Karl Barth makes the point that before the fall, man was in the naïve state of not fully realizing the difference between himself and God. The Lord walked in the garden in the cool of the day. Adam and Eve didn't behold God in His Glory, but in human likeness. They may well have thought that God was even one of them, not unlike a human parent.
But after the fall, the chasm between man and God became fully evident. Fellowshipping was out. If God was to be encountered, it would be in such a way so as to inspire awe; as when the Lord thundered from Mt. Sinai, Elijah cowered in the cleft of the rock, and Isaiah cried openly of his sinfulness upon seeing a vision of but the train of the Lord’s robe.
Rev21 points to the ultimate restoration of the Edenic Paradise. There will be no more sin or pain or death – this entire order will pass away. But, one thing that will not be restored will be man’s original naiveté. In the garden, Adam and Eve fellowshipped with the Lord. In eternity, more than fellowship, we will worship the Lord in all of His Glory.
There’s always a tension between God revealing Himself in intimacy (as in the garden) and in Glory (as in Isaiah's vision). Jesus brings the two together. He calls us friends, inviting us to walk, eat, and follow as if he were but a kindly rabbi. All the while, He is the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, moment by moment holding all of creation together.
In our finiteness, we cannot always focus completely on all things. Consequently, we tend to emphasize one aspect of the Lord at the expense of the other. Many focus on intimacy, He is the one true Lover of their souls. Others focus on His Glory, He is the One who was with God in the beginning. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the two were manifest together. Peter, John and James beheld His Glory as a radiant light shone forth. All thoughts of Jesus as the familiar Friend they had joked with fled as they fell to the ground in awe and wonder. Coming down from the mount, He was the One who would one day soon wash their feet.
My sense is the Lord is calling us to a healthy balance, a rhythmical movement between the two poles. There are moments God would have us be in awe of His Glory. At other times, He invites us to crawl into His lap to feel Abba’s embrace. Always when we are most aware of the one, there is to be an accompanying understanding of the other.
But after the fall, the chasm between man and God became fully evident. Fellowshipping was out. If God was to be encountered, it would be in such a way so as to inspire awe; as when the Lord thundered from Mt. Sinai, Elijah cowered in the cleft of the rock, and Isaiah cried openly of his sinfulness upon seeing a vision of but the train of the Lord’s robe.
Rev21 points to the ultimate restoration of the Edenic Paradise. There will be no more sin or pain or death – this entire order will pass away. But, one thing that will not be restored will be man’s original naiveté. In the garden, Adam and Eve fellowshipped with the Lord. In eternity, more than fellowship, we will worship the Lord in all of His Glory.
There’s always a tension between God revealing Himself in intimacy (as in the garden) and in Glory (as in Isaiah's vision). Jesus brings the two together. He calls us friends, inviting us to walk, eat, and follow as if he were but a kindly rabbi. All the while, He is the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, moment by moment holding all of creation together.
In our finiteness, we cannot always focus completely on all things. Consequently, we tend to emphasize one aspect of the Lord at the expense of the other. Many focus on intimacy, He is the one true Lover of their souls. Others focus on His Glory, He is the One who was with God in the beginning. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the two were manifest together. Peter, John and James beheld His Glory as a radiant light shone forth. All thoughts of Jesus as the familiar Friend they had joked with fled as they fell to the ground in awe and wonder. Coming down from the mount, He was the One who would one day soon wash their feet.
My sense is the Lord is calling us to a healthy balance, a rhythmical movement between the two poles. There are moments God would have us be in awe of His Glory. At other times, He invites us to crawl into His lap to feel Abba’s embrace. Always when we are most aware of the one, there is to be an accompanying understanding of the other.
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