The Eloquence of God

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son. – Hebrews 1:1-2

C.S. Lewis memorably portrayed the growing Christian’s experience of an ever-enlarging Christ in his Chronicles of Narnia. Lucy, caught up in her spiritual quest, saw the lion Aslan – Christ – shining white and huge in the moonlight. In a burst of emotion she rushed to him and buried her face in the rich silkiness of his mane. He then rolled over on his side causing Lucy to fall between his paws on his chest. He bent forward and touched her nose with his tongue and his warm breath was all around her. She gazed up into his large, wise face. “Welcome child,” he said. “Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” answered he. “Not because you are?” “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

Expanding souls encounter an expanding Christ! As I begin an in-depth study of Hebrews, which presents the greatness of Christ as no other New Testament writing does, hopefully I, too, will grow and find a bigger Christ, as the very theme of the book is supremacy and finality of Christ. Through these magnificent words, the beleaguered little Roman house church, who was its intended audience, along with us are brought face to face with the God who speaks – the eloquence of God.

Even before the prophets of old, the cosmos was filled with God’s eloquence. We see this as we look up into the heavens on a clear night … and now even more so, with the powerful telescopes in our arsenal such as those at the observatory at the summit of the mountain on whose flank I now sit [Haleakala] as well as the amazingly powerful Hubble space telescope. But even the psalmist David realized this without the aide of modern technology, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" [Ps. 19:1]. The cosmic eloquence of God is deafening, but many will not hear it. And even those who hear, sadly hear only partially. So often those who have heard it best have heard it when life was darkest – during periods of suffering and/or persecution.

Yet God’s people have always had more than the eloquence of the heavens, for they have also had the prophets. In our text the emphasis is on the grand diversity of God’s speech in the Old Testament. God spoke to Moses at Sinai through thunder and lightening and with the voice of a trumpet. Yet He whispered to Elijah at Horeb in “a still small voice." Ezekiel saw visions and Daniel dreamed dreams. God appeared to Abram in human form and to Jacob as an angel. God declared Himself by Law, by warning, by exhortation, by type and by parable. And when God’s seers prophesied, they utilized nearly every method imaginable to communicate their message. In this we see the immensely creative and variable extremes God has gone to in His loving desire to communicate with His people. It was never boring and never irrelevant. It was always progressive, revealing more of God and His ways. And it was always in continuity with the previous words of God.

Through God’s cosmic and prophetic eloquence men and women rose to live life on the highest plane. Abraham achieved the faith to offer his own son sacrificially to God and founded both a literal and a spiritual nation. Moses withstood Pharaoh and the armies of Egypt and delivered his people by employing mighty miracles. David slew Goliath. Daniel rose to leadership in Babylon without compromising his integrity. Yet despite all this, God’s eloquence was never complete.

But no more … for in Christ came an astonishing eloquence, the ultimate speech of God. Jesus is God’s final word. This amazing eloquence of God is also shown in the beginning of John’s gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” [Jn. 1:1]. Of course, the Word here that John is referring to here is Jesus. The main significance here is that Christ has always sought to reveal Himself. This verse here could be paraphrased, “In the beginning was the Communication.” From eternity, Christ as the Word has always longed to communicate Himself.

What is the result of all this eloquence? We meet God the Father! “No one has ever seen God,” John continues, “but God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known” [Jn. 1:18]. Jesus exegetes God! It doesn’t get any better than that. Remember Lucy’s joy as her soul’s understanding of Aslan [Christ] expanded? It left her virtually speechless. But God has spoken. Oh, the eloquence of God!