How Great is our God!

He has established His dwelling place in Jerusalem....and has shown Himself to be the one true and living God,  all powerful, to the surrounding nations.

Study notes speak of pagan nations' belief that their gods ruled from a mountain in the far north.  The same language, "Mount Zion, in the far north", is used to portray Israel's God as reigning sovereign on a mountain that is visible to all.  Indeed He made Himself known by His deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and driving out the peoples that inhabited Canaan.  And He has established His dwelling place for all to see.

He has chosen Israel, delivered, and established her.....and in so doing has terrified the nations. Their gods cannot compare.  They have no power.  The psalmist points out that His kingdom is forever......not even death can limit it.  Yes, people will live, and they will die, but His kingdom will go on an on....into eternity.

All are urged to consider His greatness.....and tell it!

RSB study notes speak in detail of God's making Himself accessible to His chosen.
To summarize:  Before the Fall, Adam and Eve had direct access to God.  After sin entered into the picture, that direct access was denied.  The patriarchs worshiped Him at alters and with sacrifices.  After the Exodus, He established His dwelling place among the people in the tabernacle and then the temple,....but He was still separate from them.  Then through Christ, His dwelling place became the hearts of His people....and we look to Heaven, where once again, we will 'know Him face to face."

No god of the people has love them like our God loves us!  No other god has relationship with His people, like our God does with us!

Also, I was blessed by a reference in the RSB to I Chronicles 29:11 and a 'theological note' that appears there in this version.  It is about the greatness of God.

"God is great.....greater than we can grasp.  Theology states this truth by describing Him as incomprehensible.......our minds cannot contain Him, because He is infinite and we are finite............God tells us in the Bible that creation, providence, the Trinity, the incarnation, the regenerating work of the Spirit, union with Christ in His death and resurrection, and the inspiration of Scripture.....are facts, and we accept them on the strength of His word, without knowing how they can be.  As creatures, we are unable to fully comprehend either the being or the actions of the Creator............We should never forget that the purpose of theology is doxology;  we study in order to praise.  The truest expression of trust in God will always be worship, and it will always be proper worship to praise God for being greater than we know."

I come from churches and situations where 'worship' was something that was manufactured.  Music was changed and altered to effect better worship.   Order of the service was altered to try to facilitate true worship.   They were missing the point.  Worship should flow from a heart that is prepared to worship not by music or 'atmosphere', but that knows of God's greatness from studying Him in His Word, and thus has an understanding of the great gap between Him and the created.