The Perfect Wisdom of Our God

 Lyrics

The perfect wisdom of our God,
Revealed in all the universe:
All things created by His hand,
And held together at His command.
He knows the mysteries of the seas,
The secrets of the stars are His;
He guides the planets on their way,
And turns the earth through another day.

The matchless wisdom of His ways,
That mark the path of righteousness;
His word a lamp unto my feet,
His Spirit teaching and guiding me.
And oh, the mystery of the cross,
That God should suffer for the lost
So that the fool might shame the wise,
And all the glory might go to Christ!

Oh grant me wisdom from above,
To pray for peace and cling to love,
And teach me humbly to receive
The sun and rain of Your sovereignty.
Each strand of sorrow has a place
Within this tapestry of grace;
So through the trials I choose to say:

https://youtu.be/hSnzYnOe6kI

Songwriters: Getty Julian Keith / Getty Keith / Getty Julian Keith / Getty Keith

The Perfect Wisdom Of Our God lyrics © Thank You Music Ltd., Emi Christian Music Pub Obo Thankyou Music

" I Did Reluctantly Choose to Sing"

"Robert died of a disease that ravaged his body and his mind. I have Rachel’s permission to share with you parts of her letter. Two or three details have been altered to mask her identity, but the words are all hers, very lightly edited to ensure coherence. At this point in her letter she is talking about singing along, with her children, the songs live-streamed from her church:

    These songs are moving to me, especially “The Perfect Wisdom of Our God.” I picked it for Robert’s funeral because of the last verse:

           Each strand of sorrow has a place

           Within this tapestry of grace.

           So through the trials I choose to say,

           “Your perfect will in your perfect way.”

    As Robert was losing his health and his mind, I had about five big reasons why this did not seem remotely perfect. I can remember saying to Robert’s co-pastor that I was choking on the words. But at my lowest point I did reluctantly and sulkily choose to sing them. The significant thing wasn’t whether or not I was sulky. The significant thing was that I did actually sing them, declaring my faith in God and his big picture—my faith in him.…

    In terms of “moral goodness” (if there is such a thing), I think I’m pretty average. Or maybe I’m being generous to myself: I’m prone to being too carefree and selfish, given to extremes and self-indulgence. But I am often able to show commitment and kindness and integrity. So yeah, average, really, on crude terms.

    But I do feel marked out. I am marked out! And I’m convinced that what marks me out is where I choose to put my faith.

    That’s all!

    I believe myself to be constantly and undeservedly blessed, disproportionately upheld and provided for, unexpectedly finding myself surrounded by joy, peace, hope, love, wonderful people and uplifting children. My life has been rescued and redeemed over and over again despite my relentless failures and flaws. I have a genuine sense of “Why me?” in a good way.

    “Your perfect will in your perfect way”: I know where to place my faith. That’s my privilege. That’s the gift given me. I have been known to meander and drift and goof up in both trivial and profound ways, but in the end I always come back to the right place, to the right person—the only person. Brother, Friend, Redeemer, Deliverer, King, Lord, Bridegroom, Father, Savior, Creator. I have been able to trust God with my “strands of sorrow.” I am under his wings and always will be.

    That’s all!

    In a way, it’s so unfair that I should be able to recognize Jesus for who he is when so many other people whom I respect and love don’t seem to either want to or be able to. I hear his voice and I just know he’s the Good Shepherd. To me, it’s a no-brainer. Faith is a gift, but it’s a free gift, and there are no exams to pass or morality assessments.

    Our “strands of sorrow” are only a millimeter long on the rope disappearing off into the horizon where Robert invested his life. He taught and lived and died this “perfect wisdom.” [1]

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1. Carson, D. A. (2020). I’m so Grateful that I’m among the Elect. Themelios, 45(3), 484–485.

Mountains That Bind Biblical Revelation Together

Biblical Theology is almost a new study to me.  The impact of key proponents over the last year has brought it's relevance to light.  What is Biblical Theology?  

Steve Wellum says that biblical theology “contends that to read the Bible as unified Scripture is not just one interpretive option among others, but that which best corresponds to the nature of the text itself, given its divine inspiration. As such, [biblical theology], as a discipline, not only provides the basis for understanding how texts in one part of Scripture relate to all other texts, but it also serves as the basis and underpinning for all theologizing. . . . ” [1]

Tom Schreiner has summarized, biblical theology “asks what themes are central to the biblical writers in their historical context, and attempts to discern the coherence of such themes.”[2]

In a recent read, I came across another example of the tapestry of Scripture woven together in a theme.  This theme is mountains.

“If you read the Bible carefully, you will quickly note that mountains play an important role in God’s revelation. It is often the case that crucial redemptive events occur at mountains. For example, in the Old Testament, the garden of Eden is described as a mountain (Ezek. 28:13–15) and Abraham’s effort to sacrifice Isaac and God’s provision of a sacrifice occurred at a mountain (Gen. 22:1–14). The New Testament continues to exhibit this “mountain motif” as Jesus resisted Satan’s temptation on a mountain (Matt. 4:8; Luke 4:5), delivered his great sermon on a mountain (Matt. 5:1; Mark 3:13), pronounced his Great Commission from a mountain (Matt. 28:16), and later, after his death and resurrection, ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:10–12). Mountains play a significant role in God’s revelation of himself and the unfolding plan of redemption.” [3]

 

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1.  https://www.crossway.org/articles/3-ways-to-define-biblical-theology/

2. https://www.crossway.org/articles/3-ways-to-define-biblical-theology/

3. The Gospel According to Moses, Anthony T. Selvaggio, Page 28

From the series: 

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT

A series of studies on the lives of Old Testament characters, written for laypeople and pastors, and designed to encourage Christ-centered reading, teaching, and preaching of the Old Testament

IAIN M. DUGUID

Series Editor