Before I begin again, I find it important to clarify my hopes
in exploring the broken relationship of God and man. I am not trying to explain
why God does what He does. If you interest lies in theodicies you will have to
seek the wisdom of those more intelligent than I. Or you may try reading the
book of Job; it is filled with examples of God’s goodness while Satan plays.
Nor am I questioning the existence of our Creator. I believe in God with every
fiber of my being. I learn to trust Him more each day. My love for Him
increases with each revelation He delivers. Finally, this series is not meant as an
evangelistic tool, although if God sees fit to use it as such, and it touches
the reader in such a way, then all is good.
My hope is to explore the cause of the broken relationship
and then look at the injurious results a shattered relationship with God most certainly will bring.
I unknowingly began this trek after beginning a study of the
Old Testament book of Hosea. As I prepared to teach I saw over and over in the
words of this prophet a comparison of two relationships, God and man, and Hosea
and his wife. The book of Hosea is about relationships…broken relationships.
Each night I would set aside the detailed study and spend time considering relationships.
My own relationship
track record is not worthy of a gold star by any means. Broken relationships
have established a pattern in my life for many years. ( my self-evaluation
is for another time, and for me. So I will spare you the details other than
generalities that may fit along the way. )
The entire Bible, not just Hosea, is about a relationship, the relationship
between God and man. He formed
relationship when He first formed man. He continued the perfect plan of
relationship when He next created woman as a companion to man. With His first
and second creation His purpose was the same; to love and be loved.
Throughout the scriptures we see God’s longing to uphold the
bond He had created. He provides us with examples or models of what our
relationship with Him and our relationship with others are supposed to be. The
Bible also provides ample examples of the blows that shatter
relationships. You would think that somewhere
along the way we would see the cause and then with purpose upright the ship, not
only in our relations with God but with each other.
The Bible concludes with the ultimate offer of relationship. God’s sacrifice to reestablish the covenant or relationship
came in the form of Jesus Christ. He told us all we had to do was believe. In
doing so, the original bond, the original relationship would be made whole.
Full circle, love from the Creator, love for the Creator.
His plan, His model, is simple and perfect. So why then is
it so hard to see. Why is it so difficult to stay true to our relationship with
God or for that matter with husbands, wives, children and friends? Before I
offer to expound on my belief that “time” is the culprit we will look further
at the model relationship which God put before us so many years ago.
When
we think of relationships, that which typically comes to mind is of a husband
and wife or boyfriend-girlfriend. Of course there are many other relationships
in our circle, but few as intimate as that of our love, our partner, our
“better-half”.
God’s
perfect, intelligent design of relationship is the model we must endeavor to
follow. After all God began His design, it was His conception. He began by
first creating man “in His own image.” This same phrasing that we find in the first
chapter of Genesis is also used when writing about Adam, “he (Adam) had a son in his own likeness.”
God is our Father, as Adam is the father of Seth, just not by the same
means. But where father and son may have many commonalities, physical
appearance, behaviors and mannerisms, the commonalities of man to God are much
less. In fact, if we look at the etymology of the root word “image” it comes
closer to the word “shadow” than to “likeness”. We are just a shadow of the
Creator. By attempting to elevate ourselves to anything more than that leads to
one of the many causes of interpersonal separation.
Our
relationships are fragile, those with each other and that with God. I recall
many of the broken relationships that have littered the floor of my life over
the past 40 years. As I write these words, I remember with fondness a
relationship from long ago, it was my first love.
Her
name was Robin. I had a few girlfriends before Robin came into my life, and
many, many after we parted ways. (I was considering including a third “many”
but that seemed rather obnoxious) Robin lived in a small house on West Norwood
Street. I remember walking up and down that street many times in the summers
of 72 and 73 while in route to visit my friend, Anita. The summer aromas of south Texas, suntan oils, barbecue and honeysuckle still linger and frequently bring back 40 year old memories. Over the next few years
Anita and Robin would become best friends. When Robin first moved in, my daily pace in
front of her house would slow noticeably. She had caught my eye the first time
I saw her. Blond hair and fair skinned,
she was beautiful. It didn’t require too many more sightings before she had
also captured my heart. I remember those early days of a budding friendship
between the three of us as if it was yesterday. My secret crush on Robin
remained a secret longer than I wanted. Believe it or not I had a bit of a shy
side in my early teens. I do remember
when I finally built up the courage to tell Robin how I felt. I remember she
took my hand and said, “What took you so long?”
Okay,
I might have made up that last part. I can’t really remember what her exact
words were, but I know they made my heart jump.
I do remember our first kiss. I remember these
things because first loves are
singular. And because they can only happen once, it is special and precious. It
is unforgettable.
To
say that God had a first love seems
almost insulting to his unlimited love, and equally insulting to anyone that
would not fall in the category of God’s first
love. Let it be known, I don’t mean to slight anyone when I tell you that
God’s first love is the Israelite people. Now whether he holds them more dearly or
remembers them more fondly, as I do with my memories of Robin, I cannot say. The
bible does record for us the inauguration of this first love relationship. It
all began with Abram.
God’s
relationship with Abram begins suddenly in the 12th chapter of
Genesis. We know very little about Abram or his relationship with God before
this point. In the 12th chapter we read that God told Abram to leave
his family, his household, his land and to go where God was leading him. God
told him that he would make Abram a “great
nation” and will bless his life. God told him that He would protect him
from those that would cause Abram harm. God promised Abram, not yet a father at
the age of 75, that his offspring would inherit lands of milk and honey.
God’s
love for Abram is so apparent in the promises he made to him.
Now
I am quite certain that I made many promises to my first love. I am also quite
certain that only a few of those promises were ever fulfilled. Young love is
filled with promises of future, perhaps because the future seems so far away
when we are so young it knowingly reduces the chances that the promises must be
kept. Regardless, promises are a constant and integral
part of every relationship. To offer someone a promise reflects admiration for
that person, even if they, the promises, are unlikely to ever be kept.
God’s promises to Abram, His promises to you
and me are never empty. And every single one is kept!
So the first components of God’s design for relationships
include love and hope. Love that never goes completely away and hope that comes
from promise…
