The Solitary God
May 2, 2001
Brian J. Kocourek
WHO IS THIS
MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 46 Now, in the beginning
God dwelled alone with His attributes as I spoke of this morning. That's His
thoughts. There was nothing, just God alone. But He had thoughts.
Very few people and
only a handful of Elect who study the Message and read the Word with a
searching heart are aware of the awe-inspiring, Worship provoking grandeur of
God's Divine Nature. We speak of a God who is Omniscient, yet we seldom stop to
think in terms of what that really means. We say our God is omnipotent and yet
we place limits upon Him and His power
because of our limited understanding of what omnipotent really means. We limit
God because we are limited. We view God in terms of our finite comprehension
because that is what we know. We place boundaries upon a boundless God because
we ourselves are bound.
Br. Branham said,
"In the beginning God dwelled alone. There was nothing, Just God alone,
but He had thoughts. Then to understand what it means for God to dwell alone is
so incomprehensible to the finite mind which we possess, that our thoughts
could never do justice to what that statement tells us.
God is Solitary. He is
solitary in His majesty. In Exodus 5:11
we read, "Who is like unto the Thee, O Lord,
among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in
Holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders."
Job 37: 23-38:41 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him
out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he
will not afflict. 24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth
not any that are wise of heart.
38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the
whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by
words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will
demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the
foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if
thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof
fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when
it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud the garment
thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And brake up for it my decreed place,
and set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but
no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since
thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 That it might take hold of the ends of
the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and
they stand as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is
withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of
the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Have the gates of death been opened
unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the
earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth?
and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 That thou shouldest take it to the
bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then
born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of
the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time
of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, which
scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the
overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where
no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste
ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath
begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the
hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and
the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of
Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his
season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?
canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the
clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they
may go and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward
parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or
who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust groweth into hardness,
and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion?
or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens, and abide
in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Who provideth for the raven his food?
when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Psalm
19:1 "The Heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament sheweth forth his
handiwork, " and yet how can any man know God intrinsically, or
in His essentiality by His creation?
A man can pick up a
hand crafted watch and study it in every detail, and yet through the studying
of that watch we could never know the maker. Now, there may be certain
attributes of that maker that show forth in that creative work; such as it's
precision, it's detail, it's beauty, it's craftsmanship, and these all speak of
the watch maker, but they do not describe him, though they may declare his
carefulness to detail ad his precision eye to
hand control, or his artistic talent or his ability to conceptualize and
bring forth from his mind into a finished product. But to know him? Impossible.
Yet in the beginning we know by God's
Own Word, that He lived in a solitary existence.
Genesis
1:1 In the
Beginning God…
There was a time when
no time existed . There was a time when no earth existed. There was a time when
no universe existed. There was a time when no heaven existed. Nothing existed.
There was only God and He dwelled alone. God in His solitary excellency,
dwelling alone with nothing but his thoughts, which is His Doxa, His Glory. God
alone in all His Splendor and Glory Alone, period.
There was no heaven to
contain Him.
There was no earth to
amuse him.
There was no universe
for Him to uphold, and maintain by the Word of His Power.
There was nothing. No
One! No Thing! No Angels! Not even an atom to make anything. Not even space,
nor any dimension. There was nothing, period, except God Himself.
No one or no thing but
God, and not for a day. Not just for a week. Not even for a year or a decade,
or a century or a millennia. No, there was nothing but God for an eternity. A
past eternity. God dwelt alone for this past eternity, and He was satistfied.
He was self contained, self efficient, in need of nothing.
Had God needed angels,
humans, or even space in any way, he would have created them an eternity ago.
Therefore, creating them when He did added nothing to His essentiality, for He
changes not. (Malachi 3:6).
Therefore His
essentiality and intrinsicality can not be augmented nor diminished in any way
by anyone, or anything. God is Sovereign and he is solitary.
God was under no
obligation, no constraint, no necessity to create. That God chose to create was
purely a sovereign act upon His part. Neither was there any reason or cause
outside of His own Will that pressed im to do so.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we
have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of
him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
That God created
anything was simply out of His Own desire
to do so. That this world exists was out of his own desire to create it. That
He maintains it by His Word is of His own choosing, and not yours or mine. That
we exist is because of His desire that we exist.
God is solitary. He is
sovereign. You and I can gain from the praises of others, but for God, what can
He gain? God does not need your praises, and yet He enjoys them, and He
inhabits the Praises of His people. But they add nothing to Him, and yet He is
pleased by them. God does not gain from your worship, and He doesn't gain from
our praise. He does not gain from our good works, nor does He gain from our
holiness, or our righteousness. Then what is it that moved God to predestinate
His Elect to "The praise of the Glory of His Grace?" His Own Word tells us it was His Good
pleasure of His Own will. (Ephesians 1:5)
Romans 11: 34-35 For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it
shall be recompensed unto him again?
It is impossible for
God to be brought under obligation to His own creation, for He gains nothing
from us.
