Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

It’s been kind of a coast-like drizzle here this morning. Becki and I did a walk in it this morning, carrying umbrellas and throwing balls for the dogs. The dogs, of course, have no interest in the umbrellas, but they’re fanatical about the balls.

I have places to go and people to see in the course of this day—then tonight, we plan to attend the showing of a play at Colton High School—FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

Blessings on the rest of your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

That awesome word used by theologians to describe and define our transcendent Biblical God is filling my little head this morning—the word OMNISCIENCE. That means He is ALL-KNOWING. There is absolutely NOTHING He does not know. He knows the future as well as He knows the past and the present. He knows where that pair of Canadian geese that I hear flying overhead right now came from, and where they’re going. He knows everything about that spider and his web-making abilities on the outside of this window. And to apply the idea to myself personally does not allow indifference or passivity. He knows MY future as well as He knows MY past and present—plus, He knows MY purpose—what He desires and intends to achieve by means of MY little infinitesimal dot on the timeline of human history. I hope my cranial cavity does not overheat by blending into the mix the other two related theological words—OMNIPRESENCE, and OMNIPOTENCE. Without any doubt we have here a description of a SOVEREIGN ALMIGHTY that is more than competent at spinning a web of time/circumstance intersections, while preserving the freedom of the human will, but still fulfilling HIS Perfect Will. Wow!

Here was Mary, clearly advanced in her pregnancy, yet never having had a human sexual encounter. How easy would it be to convince the onlookers of that fact? As announced by the angel to both Mary and Joseph, this baby was SPECIAL—like none other. If this SPECIAL child was conceived by normal means, or even simultaneous with normal sexual relations, would there not be confusion, even in the minds of Mary and Joseph, concerning the Child’s divine origin? And since this SOVEREIGN ALMIGHTY is both the Designer and Maker of the entire scheme of human reproduction, He was certainly not required to “have sex” with Mary in order to conceive this Special Offspring (as promoted by some cultic ideologies). In this regard, Sovereign God remains the biological Father of “the Son of God”—thus the marvelous INCARNATION of God becoming man.

Consider also that Old Testament prophecy pinpointed the birthing of the Messiah to be in Bethlehem. But Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth. Was it just some coincidence that Caesar Augustus issued that decree at that point in time so as to move them to Bethlehem for the birthing?—away from the interference and stigma of their home town?

In view of all these amazing factors, let’s at least draw from the example of Mary as described in verse 19—even though many of those factors are way beyond our perfect understanding: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” You and I have an awful lot to think about. Let’s think well.