Some Key Words (12/2/00-12/3/00)

Depth (bathos [899]):

deep, extreme, the deep things of God, the deep sea; profundity, extent, mystery

Wisdom (sophia [4678]):

the knowledge of how to regulate one's relationship with God; full of intelligence, having knowledge in diverse matters, knowledge of things human and divine acquired in the course of experience, and summed up in proverbs and sayings, science and learning, interpretation of dreams, skill in managing, devout and proper behavior around non-Christians, skill in imparting truth, knowing and practicing godly living, the wisdom of God displayed in the formation and governing of the world, and in the Scriptures;

Knowledge (gnosis [1108]):

present and fragmentary knowledge; intelligence, understanding, deep understanding of Christian religion as regards what is lawful and with is not, moral wisdom; the act of knowing

Unsearchable (anexereunetos [419]):

what cannot be searched out; not searched out

Judgments (krima [2917]):

a solemn judgement, judicial trial or sentence, a pronouncement of sentence or opinion, judicial authority, power of judging; a decree, a condemnation of wrong in another, the sentence of a judge or the punishment in that sentence, a matter to be judicially decided, a court case; a decision or its effect

Unfathomable (anexichniastos [421]):

cannot be searched out, cannot be comprehended; not tracked out, untraceable

Ways (hodos [3598]):

path, a road, a journey, a manner of life or action, a custom, a method of obtaining, a manner of religion, the ways of God, the direction of His providence; a traveled way, a course of conduct, a manner of thinking and deciding; the route of progress, or the act of progressing

Known (ginosko [1097]):

to know experientially (vs. intuitively), to perceive, understand, be conscious of, discern, distinguish, approve, think, beware; to learn to know, come to know, feel, have knowledge of, become acquainted with;

Counselor (sumboulos [4825]):

advisor; consultant

From (ek [1537]):

out of, what was once in but is now separated from by place, time, or origin, a state out of which one comes, the starting point from which direction of motion starts, a point from which something takes place, primary source, the family to which one belongs, the motive or ground of an event, the cause, the means;; the origin, the point from which action or motion proceeds

Through (dia [1223]):

with or in, throughout or during, by means of, by reason of; the channel of an act

To (eis [1519]):

the first cardinal number: one, motion into a place or thing, towards, until, intention, purpose, identity, aim; for, among, into; the point reached or entered, purpose, result

Forever (eis [1519]):

see above. (ho [3588]): this, that, these; the (aion [165]): an age or time, always being, continuance or duration, eternity past or future, the duration of the world, an age or dispensation; an unbroken age, a period of time, all time

Amen (amen [281]):

faithful, true, surely, truly, so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled, the amen to prayer makes the subject of prayer one's own, related to the Hebrew `aman: believe, faithful, an expression of absolute trust and confidence; firm, trustworthy

 

Paraphrase: (12/2/00)

33 God's knowledge, His wisdom, is incredible! It's beyond our ability to understand His ways and His reasons. 34 Nobody has ever known His mind, or given Him counsel. 35 None has ever put Him in a place of indebtedness. 36 For He is the source of all things, and the means of their continued existence. All that He has created is for His own purpose. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Key Verse: (12/2/00)

11:36 - The source, the sustainer, and the purpose of our life and all life is God. This alone is cause to glorify Him forever!

People Mentioned: (12/2/00)

N/A

Some Parallel Verses (12/3/00)

11:33

Ro 2:4 - It is the richness of God's kindness that brings us to repentance. Eph 3:8 - It is this unfathomable richness that is preached in the Gospel message. Eph 3:10 - This wisdom is made known through the Church to the authorities in the heavens! Col 2:3 - All wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ [until He reveals them.] Job 5:9 - The wonders God performs are beyond counting, and great beyond knowing. Job 11:7 - The depths and limits of God are not knowable to man. Job 15:8 - We are not privy to His secret counsel, and cannot pretend to be the arbiters of wisdom.

11:34

Is 40:13-14 - No man directs the Holy Spirit, nor counsels Him in His ways. No being has He consulted to gain understanding, nor did He require teaching to gain justice, knowledge, and wisdom. 1Co 2:16 - None has attained to full knowledge of God's thoughts, nor instructed Him. But we do have the mind of Christ to counsel us.

11:35

Job 35:7 - God gets nothing from us by our righteousness. We have nothing to give Him [except what is His already.] Job 41:11 - All that is, is God's. We give Him nothing worthy of His repaying us, for what we give is His already.

11:36

1Co 8:6 - We serve the Father, from whom all things are, and for whom we exist. We serve the Lord Jesus who is the cause of all things, and through whom we exist. 1Co 11:12 - All things originate from God. Col 1:16 - All things are created by and for Him. Heb 2:10 - He for whom all things exist, and through whom they continue to exist, was acting fitly in perfecting His Son, our salvation, through sufferings. Ro 16:27 - Glory to the only wise God forever. Eph 3:21 - To God, the glory in the Church in Christ Jesus forever. Php 4:20 - To our God and Father, the glory forever. 1Ti 1:17 - Glory to the eternal, immortal, invisible King, the One God - with honor - forever. 2Ti 4:18 - For He will bring us safely to His kingdom. 1Pe 4:11 - Do all things, the ministerial and the mundane by God given strength, so that He may be glorified in them, for the glory and rulership are His forever. 1Pe 5:11 - May He rule forever. 2Pe 3:18 - Glory to our Lord Jesus now and forever. Jude 25 - Glory, authority, and rule to God our Savior from eternity, through now, to forever. Rev 1:6 - Glory and rule to Him who has made us a kingdom of priests forever. Rev 5:13 - Blessing and honor and glory and power forever, to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Rev 7:12 - Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever, Amen.

