This is what the story of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and her impossibly-late-in-life pregnancy was all about: (“The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day...Now Sarah was listening...” Genesis 18:1ff).
It is what the story of Moses’ receiving the Ten Commandments on the mountaintop was all about: (“The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone…” Exodus 24:12ff).
It was at the heart of Elijah’s hearing that “still small voice” in the sheer silence: (“He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." I Kings 19:11ff)
It was what Jesus’ mother experienced in her encounter with the angel Gabriel (“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin…The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:26ff)
It was what Jesus experienced on the day of his baptism (“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water…a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Mt 3:15ff)
It was Peter’s experience on the Mount of Transfiguration (“…Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white…” Mark 9:2ff)
It was the Pentecost experience (“When the day of Pentecost had…All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit…” Acts 2ff).
It was Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus (“Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus…” Acts 9:3ff)
From the Book of Genesis to the Book of the Revelation, the whole purpose of the Bible and every individual part of it seems to be to reveal what an actual and authentic experience of God can look like in our lives.
Further, its purpose is to put on display what an actual relationship with God looks like.
Finally, story after story, the Bible demonstrates what transformative power such personal experiences and such a personal relationship offer us.
What are we waiting for?
No comments:
Post a Comment