Job 35: 5-8 5 Look unto the
heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. 6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against
him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine
hand? 8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may
profit the son of man.
Luke 17: 7-10 7 But which of you,
having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when
he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup,
and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward
thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Doth he
thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow
not. 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall
have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable
servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Let's take this one
more step. I know this will offend some who read this on the web, but let me
also say, Our Lord Jesus Christ added nothing to God in his intrinsicality,
and His essentiality. He added nothing to God's innate nature and Glory.
Neither by what He did, or by what he said. Nor by any
sacrifice that He performed even though He laid down His own Life. Nothing
that He suffered added anything to God. It is true that He manifested God's
glory unto you and me, but then what does that add to God? It adds to you
and me, for we are the beneficiaries of such words, and such deeds, and
such suffering, and such obedience even to the point of His own death. But to
God, it added nothing.
On the other hand, let
me ask you this. What did Jesus have that God did not give Him?
His Words were not
his own but the Fathers.
His Doctrine was
not His Own, but was the Fathers that
sent Him.
His works were not
his own original idea, He simply did
what he saw the Father do.
And let's face it, his
life was not his Own. For the Father not only dwelt in Him, but did so
pre-eminently. As Paul said, "I am a prisoner
of the Lord."
He did not even bring
forth His Own Will, for He said, "I came
not to do my own will but the Fathers Who sent me." And Paul
said, "for it is written in the Book, "I
have come to do thy Will O God."
It is true that God receives
both honor and dishonor from man, but that speaks only of man's recognition or
lack of it. But it adds nothing to God intrinsicaly. If God had no desire, He
would still be dwelling alone and no worse off for it.
Isaiah 40:15-18 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are
counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as
a very little thing. 16
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient
for a burnt offering. 17 All nations
before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing,
and vanity. 18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare
unto him?
Isaiah 40: 21-23 21 Have ye not known?
have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not
understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he that sitteth upon the
circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that
stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell
in: 23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth
as vanity.
1 Timothy 6:15-16 15 Which in his times
he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and
Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man
can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and
power everlasting. Amen.
Such a God then is to
be feared.
Such a God then is to
be revered.
Such a God then is to
be Worshipped.
For He is solitary in
His majesty. He is unique in his excellency, and he is without equal in His
perfection. Yet He sustains all, but is in need of none. He gives freely to all, and yet is not
enriched by any.
You cannot find This
God by searching for Him.
Psalms
145: 3 Great is the LORD,
and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Ephesians 3:8-10 8 Unto me, who am
less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all
men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the
intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
He can only be known
and revealed to those He has chosen to receive such a wonderful revelation and
knowledge. Though His creation declares Him, yet He is still the unknown God to
most of the world.
Job 26:14 Lo, these are
parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of
his power who can understand?
Nor can God be known
by the intellect.
Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the
snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh
it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the
eater: 11 So shall my word be that
goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall
accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I
sent it.
You can not know God
by experience.
You can not know God
by His creation.
You can not know God
by intellect.
For He is Spirit.
John 14:24 He that loveth me
not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the
Father's which sent me.
And without having God's
own Spirit life living in you, you will never know Him, nor perceive Him in
anyway.
1 Cor 2:11-16 For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also
we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no
man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but
we have the mind of Christ.
And unless you have been
chosen by God Himself to receive this great revelation of Himself, there is no
way you will ever know Him.
Matt 13: 10-17 And the disciples
came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He
answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For
whosoever hath (The word hath is the Greek word echo, which means to be of such a nature as to reflect it
back), to him shall be given, and he shall have more
abundance (Why? Because an echo has it over and over again.) : but whosoever hath not, (echoes not,) from him shall be taken away even that he hath (able
to repeat). 13 Therefore speak I to them in
parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which
saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye
shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;
lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I
should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears,
for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto
you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things
which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear,
and have not heard them.
Therefore, unless God
specifically called you out to receive the Great Revelation of the hour, you
will never get it.
Again we see this in Mark 4:10-12 And when he was
alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the
kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are
done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing
they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted,
and their sins should be forgiven them.
Notice, Jesus said
them that are without. The are not privileged to be on the inner circle of
knowing. For they are not Elect unto Glory. Which means they are not Elect to
receive the Glory which is the Judgment, Assessment or Opinion of God, the
Doxa.
Again we see this same story told in the Book of Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto
you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to
others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they
might not understand.
Would God purposely
blind the eyes of some? That is exactly what Jesus is telling them here as Paul
also told us in the book of Romans pertaining to the Jews.
Let's bow our heads
once more in prayer.
Dear gracious
Father, the giver of Life and of all good things. We recognize this morning
Lord, that we are but dust and You alone are the All in All. For out of you and
by You and For you we have come forth to manifest your will and desire in our
life. Grant to us a small portion of understanding we ask, that we might know
how to live in this hour of darkness and grant to us a glimpse of the glory we
shall share with Thee in the ages to come, for we ask it in the name of your
Son Jesus, Amen.