The Unknown God

 

A renowned chief of surgery at a prestigious metropolitan hospital was preparing for an incredibly complex, high-stakes operation. The patient’s prognosis was grim, with less than a twenty percent chance of survival. Recognizing the limits of his own brilliant medical hands, the surgeon stepped into the waiting room, where the patient's family and close friends had gathered. Looking out across the room, the surgeon noticed the diverse group that had come to support the patient.

Hoping to gather all the spiritual help possible, he pointedly asked three distinct religious individuals in the room—a devout Muslim, a tranquil Buddhist, and a committed Christian—if they would mind stepping into the chapel to pray for the patient while he operated. They all agreed and went downstairs. The Buddhist sat in perfect stillness, eyes closed in deep meditation. When the surgeon whispered his plea for help, the Buddhist opened his eyes calmly and said, "Doctor, I am meditating to help everyone detach from this worldly suffering. Whatever happens is meant to be."

The Muslim was bowing reverently on his prayer mat. When the surgeon caught his attention, the man looked up and said, "Doctor, I am submitting entirely to the absolute will of Allah. If it is written that the patient dies today, we must simply bow our heads and accept his sovereign decree without questioning." The Christian was on his knees, weeping. He was boldly crying out, "Lord Jesus, You are the Great Physician! By Your stripes we are healed! Father, please guide the surgeon's scalpel, rebuke this spirit of infirmity, and command life back into this body right now!"

The surgeon stood frozen at the doorway as the realization hit him. The first was trying to escape the pain through detachment. The second was trying to surrender to the pain through passive resignation. But the Christian was actively interceding, stepping into the gap, appealing to a personal God who has the power to change the outcome, and claiming authority in the name of a Savior who conquers death. The surgeon rushed back up to the operating room with a renewed sense of peace. Against all medical odds, the patient's vitals stabilized, the operation succeeded, and a life was miraculously saved.

Acts 17:22-31 is a sermon preached by Paul in Athens during his second missionary journey.  He “stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you,” (Acts 17:22-23).

Paul addressed them as “people of Athens”.  Athens represented the “City of Man” at its best. These men were the intellectual capital of the known world and represented the best that humanity could do in trying to come up with a god to worship.  They were very religious but they did not know the true God. Every society on earth, no matter how primitive, has some supernatural conception. Humanity possesses an internal compass that keeps pointing beyond the here-and-now. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has set eternity in every human heart.

Paul was standing before a pagan crowd. The best starting point for evangelizing pagans is to explain the power and Person behind the creation. The beauty and order of nature testify to the personal and intentional work of the Creator (Ps. 19:1-2; Rom.1:19-20). Surely the intellectual giants of Athens must have observed this. Paul told them that “the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples built by human hands” (Acts 17: 24- 25).

Solomon knew this to be true when he said, “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for him? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain him” (2 Chron.2:5-6).  “Will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”(1 Kings 8:27). God fills heaven and earth (Jer. 23: 24). He says: “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? (Isa. 66:1-2).

God “is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17: 25). One of God’s glorious attributes is that He is self sufficient. To him “belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it (Deut.10:14). God says “I have no need of a bull from your stall ... for every animal of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine and all that is in it” (Ps. 50:9-12).

Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings (Isa.40:16). Lebanon’s mountains, teemed with wildlife, could not provide a sacrifice worthy of God. Lebanon’s famed cedar forests could not supply enough wood to consume an offering proportionate to the glory of the Creator. The God who measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, holds the dust of the earth in a basket,  weighs the mountains  on scale and calls the stars by name (Isa.40:12, 15, 26) cannot be honored adequately by the greatest resources of His creation.

King David provided for the temple of his God “gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron... all kinds of fine stone and marble-all of these in large quantities. His people gave generously too.  Then he said to God “but who am I, and who as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand... God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you” (1 Chron.29:1-16).

God asked Job “who has given to me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is mine (Job 41:11). Romans11:35-36 echoes the same words. God is never indebted to anyone because He already owns and supplies all things. God is “the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it” (Isa.42:5).The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it" (Ps.24:1; 104:14).

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands” (Acts 17:26).The entire human race can be traced to Adam.  Every nation of mankind comes from Adam’s family.  Superficially people are very different in our appearance, background, language and customs; but all people are substantially the same. They have the same longings, regrets, dreams, hopes, need to love and be loved.

The Bible teaches us four crucial facts we must never forget: All people are equally created in God’s image; All are deeply loved by God; All are stained and tainted by sin; All are saved in exactly the same way. There is only one race in God’s eyes-the human race. Acts 10:34 says that God is no respecter of persons.  Skin color does not matter to him. Race isn’t an issue with God; “black and white, they are precious in His sight.

In ways unknown, yet real, God sovereignly orchestrates the rise and fall of nations in the history of the world. In Daniel 2 we are told that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a statue. God revealed the meaning of the dream to Daniel.  Daniel praised God and said “wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others... He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness” (Dan. 2:20-22). The statue represented a chronological succession of four major world empires.

The prophecy has been accurately fulfilled thus far. The real-world historical fulfilment of each section of the statue corresponds to the following empires: Head of Gold: Babylon (626–539 BC). Chest and Arms of Silver: Medo-Persian (539–331 BC). Belly and Thighs of Bronze: Greek (331–168 BC). Legs of Iron: Roman (168 BC–476 AD). Feet of Iron and Clay: divided nations (476 AD–Present). The rock that grew into a massive mountain, symbolizes a future eternal kingdom that will be established by God (Rev. 11:15).

What God is doing in history is not directly revealed in Scripture. Many times we look at the world scene and things seem haphazard as if there were no guiding principle. But looking back we can see here and there the Invisible Hand of God at work. We generally don’t see the big picture as it unfolds before us, and sometimes we don’t even see it looking back, but Scripture assures us that even in those events that seem to be out of control, God is at work behind the scenes. God has guided history and his hand is on the helm of things even now.

God providentially set the geographical boundaries of every nation on earth. The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 lists families spreading across the earth after the flood. God Himself parcels out lands, languages, and resources, handing each clan its allotted space. This is not random migration; it is divine appointment. Genesis 10:32 says “All these are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their generations and nations. From these the nations of the earth spread out after the flood. The scattering at Babel divided humanity by language (Gen. 11). 

Paul said “God is not far from every one of us ‘For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28). David said of God: "you know when I sit and when I rise... You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways... You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me... Where can I flee from your presence?.. If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there... if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me... If I say, “surely the darkness will hide me... the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Ps. 139:2-14).

God said to Ezekiel “have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land” (Ezek. 8:12). The elders are convinced that the Lord neither sees nor cares. God said to Jeremiah “am I a God at hand, says the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? "(Jer. 23:23-24).   In Isaiah 40:27 God asks “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “my way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God?”

In their suffering these people complained “God does not see the path I’m on.” But, that was a mistaken view that He neither sees nor cares. They forget the reality of Psalm 139, Proverbs 15:3“The eyes of the LORD are in every place.” And, Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.” Hagar learned the Lord follows his own even to the deserted places of the earth; she named Him “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13).

God cannot be worshiped reverently unless He first becomes known. Worship would be deficient if knowledge is deficient. If you do not know something, it is ludicrous to ascribe it worth! A shallow or incorrect understanding of God results in superficial or idolized worship (Isa. 29:13). We get to know God by studying the Scriptures. Where the Bible is ignored, God remains unknown. On the Judgment Day I do not want to be standing before "The Unknown God", but I want to be standing before God my Father.