God December 31, 2007—January 6, 2008

LET'S SAY YOU WANTED to learn more about God. Where to start? You may do what millions (perhaps billions) of people have done before. You open the Bible. But there's a lot in there about God.

In your reading, you may stumble upon First Corinthians, which announces that God "worketh all in all" (12:6). This statement alone might cause you to focus on some specific aspect of the fact that God is All, thinking more deeply, for example, about His goodness and how that goodness can be experienced as a present reality in our lives—exactly what this week's Christian Science Bible Lesson on "God" sets out to do. It shows us how His goodness blesses everyone abundantly, how people can express divine wisdom and understanding, and how an understanding of this goodness heals.

The second section of this week's Lesson highlights one of Ezekiel's most powerful speeches. However, knowing more about the events leading up to his speech is helpful. In Jerusalem around 587 B.C., Ezekiel is a young priest working in the Temple. He is perhaps as young as 25, and suddenly finds himself led by God to tell everyone that their beloved city and Temple will soon be destroyed. A short time later, his prediction comes true. The Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Not all of the citizens are killed, however. Thousands are sent to Babylon, in what is now called "the Exile."

During the Exile, Ezekiel again feels impelled by God to preach to the people. This time instead of speaking of destruction, he preaches goodness. (You can find part of his speech in the second section.) He teaches the people how God will bless them with His abundance. This abundance seems clear enough to Ezekiel, but the people he is talking to might be having a hard time seeing it. Eventually, though, they do. The Jews are allowed to return to Jerusalem, and the Temple is built a second time. This second Temple happens to be the one where Jesus sometimes taught.

Ezekiel and the others probably saw some dreadful things during the Exile. But apparently they also saw examples of how God is good. The third section of the Lesson describes one such instance involving a talented young man named Daniel, who might have been among those Jews taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon was known for taking the educated people from its conquered lands and putting them to work improving Babylonian culture. So, Daniel quickly found himself among Nebuchadnezzar's advisors.

Then the king started having dreams he couldn't understand. Since Nebuchadnezzar was Chaldean, and the Chaldeans were well known as astrologers and astronomers, it was natural for him to ask his advisors what they thought of his dreams. But they couldn't figure them out. So they told the king that no one would ever figure them out!

Daniel may not have been as educated as the magicians, astrologers, and the rest of the king's council, but his deep relationship with God helped him to recognize that the source of true wisdom wasn't among stars, potions, or books. It was God. As a result, he was able to help the king where the others couldn't, by expressing God's wisdom and understanding, which enabled him to interpret the king's dreams.

The fourth and fifth sections of the Lesson give us plenty of evidence of the good authority and power that flow from God, as shown in Jesus' healings.

Early in the Gospel of Luke, we read about Jesus' healing of a man who seems to have suffered from some sort of mental illness, perhaps insanity. Jesus comes across this man in what was probably Jesus' home synagogue in Capernaum. Without provocation, the man confronts Jesus, asking loudly if Jesus has come to destroy him. The man then makes a remarkable declaration: "I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God" (Luke 4:34). The Holy One of God was a title given to the Messiah, or the long-awaited Saviour. The man's use of this phrase gives clear indication that he recognizes the source of Jesus' authority. And after Jesus has dramatically healed the man, the people around them share their astonishment at this extraordinary demonstration of healing power.

For those seeking undeniable proof that God is good, this week's Lesson clearly provides numerous instances. Ezekiel preached this goodness, Daniel demonstrated it in his own life, and Jesus showed how an understanding of this divine goodness heals. No wonder the Lesson concludes with this unequivocal statement from Science and Health: "All that is made is the work of God, and all is good" (p. 521). |css