He is everywhere present, but the Word says He is specifically near to those who call upon Him.
God came near humanity specifically in the Incarnation of the Son in Jesus
The Holy Spirit is as near as possible within us.
Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us.
God is intimate with us. We do not deserve His Presence near to us because of our sinful nature, but He chose to bring us forgiveness in Christ so that He can.
How amazing that the holy God who cannot have sin abide in his Presence has drawn near to us in and through Christ!
Although God is transcendent and in many ways beyond us, He is also near.
He was near His people in the wilderness( Deut. 4:7)
Jesus brought God's kingdom near to us ( Mk. 1:15)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts GiGi as you progress on the Attributes of God using the alphabet - very interesting & edifying as also the great submissions from Richard. As I read yours, and you quoted Deuteronomy 4:7, my thoughts went to the very Name of God in respect to this.
The Israelites were indeed reminded that the LORD God was always near to them - with them; and yet they should have known (or, maybe it wasn't revealed to them at that stage), that this God is also known by His compound Name, YHWH-Shammah: "The LORD Who is Present". And this we see in Ezekiel 48:35, the very last statement in the very last verse of Ezekiel's prophecy (which is generally understood to refer to Israel's existence in the Millennial Kingdom; Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48).
In that verse, the Hebrew reads, "wasem ha-ir mi-yowm Yahweh sammah" ('and the name of the city from (that) day (shall be) YAHWEH (is) THERE'). Israel of old knew that God was with them by all His marvelous Works yet they still resorted to the flesh & idolatry. But the day will come when they will truly know Him as Yahweh Shammah, the LORD Who is present, with them, very near to them, for Christ Jesus their Messiah will be the Lord Whom they will know & Who will rule over them (also speaks of Christ's indivisible Deity). And what we, as those who have now received Christ's Spirit in our hearts, know Him in a personal way & a powerful Presence in our lives, still remain to them as a distant hope & a vain search, all the while clouded in disbelief, darkness, & rejection of their Messiah's first coming. Thank you for reminding us that the LORD has never left us - He has constantly been involved in all our affairs, even though at times in our personal & global existence, He might appear absent. But unto 'us who believe, He is precious' & we ought to live in such a manner befitting His Name, 'the LORD Who is Present with(in) us'.
NEAR
He is everywhere present, but the Word says He is specifically near to those who call upon Him.
God came near humanity specifically in the Incarnation of the Son in Jesus
The Holy Spirit is as near as possible within us.
Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us.
God is intimate with us. We do not deserve His Presence near to us because of our sinful nature, but He chose to bring us forgiveness in Christ so that He can.
How amazing that the holy God who cannot have sin abide in his Presence has drawn near to us in and through Christ!
Although God is transcendent and in many ways beyond us, He is also near.
He was near His people in the wilderness( Deut. 4:7)
Jesus brought God's kingdom near to us ( Mk. 1:15)
The Israelites were indeed reminded that the LORD God was always near to them - with them; and yet they should have known (or, maybe it wasn't revealed to them at that stage), that this God is also known by His compound Name, YHWH-Shammah: "The LORD Who is Present". And this we see in Ezekiel 48:35, the very last statement in the very last verse of Ezekiel's prophecy (which is generally understood to refer to Israel's existence in the Millennial Kingdom; Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48).
In that verse, the Hebrew reads, "wasem ha-ir mi-yowm Yahweh sammah" ('and the name of the city from (that) day (shall be) YAHWEH (is) THERE'). Israel of old knew that God was with them by all His marvelous Works yet they still resorted to the flesh & idolatry. But the day will come when they will truly know Him as Yahweh Shammah, the LORD Who is present, with them, very near to them, for Christ Jesus their Messiah will be the Lord Whom they will know & Who will rule over them (also speaks of Christ's indivisible Deity). And what we, as those who have now received Christ's Spirit in our hearts, know Him in a personal way & a powerful Presence in our lives, still remain to them as a distant hope & a vain search, all the while clouded in disbelief, darkness, & rejection of their Messiah's first coming. Thank you for reminding us that the LORD has never left us - He has constantly been involved in all our affairs, even though at times in our personal & global existence, He might appear absent. But unto 'us who believe, He is precious' & we ought to live in such a manner befitting His Name, 'the LORD Who is Present with(in) us'.
It is good that some find them helpful.
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