Living with Tozer's God

BlogPost #6: Living with Tozer's God

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom ,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Prov 9:10

Preface: Beginning with some housecleaning

So, far we have established that God can be known, God wants to be known and the ultimate question is, do we want to know Him? In other generations, the idea that the knowledge of God would be something that men really weren't interested in would have been thought incredible, especially after the spiritual upheaval we call 'the Reformation'.

Of course, men in every generation turn their backs on God, choosing to go their own way, live their lives on their terms for their own selfish ends. All men are sinners, rebels against God at heart (which really means they rebel against His right to rule their lives). But, since the early to mid-1800's, a much more subtle, sophisticated rebellion has been emerging, one which has planted the seed of doubt as to whether God even exists, much less exerts any influence on lives or planets.

From the French Enlightenment to Darwin's Evolution to Germany's attack on the veracity and authority of the Bible, two hundred years have passed and we have now come to a generation of young people who don't even consider what were once called the 'eternal questions' ('who is God', 'why are we here', 'what is the purpose of life') and, worse, they don't understand why anyone else would either. They truly live in a world without the knowledge of God. Many think that 'God' belongs to some outdated, obsolete and discredited theory of existence. They honestly believe we've evolved past that. That's scary!

The "Missing Link": Worship

I want to try to restore something that has been lost in Tozer's book. In the earliest editions, just before the Preface of the current editions (before chapter 1 in earlier editions) a quote from Proverbs, Chapter 10, verse 9 appeared. That quote appears at the top of this page. [Stop and read it again].

I don't know whether some editor was trying to save space or just didn't see the relevance of the verse, but it truly is the heart of Tozer's motivation for writing the book. If you have bought the book, please stop now and write this verse on the opposing page to the Preface of the book. It belongs there, memorize it.

Tozer published this book just two years before he went to be with the Lord. It was intended to enable sincere Christians to know who God is. But, to what end? That they might worship Him. Tozer believed that the worship of God and His Son was the pinnacle and the essence of the Christian experience...yet few did it. Why? To put it in simple terms, God just wasn't real to them. But, why?

First, let's ask an even more basic question. What is worship? What do you worship today? The word is used in many contexts, often without reference to God. Originally, it was a contraction of two words, 'worth' + 'ship'. The key element is that it was a formal acknowledgment of the worth or value of a person. It could be used of a king or a pope or, of course, God. The point is, it was always reserved for those of the highest apparent worth or value.

It is also worth noting that the idea of giving worship to kings and popes comes from the belief that the power of both derives from God. The pope being the supposed agent of God on earth and kings ruled by 'divine right' derived from God Himself. In other words, kings and popes claim some of the glory that is due to God, He is the source of their power. They derive it from Him. Whether this is true or right is a different discussion. We don't have to agree to understand it. This is the way millions of people have understood it for thousands of years. And, the corollary to that is that if you oppose king or pope, you're opposing God! This was enormously empowering to those who ruled, whether church or state. The people often feared them as much as they feared God.

The point is, the glory or the worth is derived from God Himself. We see kings and popes in all their pomp and majesty and we are awed. The sights and sounds are truly majestic and awe-inspiring. According to Tozer, it is this sense of awe, power and majesty of God that the Church has lost. Is he right? Is it true? Does it really matter? If you have any sense of the waning power and influence of the Church (especially in America), then you know these are not idle questions.

'The Fear of the LORD is the beginning (point) of wisdom' 

No, it really doesn't matter...unless, of course, God, the 'Creator of Heaven and Earth'- the God of the Bible is real! If that's the case, then our failure to worship Him, to acknowledge His worth could be catastrophic. Think back throughout history, what happened to those who rebelled and/or refused to acknowledge the authority and worth of their kings, queens and popes. It often cost them their heads! At the very least their lands and privileges were lost. Is the eternal God (to whom the whole earth belongs...Ps 25) to be viewed as requiring less honor? What's wrong with this picture?

Tozer chose the theme verse for this book carefully. True knowledge of the one, true and living God leads to 'the fear of the Lord'. Not a cowering, terrorized fear as of a tyrant or despot, but a reverential, awe-inspired fear wrought from the right understanding of the greatness of who He is. And this is just the beginning point of knowing God...fortunately, we'll have eternity to fill in the 'black holes'.

Make no mistake, that intimate, personal 'knowledge' will include His right to impose His will on us (He is 'God Almighty') and the righteous claim to rule our lives and judge those who rebel against Him.

But, it also includes the compassionate, long-suffering and devoted 'Father' who mourns for His wayward child and will go to any lengths to reclaim Him, willing to pay the ultimate price. He is always both. He is always consistent and faithful to His character.

But, He will not sacrifice the integrity of His character and being to do it. He will accomplish the goal and still maintain His righteous character. As the Bible puts it, 'His love will meet His righteousness'. This was accomplished for us in the death of 'His only begotten Son', given because He 'loved us'. Few understand this as well as Charles Wesley when he penned his famous hymn, putting into words the unspoken concern of multitudes:

'And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood!

Died He for me who caused His pain,

For me who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou my God shouldst die for me?'

In a future lesson, we talk about what that 'love' is like, it's so unique that the N.T. writers had to create a new word to describe it. What we need to see now is that before we can ever 'love' God or receive His love, we need to experience the 'fear of the Lord'. The biblical 'fear' that leads to wisdom, eternal wisdom.

This is why Tozer begins his book declaring that 'the most important thing about any person is the thoughts that come into our minds when we think about God'. If we don't get it right at the beginning, we'll always be missing the mark.

The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we have that sense of the 'awesomeness' of God? Do we let the majesty of who He is take root by faith in our minds and souls? Has the 'fear of the Lord' become for us the gateway into the 'knowledge of the Holy (one)'? If not, we're missing the best He offers.

Make sure to put Proverbs 10:9 in your book, as Tozer knew so well, it's the key.

Think about it...until next time...

If you think this has value...pass it on...EE