THE ETERNITY OF GOD (ELDER DAN O'DELL)

[Here is another meddage from Elder Dan O'Dell from WElsh Tract Church - ed]

Well, it looks like we are live this morning. Good morning. Today's lesson is a continuation of that which the Lord is pleased to lead us into about a month ago. The title of today's message is Eternity. Belongs to God. Let's go back to our original text found in Psalm 90 verses one and two. A prayer. Moses, the man of God. Lord Brown has been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world. Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Notice that the first word Lord. And the last two words commensurate with the same Thou art God. That's beautiful to me. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your word. We are grateful for the opportunity to to to share it. By this medium that you've blessed us with. So we look to you to send it forth to the end that would meet. Your eternal purposes. And pray that you would bless the hearts that hear both now. And in the months and years to come when these are discovered again. We pray that you would grant liberty. For us to speak and ears to hear for those that hear in Jesus name, Amen.

The eternity of God is a far reaching concept that affects every aspect of our life. And I'm becoming increasingly aware. Of how very important this teaching is and without it. How really frail we are, even at our best, without some recognition of this truth. Which is why Moses, when he was leading the children of Israel in their wilderness, wanderer, niece, and I'm convinced anymore, he knew that he himself would not enter into the promised land. Which is why I said many of the things that he said in this in this prayer. 

Let's look at it one more time, and then we're going to talk about how it is and why it is that eternity belongs to God. The song begins a prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art. God from everlasting to everlasting. So we're going to talk about this aspect of the eternity of God and that that it belongs only to him, which will appear more clear to you in the weeks following. Excuse me? We cannot comprehend eternity by virtue of the fact that we are dealing with an incomprehensible God, and were he comprehensible to the human being, so as to look upon him as it were a way of a microscope. Then he would not be God and would be less than human. 

Therefore, we cannot comprehend eternity or the eternality of God anymore than we can actually comprehend God Himself considered. In his own divine essence. But we can comprehend that there is an eternity. We cannot comprehend the essence of God in totality any further than the series of attributes by which he is pleased to bless us with from time to time. So that we can get some type of handle. Upon the nature of God. But we cannot comprehend the essence of God as to what God is. Yet we may comprehend that. He is. We may understand the notion of his existence. But we cannot understand the infinitude of his nature. And at best we get glimpses of the eternity of God by deductive reasoning, which we're going to talk about. Or the use of negative words which will be coming forth. 

Oh, in the next several messages for example. We deduce the power of God by his formation of the earth and the world. Notice verse two, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth. And the world. And we know that. That there is a power of God by his formation of this earth in the world and the mountains upon it. And we we actually see more of his perpetual power than his creative power. We know the mountains are there. But when we think about his perpetual power, it's demonstrated in his perpetual sustentation of his creation of them in Providence. And so we deduce from what we see then the power of God. We also further deduce the eternity of the power of God. Just as Moses did when he said. Before the mountains were brought forth. Even from everlasting, and that's an interesting thought. I hope it comes home to you. Moving forward, we deduce the incomprehensible power to create something out of nothing that was not there before, without the use of engines or materials, and then to maintain its existence in all generations. And we deduce them this incomprehensible power. That it must have an eternal nature behind it. And this is exactly why the Apostle Paul joined the God's eternity in the book of Romans, chapter One. I'll turn there with you if you want to see it. Romans chapter one, verse 20. In fact, if we read verse 19, it reads because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. Being understood. Hmm. By the things that are made. Even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. And so we discover that His eternal power and his Godhead is joined by the Apostle Paul for that very reason. As it relates to creation, and because next to the power of God that we may apprehend somewhat because the mountains are there, the earth was formed. Then we come necessarily by reasoning, to acknowledge the eternity of the Godhead. That is behind it. He that has incomprehensible power must have an eternal nature, even as Moses said here in Psalm 90, verse two, the last clause even from everlasting to everlasting. He that has incomprehensible power must have. And eternal nature. 

Now I want you to consider this with me this morning, if you will. Eternity is a perpetual duration, having no beginning or ending. Let me say that again. Eternity is a perpetual duration having no beginning. Or ending. Time has both. And those things that we say are in time, they have a beginning. Such as the mountains that were brought forth, or born, as it were. Or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world. Time has a beginning. Time grows up by degrees. It has successions or parts. Whereas eternity is contrary to time and is therefore permanent and an unchangeable state. So everything that we would think regarding our experience in time must of necessity. Be set aside when we contemplate. The eternity of God. 