 

New Thoughts (12/4/00)

Well, after the last couple of days, I simply want to add my voice to the chorus of Scripture, and pour out blessings and thanksgiving and honor to my God! I want to rejoice that all authority, rule, and power have indeed always been His, and always will be! I've spent an entire weekend watching from, through, and to become a reality for me. He's really brought that verse home.

It began with coming to this passage of Scripture (from a starting point last April) on the very morning of a men's breakfast at which I was to lead worship. It began because this passage of Scripture was the entire content of the first song I had chosen, in a list formed six days earlier, and the thoughts of this passage were largely the focus of the entire worship list. I think this was a first: the first time that I opened my morning study time by enjoying a good laugh with my Father, and being awestruck at the way He works things out. And in that time of worship, God really reached out to those who were there, He drew us up to a new place, and blessed us.

Now, I had closed that worship service with a chorus that had been running through my mind and over my lips throughout my workday on Thursday (the last day of the week that I was physically on site at work.) God had provided me with this chorus as a strength and comfort as I faced some stressful decisions regarding that job, and where it's leading me, where He's leading me. The chorus, by Scott Underwood, simply says "Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters but You, Lord Jesus, but You."

With this, I found peace. I found the path through my stresses. With this, I closed our worship on Saturday, the presence of the Lord so clear that we skipped past the message and straight into prayer. When I came home, my wife was in a very hard place - concerned for her health, disappointed and dismayed at doctors that seemed to leave her more ill than when she came in. I pulled out the CD this song comes from, and just started programming it to play that song over and over. I lost count of how many times I asked for it, but that song kept playing for at least an hour, as we sat for lunch. It kept playing until sorrow began to give way to laughter. It kept going. Finally, the program finished. I put the full CD on, and instructed my wife to keep listening to it until it fully registered with her. Meanwhile, my daughter and I went out to begin our Christmas shopping. After some initial frustrations, this began to be a truly fruitful time, as my daughter worked with me, offering suggestions for various of our relatives. She's so good at giving, it just blesses me. And she seems to be able to set aside her wants, and really think about what will bless the receiver. At any rate, the aisles were narrow, and the shoppers weary, and the stresses were showing in the people around us. What to do? Well, father and daughter began singing together: "Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters but You, Lord Jesus, but You." A joyful bubble of peace just seemed to follow us around the store, and we thoroughly enjoyed our mission du jour.

Sunday morning, I awoke as usual, came down and continued my studies of this passage, and then proceeded up to the showers in preparation for church. As I showered, Psalm 7:17 began to take on notes in my mind. Along with the notes came an image of the congregation coming up to the front of the church, one by one, to declare their specific thanks to God, with the worship team gently playing this verse in the background. I brought this thought to our worship leader, who concurred, and sent me to our pastor, who also concurred. Pastor thought maybe five or six people would be good, and so gave the call at the opening of the service, with the words of Ps 7:17 on the projector: "I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness." As each offering of thanks completed, Pastor capped the offering by declaring that verse. Eventually, I think about 20 folks came up, each with an awesome, awesome declaration of God's goodness in their lives. As they finished, we began to sing the notes I had heard in the shower, and then moved into the worship list our leader had prepared for the service. The opening line? "I will give thanks to Thee, oh Lord among the nations." And so it proceeded! The whole service was like men's breakfast hadn't ended, just been interrupted. Pastor's message traced the declarations of Jesus from Genesis through Revelation - all that had been declared of Him from the start, all the titles He holds! It's all about Jesus! Nothing else matters. Oh, my dearly beloved Father! What an awesome thing. I spent all day yesterday just basking in the joy of watching You work out all the threads of this life that occupies us so.

Everything has indeed been shown to come from You. You have been our starting point, and we are of Your family. Everything has been shown to depend on You for continued existence. You have shown Yourself the means by which anything I can do can be done. The only means. You have given me great joy, as all that has been going on has been with one goal and purpose: to glorify Your name! It's all about You, Lord. Not just the worship, not just the church activities. It's ALL about You. That I am being brought into a position of greater 'people' responsibility at work. It's all about You. You are wanting to heal that environment. You are desiring an example of Your love to stand in that place. God, I reject the feelings of unworthiness, because I already know I'm unworthy. But, it's not about me. It's about You. If there is healing, it will be by Your hand. If there is success, it will be by Your power.

I will give thanks to the Lord, according to His righteousness, for He has done great things! Things beyond our ability to comprehend. Providential acts surround us day by day, and we don't even recognize the half of it! ALL things are created by You, oh God. ALL things depend upon You every moment of every day for their continued existence, and will pass from existence by Your decree in Your time (for You created time, too.) ALL things are designed to bring You glory. All power and glory and honor and thanks and blessings and life itself be unto Your Name, my God and my King.