Theophany

So I was reading Isaiah last night, and Chapter 6 always speaks to me. It is the part when Isaiah has a vision, he sees the Lord, and the he answers the Lord's call to go prophesy to the nations.

This post would be too long if I copied and inserted the whole chapter here, but I would highly recommend you reading it here. Isaiah 6


What scholars call this encounter with the living God is a Theophany.
"A theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form."

Even though in the scriptures no human, save Jesus, though He is a part of God has seen the face of God, or the whole entity, people do see manifestations of God. ( Ex 33:20; John 1:18; John 6:46; John 8:58)
He manifests Himself in ways that the human mind can comprehend in order to fulfill His will on earth. Not only did Isaiah see God, but he saw seraphs, smoke, and he heard the voice of the Lord.
This reminds me of other instances throughout the Bible where God revealed Himself to people.
Take Abraham for example, when the Lord appeared to him on his arrival in the promised land, or when the Lord came to visit him and Sarah to tell them that Sarah would be with child. Gen 12:7-9, and Gen 18:1-33.
Jacob also had an encounter with the living God when wrestled with what was thought to be a man but was actually God. Scholars also believe this could have been an encounter with Christ. That is called a Christophany. Gen 32:22-30.
A few of my favorite ones are when the Lord led the Children of Israel by a could of smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
Gideon saw the Angel of the Lord.
Moses saw a burning bush. (God using and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary to get Mose's attention). Awesome Sermon by my Pastor, Steven Furtick on the Presence of God. Check out the sermon series Presence at Elevation Church

Another one is the encounter that Elijah had at mount Horeb in 1 Kings 19. Not only does the Elijah have an encounter with the Angel of the Lord before going to Mount Horeb but four more times after that encounter Elijah encountered the Living God. The Lord passed by in a powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks, an earthquake, a fire and to me the most important, a still small whisper.

Okay, so what does that have to do with you, me and the rest of us Christians living today? Here is my point. God, in all of His glorious splendor can still manifest Himself today in ways that speak to us. Take nature for example. Have you ever caught yourself watching a sunrise or a sunset? Or how about the stars at night or some sort of beautiful image of nature. Has it ever spoken to your heart, and reminded you of the presence of God? Has it ever spoken to you in that special unique way that automatically makes you think of the sheer awesomeness of God?

We have God's Word, His word handed down to us through the prophets and saints in order to help guide us. What I am trying to say is that yes, it would be nice to see God, or to have an audible conversation with God like Moses did. But as Pastor Furtick says, God can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. My Question is this. How is God trying to speak to you? How is He trying to get your attention through the ordinary, only to turn it into the extraordinary?

Challenge:
What do you have to do in order to get the revelation from God that you are seeking? Is it reading your Bible more and praying? Is it fasting or seeking wisdom from a pastor or a fellow believer? Is it putting God first in an area of your life where you have put up and Idol before the Lord? What ever it is, the Lord is faithful. He is true, He is compassionate. He has a plan for you and remember that your circumstances and situations do not determine who you are. God wants to bring out your full potential, the potential He has placed in you way before you were ever created.

I hope this rambling has helped you. God is sure ruining me right now, and this is just the outpouring of my heart.