Welcome to BibleTalk

But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The ‘this’ that the crowds saw was Jesus miraculously healing the paralytic who had been carried to Him by four friends, and far more importantly, forgiving his sins! However, the primary thing we need to focus on today in that account is the fact that the people in that crowd were struck with awe, or marveled as it says in the King James version. The original Greek says ‘thaumazo’ (θαυμα´ζω) to wonder, to marvel. What does it take to make men marvel, or what does it take to make the Lord marvel? What impresses you and I? What impresses the Lord?

The massive cathedrals that dot the European landscape are still a major attraction bringing untold thousands of people from all around the world to marvel at their mind-boggling opulence. Those buildings that were constructed at mind-boggling human expense, and yet surely they could not have compared with the Tower of Babel, now long gone. The Lord who made the world and all things in it {Acts 17:24} just by speaking a word was surely not impressed by that theological monstrosity.

Think of the Temple in Jerusalem, a building which so impressed even the people of God in the time of Jesus, did not seem to impress the Lord. The disciples came to Him to point out the temple buildings to Him and His only response was, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” {Mat.24:1-2} He was unimpressed because He was already focused on the temple built of living stones, {1Pt.2:5} which is you and I and all who believe. The apostle Paul would write to all true disciples, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” {1Cor.3:16}

I love and am blessed by songs of praise, glorifying our Lord. But at times they often seem to be sung more for our entertainment and our enjoyment than for His glory. It was so true that at one point He spoke through the prophet Amos saying, “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.” {Amo.5:23} God searches our hearts—He listens to our hearts! He certainly was impressed by music when Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the Word. In that horrible place at about midnight locked in the inner prison, with their feet locked in stocks, they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. The Lord was also listening and shook the earth to set them free! {Acts 16:25-26}

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Duane Johnson (who is NOT the Rock!) were noted big powerful guys in our modern times but surely certainly no match to THE really big powerful guy, Goliath the Philistine! Sadly, the entire Israelite army was mightily impressed by him! Saul and God’s army were dismayed and greatly afraid. {1Sam.17:11} However, God was not impressed. “The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees his day is coming.” {Ps.37:12-13} God was definitely not impressed, and neither was David, a man after God’s heart! David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.” {1Sam.17:45) That was the end of Goliath even before the stone of David’s sling was sent on its way.

Today we live in a time when the weapons of war have destructive power that was not even imaginable in my father’s day. And new more deadly ones are being conceived and built each day. It is impressive in a very horrible way. We, the children of God, should however be impressed by the weapons of our warfare. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” {2Cor.10:3-5} We have been given the mind of Christ {1Cor.2:16} and should only be impressed by God and the things of God.

I could tell of many, many more times that the Lord was impressed, but as the writer of Hebrews has said ‘what more shall I say? For time will fail me…’ {Heb.11:32} So I will close with the words of the prophet Jeremiah who said:

“Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD