Sunday, June 23, 2013

Q11. Is God *Really* the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever?

Apple Sync
Most, if not all, of us are probably using some form of mobile handheld device such as a smartphone or tablet, be it an iPhone, an iPad, an Android-based or a Windows-based device.
Google Sync

One of the things we frequently need to do is to "synchronise" the data between our portable handheld device and our laptop/computer.  This is so that in the event that we replace or lose our mobile device, we will always have a back-up of the data at home or in the office.

While we need to perform the sync function regularly so that there is uniformity and consistency across all our gadgets and equipment, it is interesting to note that God does not need to perform a sync anytime ever because all three persons of the Trinity -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit were, are, and will be, in sync, everytime, all of the time.

In John 10:30 and John 14:9, Jesus said that "He and His Father are one" and that "whoever sees Him also sees the Father".  Hence, God the Father and God the Son are always in sync.

The Holy Spirit was only given to kings, prophets and priests in the Old Testament, but He is now available to all of us in the New Covenant.

In John 14:16, Jesus told His disciples that after He had gone back to heaven, the Holy Spirit would take His place here on earth to carry on His ministry, viz:

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever" (John 14:16 AMP)

The above implies that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also in sync, and by further inference, that all 3 persons of the Trinity are in sync.

One of the most quoted verses is Heb 13:8 whereby the author tells us that "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever".

And since Jesus is always in sync with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, the logical conclusion is that "God is the same yesterday, today and forever".

But is He *really* the same?  Is there really no shadow of turning with Him?

I have come across numerous passages, especially in the Old Testament, whereby He seems to be as unpredictable as the weather.

Take the example of how he dealt with Moses.  On the one hand, God appeared to close one eye when Moses killed the Egyptian in Exodus 2:12.  Yet, in Exodus 4:24, we read about how God wanted to kill Moses because he was not circumcised!  But what really took the cake for me was that after all that Moses had done for God (getting Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery, parting the Red Sea, bringing the Ten Commandments, having the blueprint to construct the Tabernacle, etc), we read in Numbers 20 that God forbade him from entering the promised land just because he struck the rock instead of speaking to it!

So how can God claim to be the same yesterday, today and forever, when His behaviour is like that of a baby, who giggles and smiles at you one moment, and then throws his toys out of the pram in a hissy fit the next?

Stay tuned, and we will journey through the Exodus story in the next blog entry.

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