God Simplistic Complex

God Weaves  Simplicity

Exodus 3:14 ESV

Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV

Mark 12:29 ESV

2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV

Until I studied the concept of simplicity in reference to God I realized I’d not thought of God as being simplistic.

I’ve always considered God to be complex and multi-faceted. Putting together a group of scriptures helped me think of God in a new way. When I did that I was reminded that God is everything good.

God is complex.

God is simple.

In Exodus 3:14 we are told, “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

The simple (yet highly complex) way of knowing God was told to Moses when God appeared to Moses through the burning bush. Moses was perplexed and uncertain how to describe God to the children of Israel.

God told Moses…just tell them I AM. I’ve always thought the implication of that statement meant I am everything everywhere at the same time. Yet really God simple said ‘I AM.’

Then, in Deuteronomy 6:4, when Moses met God in Moab forty days before Israel arrived at the Promised Land, the words given to Israel said, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.“

That one statement describing God as one (the ONE) was given to Moses when he was 120 years old. Israel had wondered through the Promised Land and now they were about to embark on a new journey. Moses had been their ‘go to guy’ and now Moses was about to die. He knew Israel would enter the promised land without him.

Moses reminded them if the importance of obedience and remembering to keep the covenant with God.

Moses reminded them God was the God…the only God. Essentially, don’t stray from ME and serve other gods. (You can call those other gods little ‘G’ gods). In other words, there is only one God.

We also find the words to Deuteronomy 6:4 in Mark 12:29 when Jesus spoke to the crowd “Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one’” In this context Jesus was having a discussion with a scribe and the Sadducees (who were always trying to trip Jesus ‘up’). Even though their arguments were frequently lengthy and multi-faceted, Jesus had a way of directing them back to the truth. In this case He quoted Deuteronomy 6:4 …God is ONE.

In my mind it seems like Jesus was saying, don’t forget guys that there is an ultimate deal here and it’s that God on one.

There ARE no other gods. It was a simple yet dynamic truth.

Then in 2 Corinthians 1:12 Paul wrote, “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.”

Paul was almost warning the members of the church in Corinth…be simple and sincere with others by the power of God’s wisdom and grace.

Ultimately, while there are complexities discussed about the ‘things of God’ we must stick to the truth…there is ONE God.

Deborah

acrazyjourney.com