Jonathan Edwards, in A Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World, draws His TRINITY study to the conclusion that God was COMPLETE within himself and had no need to receive anything from us. The only reason God would have for creating us was to SHARE his completeness with us in a relationship of LOVE and JOY.
God's PURPOSE for all time is to share LOVE. The COMPLETE RELATIONSHIP within Himself spilling out of His heart into other hearts. With this purpose in mind, God created man.
This PURPOSE now draws even children to begin this relationship of completeness with Him.
A Bible study led me to look at 7 recorded lives in the Old Testament. Keeping this purpose as the central theme in all 66 books of Scriptures encourages my search for this COMPLETE LOVE being SHARED. First, in order to reveal this COMPLETE LOVE, God spoke of Himself, His attributes, and His ways through many means. The book of Hebrews states that "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God SPOKE through prophets. In contrast to those times, the author says "BUT"...."in these last days, God SPOKE by his SON, the very essence of LOVE. His WORD spoke LOVE and was seen in the flesh (John 3:16-18).
Nothing more needed to be spoken. His ultimate LOVE spoke. In these last days, God SHARED His Beloved Son - LOVE came into the world. LOVE came to His own people and LOVE came to those who would receive Him, God's LOVE. Jesus is God's last SPOKEN WORD, made in the flesh, and the complete Trinity SHARED LOVE.
God's PURPOSE is never thwarted.
Each OT example depicts an aspect of God's purpose of SHARED LOVE and a red cord connects them all to the ultimate Grace that would shed LOVE'S blood in order to complete His SHARED LOVE.
Isaac (Genesis 17:19) is the SON OF PROMISE
God PROMISES Abraham a son, a SEED, in his old age who would inherit God's favor through a blood sacrifice. Nothing Abraham does in life guarantees completeness, so he dies looking forward to a city where it would be completely SHARED. God's purpose would be completed in His Son. Through Abraham, all the nations on earth would be blessed. Isaac was born and the lineage of grace, God's PROMISE, began...
Joseph (Genesis 37:5-11) is the SON OF PILGRIMAGE
A pilgrimage took the great grandson of Abraham into a world where he became one with foreigners to save the promised SEED from drought and famine. Depicting the spiritual condition of mankind in the world, God's purpose of SHARED LOVE led Joseph through a world of sorrow, pain, and rejection. He blessed many by extending grace to those who rejected him as a shadow of God's SHARED LOVE. John 1:14 describes the pilgrimage God's Purpose would make in order to SHARE LOVE to an impoverished sinful world. The Promised SEED would became a man, blessing many by extending grace to those who rejected him.
Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) is the SON OF PLACEMENT
Through obedience to pagan law, a beautiful son was placed in deep waters because hope in God's PROMISE of SHARED LOVE led believing parents to see beyond the ordinary. A prepared Moses was placed at the front of an exodus, looking for a promised land where a people would enjoy the SHARED LOVE of a Living God. Moses' countenance glowed with God's placement of glory each time he was enveloped in God's SHARED LOVE.
Samson (Judges 13:1-5) is the SON of POWER
God's purpose of SHARED LOVE empowered Samson to thwart oppression with godly strength so that a chosen people would once again experience the SHARED LOVE of God's care.
Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11; 3:19-21) is the SON OF PRAYER
A young woman pleads with God for a small touch of SHARED LOVE given in a son. God responds in grace and this small gift of His SHARED LOVE teaches purity and obedience to a chosen people. Through this young man's life, God SPEAKS the holiness of his SHARED LOVE requires the perfect atonement sacrifice. By his SHARED LOVE "one sacrifice would perfect (complete) those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14)
David (1 Samuel 16:1, 11:13) is the SON OF PREEMINENCE
God's Promise of SHARED LOVE led Abraham's SEED's lineage to be seated in authority on the Throne of Grace. His SHARED LOVE in relationship with a young shepherd boy gave David preeminence, lovingly seating him on a throne with triumph over all his enemies. David was a man after God's own heart. shadowing SHARED LOVE's time of ruling with righteousness and justice. A time when every knee will bow and every mouth will confess that God's SHARED LOVE is the LORD.
Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-10) is the SON OF PREDICTION
God chose to use a life
to predict the consequence of rejecting SHARED LOVE. All blessings end in the refusal to SHARE leaves only a judgment
of separation from Love. His warnings taught hard hearts to return to
God's SHARED LOVE and find GRACE. The messages preached by Jeremiah warn and plead.
Completely overwhelmed by God's Presence in SHARED LOVE causes Jeremiah’s heart
to weep and lament the sinful condition of rejection. His heart breaks for the
city that will also witness the tears of God's SHARED LOVE longing to draw them
by GRACE into arms of protection and care.
John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17) is the SON OF PREPARATION
"Make straight the paths of the LORD" this young life shouts!
He was a voice crying in the wilderness, begging chosen people to turn and REPENT, which would prepare their hearts to receive God's GRACE given in LOVE about to be SHARED COMPLETELY in the flesh.
From this time on, God SPEAKS completely in the body of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God is among men in HIS SHARED LOVE.
Through each highlighted character of the OT, a the red cord of the SHARED LOVE connects man to a Living and Loving God.
Ultimately, that red cord sheds blood from the only begotten LOVE in the resisting of sin, yet atoning for many. (Hebrews 4:12). God's PURPOSE of SHARED LOVE is fulfilled once and for all time by LOVE'S LIFE sacrificed on a cruel cross of shame.
GRACE SHARED the ultimate GIFT of LOVE and the world went dark.
SHARED LOVE cannot remain in a dark grave.
God brought from the dead His SHARED LOVE.
Now, His SHARED LOVE resides in all those who receive His GRACE.
His LOVE is complete in them and they are COMPLETE in His SHARED LOVE.
And just like HIM, they SHARE LOVE.
It cannot be stopped, thwarted, pushed aside.
God's Purpose continues forward in SHARED LOVE...