The eternity of God. Comprehends within itself all years of time, all ages of time, all periods of time, like Moses said. In verse one in all. Generations. In the margin of my Cambridge text are the Concord references and it says as to footnote #5 that in Hebrew. This has to do with the in the idea of in generation. And generation or as our inspired translators. Prepared it for us to see. 400 and some years ago. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all all generations. You see, eternity never begins. He didn't doors after every generation of time and never ceases to be. As it has always been. Eternity outruns time, as it were. Think about that as much as it was before the beginning of time. When God had formed the earth and the world in the mountains that rest upon it. Even from everlasting to everlasting. That's an interesting thought. Time supposes something before. The mountains were brought forth, which is why Moses said what he said in verse two before. The mountains were brought forth. But there can be nothing before eternity. Time has a continuous succession. The former passes away. And another succeeds it. And soon as added to the former. And become something that it was not before, which is why tomorrow will be different from today. And today is much different than yesterday. And that this year, last year is not this year. Nor is this year next year, because next year hasn't gotten yet, and this year will soon be transformed into last year before we jump up and turn around twice. And therefore we must attempt to conceive of eternity. Contrary to the notion of time. You see, eternity and time differed as much as rivers and the ocean. The sea, for example, never changes. It's always one body of water, no matter wherever it's at on the face of this earth. 

We identify different sections of it, but it's 1C. But the rivers glide along, either to a greater or lesser degree, constantly being fed from uphill sources. And underground reservoirs, they glide along either to a greater or lesser degree, depending on how wide and how deep it is. But they are all eventually swallowed up. Into the sea. And so time is eventually swallowed up in eternity. Let me say that one more time while you take a deep breath, because we're going to move on from there. Time is eventually swallowed up. An eternity. So that we will never know it. As we now know it. Now earlier at the beginning of the message I made this statement. Which was at best, we get glimpses. Of the eternity of God by either deductive reasoning. Or the use of negative words. We're going to talk about that from for a while today and that sets the stage, I trust, for our lessons moving forward. If we are blessed to do that. 

And that's why I've said everything that I have so far today. Because the eternity of God is better expressed by negative words as compared to positive words just by virtue of the way we think as created human beings. And therefore, moving forward, we will answer the question in what sense then, is God eternal? And those answers are going to be in the form of negative words in a positive statement. And I trust that we will be blessed to seek out from those. The establishment of truth based upon what is revealed in this book of books that we call the Bible. Now it's one thing to state that eternity belongs to God. Or to simply say God is eternal. But it's another to discover in what sense or in what respect he is so. Because it's in the removal of our preconceived ideas from our understanding. That we get closer to the truth of the matter. And so being the finite creatures that we are. We seem to be pushed into the consideration of the eternity of God as being a negative attribute. It is the denial. 

Listen carefully now. It is the denial of any measure of time as it relates to God himself. God's certainly and simply is not a consequence of or is effected. By time we are. But not God himself. Just as on thy presence is a denial of any limitation of space or place, because there is no such thing as a place where God is not, there is no space where God is not. And just as on thy presence is a denial of any limitation of space or place, for there is none as it relates to God's infinitude, and never will be. Just as on thy presence is so and just as immensity is the diffusion of his essence. Wherever place is, God is and all of his attributes are. Localized at any point in time, as you and I would know it, before time and after time is eternity is then the duration of his essence. 

Omnipresence, immensity, power. Immutability all abide in eternity and fill all space and place, wherever that is and when we say that God is eternal. We exclude from him all possibility of beginning because that's relative to time. We exclude from him all possibility of ending. Any possibility of a fluctuation or a change of any kind? As the essence of God cannot be bounded by any place. So it cannot be limited to time. Time does not change God. God does not change in time. Another way of saying it is. As it is his omnipresent, as it is his on thy presence immensity to be everywhere. It is His eternal nature to always be. Everywhere he is. He has always been. And everywhere he has always been, he will always be, which is why Moses exclaimed. Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Has created things were said to be somewhere in regards to place. And to be either past, present or future in regards to time. So the creator is everywhere in regards to place and is always being. The same yesterday. Today and forever, because of His eternal power and Godhead, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and therefore must of necessity be all that God has always been. The Unchangeable God Now. 

In short, God's duration is as endless as his essence is boundless. And we're going to say that in a lot of different ways moving forward, I trust that. Some of these things will come home to your heart. He who always was will always be. It's what, no Carpenter from the. Arkansas would say. He who always was will always be. And we'll have no more of an ending. Than he had as a beginning, which is why I say eternity belongs only to God. Now up here on my first shelf in front of me, just within this reach of my arm. Here's a set of books written by the ancient Puritan, Stephen Charnock. The existence and attributes of God. Actually my sets two volumes. There's 1000 pages collectively written in 1670, about that time. Regarding this particular point, Brother Charnock said this as his essence comprehends all beings. And exceeds them. And his immensity surmounts all places. So his eternity comprehends all times alterations and infinitely excels them, and I might add, without doing damage to this quote. Beyond all time. Infinitely excels them and that. To everlasting, which is why Moses said even from everlasting. To everlasting. Everlasting was before time, everlasting will be after time no longer is as we know it to be, And it will have continued to remain exactly the same during all generations, which is why Moses said, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all. Generations. You see, eternity is a property so excellent. That it can only belong to the Supreme Being of all other beings that are or ever shall be. Let me say it again. Eternity is a property so excellent that it can only belong to the Supreme Being of all other beings. Because all other beings are created. Eternity belongs to God. 

