Biblical Foundations预览

There are a variety of ways in which God speaks to people. One of the primary ways He speaks is through Scripture, His written word. He also speaks to us in prayer, and through worship moments or devotional material. Often, He uses other people, such as a pastor, friend or even a stranger. As believers, God speaks through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. When we feel as though the Lord is speaking to us through others, it’s important to verify what we’ve heard against what Scripture says and the Spirit affirms. God will not contradict Himself.

In Old Testament times, people did not have these same ways to know God. The Scripture had yet to be completely written, and what was written was not available to all people. Also, the Holy Spirit was only sent to certain people for a specific time and task; He was not available to indwell all believers.

Therefore, when we read the Old Testament, we often see people or angels appear with a message from the Lord. These are sometimes examples of theophany or Christophany. A theophany is a visible manifestation of God to man.

. A Christophany is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. These appearances are chronicled throughout Scripture. For instance, the fourth man in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was said to be like “a son of the gods.” Other examples are described that happened with Moses, Abraham, Jacob and Gideon.

As we study Scripture, we want to be diligent to distinguish between the appearance of angels and theophanies. God uses both to deliver messages, protect, wage war, and serve. One thing we can know with certainty, though — if God has a message to deliver, He is fully capable of deploying natural and supernatural messengers!

PRAYER:

Lord, help me see You on every page of Scripture. Allow me to grow in my awareness and knowledge of You. Amen.