God is relatable... like really relatable...
Molo people ! Now, how I wish and want you to both read and understand the below. This article will try its best to give my own personal understanding of God, at this given point and time of my life. In other words, my current understanding.
Who is He? What is He like and what does He look like? Are there good descriptions of The Almighty, this seemingly unapproachable Being, can you capture any depictions or even better descriptions of Him anywhere? Now, you know the answer to that is, you sure can. If you stick with it in this post, we shall have a closer look at a few of them.
What is the personality of The Most High Creator? Or let me ask another way. How can you, being a mere human relate to The Creator of all the Rivers and Mountains in the world? Is He relatable? Let me answer that last one and with Scripture proof it. In short, the answer however surprising it may be - is yes - He is relatable. In a modern way of phrasing it, He is indeed, very really relatable.
Now all humans are ALL created in His image, no matter what anyone else tells you. That means the way we are the way we act, the good sides of us of course (not when we decide to mess things up), but the good sides - is exactly the way He is. Do you follow? He is also able to to things a human does, like when we walk He walks, we sit down, we eat or have a meal, lie down or get tired, everyone of those things we go through as a human being - He goes through. And, as we shall see, He often wears flesh just like everybody else. He could have been a homeless drifter you passed by on the streets, and you wouldn't had the faintest idea...
So lest recap, He is a person in our image, in our likeness, meaning He relates to us in a human way. And as we shall see from Scripture, He is very relatable, from given specific situations. He is like a person, someone you may have crossed roads with or may even have had a few words with down the street. And you had no clue as to who that really was... Something I think about allot when I watch people. You never know who is watching you...
Lets dive into immortal Book - The Word of God - and find some good examples of all this.
One really good one of this is when So NiNi (God) visits Abraham, accompanied with two other men (Angels). Abraham invites them to stay and offers them some food. Yes thats right, Abraham ate with The Most High Creator of Heaven and earth..
This whole scene starts with three (3) men visiting Abraham (Genesis 18,2-5), who sees them and (being a religious man) understands this is a special visitation IN PHYSICAL FORM. Now think about that for a second. They must have looked like ordinary people, perhaps that is why Abraham recognised them on account of them looking like everyday people, perhaps even poor or one you would think nothing special of. Who knows... Just think, would you have recognised an Angel or remembering having talked to an Angel?
Perhaps if an Angle looked like that...you would think twice. Anyways, Abraham continue Bantu customs, by offering them water and a washing of their feet, and an opportunity to get out of the African scorching sun - to rest under the oak tree. Then Abraham asks Sarai (Sarah) to fetch some bread and something to eat, seemingly for their enjoyment. Listen, they gave God something to eat, for Him to enjoy. Are you getting this? So NiNi likes food. Do you like food ? I do.
Genesis 18,8 tells us:
"...And he took the butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat."
Yeah, I know. Not only does this verse knock sense into every single so-called gluten (wheat) and lactose (milk) -intolerant person out there, me having been one of them. The foods mentioned above are without a shadow of a doubt foods a human being is meant to be nourished by. It also crushes the so-called Kosher industry, and their refusal to mix meat and milk. God tells you its okay to mix the two right here in this verse. It goes to show where you will end up if you try to understand Gods word without the Spirit of God, you interpret on your own. You are indeed on your own, because trying to comprehend without God is like trying to live without breathing air. In time you will create some little devil or growth, that starts resting on your shoulder, before it becomes a part of you, and as time goes by it goes on telling you things that just aint so. Stop listening. Seek So NiNi instead, He talks. Just look at the mountains, they speak volumes. Look in to the face of a weathered-down homeless person, you will find he speaks just as much..
Back to the scene, which is now unraveling under Abrahams big tree. This visitation goes to show that God can come visit anyone He likes, talk or perhaps even small talk, eat some food and then leave if that is His intent. Abraham though saw fit to start asking around, he even went on to have a bartering session with The Most High. Now imagine that. The deal between God and Abraham started after Abraham drew near to Him, and the Angels left for Sodom and Gomor to destroy the city, creating space for Abraham to be able to move in closer, all the time getting ready to present his plea.