And so we're going to begin at this point. I'll just touch on it for a few minutes since we do have a few minutes remaining. And begin to answer the question, in what sense is God eternal? In what sense is God eternal? God is without beginning. That's the first answer. We'll deal with that for the next few minutes. God is without beginning. Moses understood that his Lord was before the mountains were brought forth. Or ever the earth had been formed, and was of necessity from everlasting. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth in the world, even from everlasting to everlasting. Thou art God, and when he said thou art God, he understood that his Lord was as much God before creation. As he was when Moses was writing this Psalm. Think about that. Thou art. He did not become. Creation itself did not make God to be more God than he was before. This is consistent with generations, with the Genesis One One in the beginning God. Created the heaven and the earth to be in the beginning so as to be the creator of the heaven. And the earth is to be before the beginning of it, in time which began with the creation of things. 

Now here's a question. What point can be set for the beginning of God? Especially since he was before the beginning. Of all created things, God was without beginning, which is why all other things had both time and beginning from him. 400 years earlier Abraham understood this as well, which is why Genesis 21.33 reads and Abraham. Planted a Grove in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 500 years later, David got it as well, which is why he penned these lines in Psalm 93. One and two, the world is established that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old. Thou art from everlasting. Can it be the world which God establish? That it cannot be moved. Is in fact his throne. My throne is established of old. Thou art from everlasting, David said. Time began with the foundation of the world, but God being before time could have no beginning. End time. Before the beginning of creation and the beginning of time. There could be nothing but eternity. Wow. Nothing but what was uncreated. Only that which was without a beginning. To be in time is to have a beginning. To be before all time is never to have a beginning. But rather to always be. You say you and I cannot make those statements of ourselves. Because there was a time when we. We're not. And then we were born. And then we grew. And like most of us, we just get older and older until such time as we no longer are. But to be in time is to have the beginning. To be before all time is to never have a beginning, which is the nature of God, but rather to always and perpetually be. 

Now consider this. If God had a beginning, he must either have it from another or from himself. I think he would agree with that. If God had a beginning. Where did it come from? If it came from another, then his Creator would be greater than God. That's pretty basic. He cannot be God that is not supreme in his own being. A being cannot be supreme. Who owns his? Who owes his being next to the power of another? But our father, our father, as James said. The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. They being kept, I hit the zoom button. Looks like we're back functioning again. Therefore if God exists and does not have his being from another. Or from himself He must exist from eternity, which is why I say. Eternity belongs to God. Because he is without cause. Of any kind. Now there's lessons here in our last closing moments. No matter how many millions of years you can imagine. Before the mountains were brought forth the creation of the earth and the world, God was infinite infinitely. Yay, even from everlasting. Before those. Which is why Daniel identified the Most High God, and Daniel 4 the ancient of Days, And then in Daniel 7.9, as being before all days and time imminently, containing within himself all times, in all ages, and that from everlasting though God Himself cannot properly be called. Ancient, which would speak of decay and brevity of life. 

We are ancient. No more than we can be. No more than he can be identified as young, which would signify his beginning not long before. All created things are new and fresh compared to the eternal creator of them. But no creature hear me now can find out the beginning of God, for it is impossible. There should be any beginning at all. Number two, if there were decrease before the foundation of the world, there was necessarily a decree error before it. There was the decree of the Father's love for Christ. As the Mediator is wide, Jesus expressed, Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Just before his apprehension and betrayal. That's just 1724. Therefore was the decree of election then, regarding the choice of men unto salvation by this very same mediator. Therefore there was a chooser before the foundation of the world, which is why Paul exclaimed to the Ephesians, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According SDF chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that's Ephesians 1/3 through four. And there was a saving grace decreed given to those very individuals at the same moment before the foundation of the world. 

Therefore there was a gracious giver before the world began. Which is why the Scripture reads, God hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus. Listen now before the world began. Second Timothy 19, number 4. Herein lies then the answer to the question. In what sense is God eternal? God is without beginning. Which is why I say eternity belongs to God. No wonder Moses could praise his creator, God. Saying, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations, And why is that? From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. 

Let us pray. Father, thank you for your word. Previous You'd bring the truth of it home to our hearts. Make us in the light of these truths, pray, even as Moses did. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us. And the years wherein we have seen evil in Jesus name. Amen.