievers cannot make the connection. Unfortunately, many people therefore dismiss the Bible has having any relevance to their life.

I like the way Packer makes the connection of the Biblical teachings from the past to our present. God is unchangeable. He is the link between the Bible times and our times. He did it before for his followers and he can do it again for us.

[Theresa]

I think these 2 chapters are my favorite so far. I wasn’t going to reference a song but Psalm 8 (How Majestic Is Your Name) by Shane and Shane came on while I was getting ready to post so it seems fitting to include it. Especially since it’s a song that always brings me to a place of worship and reminds me who God is. I love that God doesn’t change. Not his character, not his truths, not his ways or purposes. In a world where everything is uncontrollable and chaotic it’s good to remind myself that God is unchangeable and so worthy of our praise.

[Nayara Jordan]

Late yet again but still wanted to contribute my thoughts;

In chapter 7 the last couple of pages stood out to me. “What God does in time, he planned from eternity. And all that he planned in eternity he carries out in time.” This is then followed by the idea of God repenting in scripture. I was amazed and fascinated by the idea that God’s repentance doesn’t mean that he hadn’t foreseen the reaction, that the event took him by surprise, and that it was not accounted for in his eternal plan. His eternal purpose remains the same, and this is so different to the repentance we know as humans.

Chapter 8 might be my favorite so far. I love how he used Isaiah 40 to walk us through God’s majesty. It’s beautiful how well Isaiah laid it out, and I would’ve never analyzed it in this way without Packer laying it out as such.

[Author]

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