Friday, February 24, 2012

"My Father! My Father!"

Taken from Elisha's cry upon the departure of Elijah in a whirlwind to heaven, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" (2 Kings 2:12 NKJV), "My Father! My Father! is a compelling examination of the significance of the divine relationship between God the Father and God the Son written by a brother named Sam Soleyn.
Disclaimer: Although several people whom I know and trust in the Lord have interacted with this brother, I have not.
While i will leave the question of whether God, as Spirit ( John 4:24) actually has gender to the theologians, it is undeniable that He consistently refers to Himself as Father (the first Person of the Trinity) or Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. (The Holy Spirit does not seem to be referenced in a gender specific way.)
From my human perspective, it is both fascinating and mysterious that the central divine relationship should be father and son as opposed to husband and wife or something else. Soleyn uses this relationship as the foundation for a Scripture saturated presentation of God's eternal purpose for establishing human sons to represent Him. He mentions but does not delve into two themes dear to my heart: our brotherhood in Christ, and relational unity but does not seem to place any emphasis on God's glorifying Himself as central to His purpose.
In any event, I recognize that another reading is required to pull out more of the thought behind Soleyn's writing. I think that a worthwhile endeavor.

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