Now think about this action. Can you draw near, come close to any person you know or cant really relate to? Not really. I mean, you could, but that could end in some brawl or create any given uncomfortable situation. Abraham is able to draw near to So NiNi, because He is relatable. Now So NiNi came down to see what was going on in Sodom and Gomor, to see what the cries that reached up to farthest Heaven was all about. But now, He is sitting and talking to Abraham, just like that. Straight up, man to man. No secret formula, no washing rituals, no incantations or magic potions, no drugs... A normal conversation between two men. No lightning, no thunder, no cloud or voice from a burning bush. Just a conversation...
What is the secret then in communication with The Most High? Just talk man. He hears all things an understands all situations. When you pray, just talk to Him, tell Him about everything He knows everything anyway so why hold back? He remembers the sins you might have forgotten, and He wants to forgive you for them, but if you don`t talk about them and asking for forgiveness, how can you move forward? How can you move anywhere? They will be and are a serious problem for your development. But you know there are numerous Scriptures that repeatedly say - He is all forgiving. So just talk.. He knows more than you can imagine...
Back to the scene now, when these two Angels left for Sodom and Gomor to fetch Lot and then raze the city as it where. It was levelled to the very ground with fire and brimstone, the conversation between Abraham and So NiNi gets interesting. So NiNi remains behind to talk further with Abraham, who starts sneaking in his own suggestions and pleas, for his fellow man mind you. And this is where Abraham in true market style starts to barter with God, the Creator of the world.
He starts negotiating and talking to God like they in the Market square, saying are you really gonna to destroy the whole city? What if I can find 50 righteous people, will you then destroy it? So on Abraham goes and down even to ten, saying, what if I can find just ten good people in the city? Will you then destroy it? And the answer is off course, So NiNi will not destroy the city for the sake of ten good people. Now the last question remains hanging, if Abraham could have, he would have (dreadfully I imagine) have asked, will you destroy the city if I can find but ONE righteous person? He didn`t ask, but might as well have. The point is that there was not good people there, except Lot and perhaps his daughters, and they got out of the city before it lid up.
Now imagine these two, Abraham and So NiNi (God), sitting under a tree, talking presumably while they still have food at hand. Play this setting in your mind. God is no cloud, no magic force or some distant and unapproachable Being. You, yes you, can even have a conversation with Him, share a meal perhaps. Person to person, man to man.
Here is another example of interaction with the Creator, where Moses asks to see Him. Moses asked this after all His interaction with him in the mountain. Here So NiNi says, okay, you can see my backside as I pass through that area. The reason So NiNi cannot show Moses His face is because, well HE said Himself that no man shall see me and live (Exodus 33,22). He also says He will cover him with his hand as He passes by.
This means that The Almighty Creator of the World listens and takes things into consideration. He listens to ideas and the wishes (prayers) of a person. Moses asked to see Him, and So NiNi gave him a compromise, HE showed Him his back. Literally. What does this mean. Bring your ideas and suggest things for Him, He listens all the time and wants to hear from you.
So from the list above you see clearly that He listens to people, He listened to Moses plea to forgive the Children of Israel, He ate and talked with Abraham, He considered Abrahams barter (most likely because He knew that there was but one righteous man in whole of Sodom and Gomor, and it was Lot). So NiNi listened to the comments of the people in the wilderness. I mean just read through Job, there are tons of considerations and morally sound reasonings in there for any man. And He always gives second chances if you mess up... Just think of Jonah, who sat moping by a tree, Elijah running, Peter denying So NiNi Himself, the list goes on and on...
Now if you want the Most Highs attention - Don`t be like no devil, wanting to be better than anyone else or calling people clowns or indicate that they are useless. People are different from one another, some are slow some are not, everybody brings something to the table. Wether evil or less evil (good), people are people. Its ok. Just like So NiNi has forgiven you, you must forgive them.
Always talk to your Creator. Call Him by name, tell Him everything He has done for you. Consider His works of old and the working being laid down for the world to come. Take the 10 Commandments and bind them on each and every one of your fingers. Study them and you will not stumble when walking this life. Consider the Sabbath and His find rest.
The Next post will be written while in the Eastern Cape. If the wifi connections allow, then probably somwheres near Kumga (Komcha). As I will travel extensively in these areas writing down all kinds of archeological and oral proofs, left over from these ancient times. If you but could here some of the stories of old from these people, you would be filled with utter wonder. Can it really be that this is true ? Is Israel in these here hills... ?
Remember to pray and talk to God always - with all kinds of prayers and requests. There is but one God, and He is probably not the image you have created in your own mind... He is way more...
Uxolo lube Nani