Recently took this picture that reminded me of something that Job said about the God who walks on the waves. The quote I’m thinking of begins,
“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength…He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?'” (Job 9:4-12).
Have been wondering whether any of the Jewish contemporaries of Jesus saw a link between Job’s comment about God “treading on the waves” and the words of the first disciples who reported,
“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matt 14:25-27).
On another occasion, Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17). With these words Jesus claimed a relationship with the Jewish prophets and law of Moses that enabled his followers to identify him not only as the long awaited Messiah, but as Immanuel meaning God with us. I remain convinced that one of the most compelling reasons for believing in Jesus is that, as the Creator, Savior God with us, he personifies and fulfills all “redemptive” word pictures in Scripture, and all that is good in nature.
For example just as he fulfills and personifies our Creator, and just as he gives a face and ultimate meaning to the deliverer of the Exodus, the Judges, Kings, Prophets, Priests, Temple, and Sacrifice, of the Old Testament, so he is also the ultimate personification of light, life, way, living water, bread, door, star, etc. As our Creator (John 1:1-3), all Creation finds ultimate meaning and fulfillment in him.
Even the creation that groans for now under the weight of our sin finds ultimate fulfillment in the One who groaned during his execution to redeem all who would trust him… and even the very creation itself (Romans 8:22-23).
On this basis I occasionally play a game in my own mind trying to see how everyone and everything– in someway points to Christ. A mountain, a tree, a rock, the stars in the sky, a child, a man, a woman, an old man and woman, a telephone pole, a book. Yes, I know it can sound obsessive. But what could be more meaningful that seeing everything in our world and lives as being, in some way, a small glimmer or reflection of the God, Father, Friend, Stranger, and Savior we call Jesus.
Note: Dean O. of Wonder of Creation has been showing me how to post pictures so that if you run cursor over pics you can click to enlarge them. Last picture is of broken glass after our car was recently broken into.
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