God Is Beautiful
For many years (a phrase which seems to introduce almost everything I say or write these days), I have thought about and preached on the subject of the beauty of God. I have never heard anyone teach on the subject, but I did through the decades come across two written sermons on the topic, “The Beauty of the Lord” by J. D. Jones and “Are There Shortcuts to the Beauty of Holiness?” (the short answer is “No!”) by A. W. Tozer. More recently, I read a review of a scholarly article about the American preacher Jonathan Edwards (of “sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” fame) that mentioned in passing that the beauty of God was one of the great themes in his preaching. I was thus encouraged that I have not headed off on an unprofitable tangent. In simple terms, beauty is that which attracts, causes a favorable interest, and creates an affinity. Such real, eternal beauty is found in our God. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
We continue to consider the words of Jesus, God the Son, from John 6:44: “No man can come to Me, except the Father Which hath sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), God hastens to bring us into His forever family. One of many means He employs is music, which has its origins in the mind and nature of God. Isaiah 12:2 says in part, “The Lord YAHWEH is my strength and my song.” We could correctly translate this statement to say, “God is my mountaintop and my music!” Zephaniah 3:17 says not only that God sings but also that He sings about us. We find Jesus, God the Son, singing the traditional Passover songs (Psalms 113-118) as He prepared for His illegal arrest, unjust trial, and sacrificial crucifixion (Matthew 26:30). New music, springing from the eternally creative character of God, is a feature of heaven (Revelation 5:9-14).
Although I am not musical, I love music. I also love that God uses music to draw people to Himself. Many years ago, I knew of a man who had no interest in Christianity. However, he enjoyed contemporary music and began listening to a particular Christian singer. Now, I found that performer’s songs to be melodically insipid and lyrically pedestrian to the point of triteness. This man, though, was enthralled, began attending church, and placed his faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. This contemporary Christian music that did not stir me at all was a key part of God’s drawing power to this man who is now a fellow believer. Our tastes vary, but our God is the same, and He is beautiful in reaching out and drawing us in.