Have you ever considered that reality? God chose to create us, He chose to reveal Himself to us, He chose to come after us, He chose to redeem us, and He chose to reconcile us to Himself. Why? Why has God went to such lengths? Why did God allow His Son to be plunged into the depths of our darkness? Is it because God has a need? Or...is it because we did?
Personally, I believe one of the greatest revelations about the nature of God is discovered in 1 John. When John decided to write his letter to the church, He made sure they would understand an incredible truth: GOD IS LOVE. And while I am content to see God through this lens, for some people this is not enough. It seems as though humanity is content to view God as Judge, as a God of Wrath, or a God of Vengeance (all names that we have ascribed to Him). We have viewed God through the lens of need. He needs our compliance. He needs our allegiance. He needs blood. He needs gifts, sacrifices, and needs our attention. However, in the midst of our confusion about the nature of God, we discover a God (even IN THE OLD TESTAMENT) that is not needy. He is the self-existent & self-sufficient One. There is nothing discovered in the name of God that denotes neediness. There is nothing seen in His creation of humanity that portrays Him as destitute. Someone who is needy is deprived or impoverished. That is not at all how the Abba of Jesus has been portrayed to us.
God didn't create out of need, He created out of a desire for relationship.
It was His desire to share His life with us. The same shared life that existed in the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. He didn't create man because He needed worship or some type of service. Read back through the Genesis account. He wanted to create a being that would carry His image & His likeness in the earth.
God didn't redeem us out of need either. He redeemed us because we belonged to Him.
What Father gives up on His children? What Father doesn't do everything in His power to ensure the well-being of His kids? But if we see God creating us out of some kind of need, then we will carry that over into His redemptive purpose as well.
I mentioned that God does not present Himself as needy in the Scriptures. This may require a little work for you to understand but I encourage you to go back through the pages and read how God continually reveals Himself. Far from being a needy God, He continually shows Himself to be a GIVER. Here are just a few of the ways He reveals Himself:
JEHOVAH-JIREH - "The Lord our Provider"
JEHOVAH-NISSI - "Our Banner, a banner of love and protection"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM - "Our perfect Peace"
JEHOVAH-TSID-KENU - "The Lord is our Righteousness"
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH - "The One Who is with us everywhere for He is Omnipresent"
JEHOVAH-SABAOTH - "The Lord of Hosts, our Protector."
JEHOVAH-RAAH - "The Lord our Shepherd"
JEHOVAH RAPHA - "The Lord our Healer"
As I went back through some of these Scriptures, I was reminded how many times that God revealed Himself as The LORD Our _________________. It's all a part of His "I AM" to us. The open-ended promise of a God who is for us - not against us.
If Jehovah were a needy God then he would be just like the pagan deities that surrounded Israel. Always in need of a sacrifice. Always in need of blood. Always in need of a gift. And even while you read these words, you may question the sacrificial system, the Law, & the Temple and ask "Why then do we see God in this way?" There are several reasons. I think first and foremost you need to understand that this was the reality of God that the children of Israel asked for. God & Moses invited them into a deeper reality. However, Israel chose to have a mediator. They chose to be limited in their relationship. They feared the God who brought them out of Egypt. The would not approach Him on the mountain. The consequences of that decision would be reaped for hundreds of years. Secondly, the people needed the sacrificial system in place because this is how they understood God. This is the humility of God. This also displays His eagerness to be known among us. Like any good Father, knowing that His children will only receive certain aspects of Himself, He complies. I believe He does this because He knows what is coming. He knows that it won't last. He knows that in the fullness of time that His Son is going to come into their midst and they will see the Father for who He really is.
Some people may shudder at this type of thinking, but how often do we see God humbling Himself in this way? This is one of His attributes that separates Him completely from the false gods of the day. God in His humility, came in the person of Jesus, wrapped Himself up in flesh, came into our darkness, took upon Himself all our anger - all our misunderstanding - all of our wrath - all of our sin, and rescued us. Why? Because He Is LOVE.
Have you ever experienced a needy Father? A father who needs approval? A father who needs praise? A father who needs provision rather than provide for you? If that is your experience of an earthly father? Then you need to know it is a perversion. Jesus said, "If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your sons, HOW MUCH MORE will your Heavenly Father give...?" In other words, take your best understanding of a Father and multiply it by infinity. This is the goodness of God on display. This is the Abba of Jesus. He is not a Father who is needy but a Father who is (according to James) the GIVER of ALL GOOD THINGS.
I pray that your understanding of God will be radically changed. I pray that any conflict you carry about His nature, any misunderstanding about His intentions in your life, and any concept of a split personality will be forever altered. I pray that you will encounter the Abba of Jesus. May His kindness lead you to a change of mind. May His goodness well up in your Heart. And may His love be forever embraced in your life. Enjoy the journey of getting to know your Heavenly Father.
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