God is Beautiful
Genesis 1:31 - "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning -the sixth day" (NIV).
Psalm 27:4 - "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (NIV).
Revelation 1:12-16 - "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance" (NIV).
Revelation 21:10-11 - "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal" (NIV).
God is beautiful. All beauty begins with Him. He takes great care for excellence and precision. Notice the creation account of Genesis 1. Also, read through the instructions to the Israelites for building the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exo. 25-28). Beauty bursts out in God's infinite creativity. Colours matter to Him. How many shades of green are there? According to Wikipedia, there are 73 shades of green. But, really, there are an infinite number of shades of green, because there are an infinite possible number of people perceiving different shades of green. And that is only one colour. God's beauty is vast and deep. The ability to create and appreciate beauty is part of what it means to be made in God's image.
God's beauty is different from the beauty of this world. See Isa. 53:2 - "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him." How is this possible? It must be that Jesus chose not to pin His beauty on externals. See also 1 Peter 3:3-4 - God counts "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" as great worth in His eyes. The world tends only to see surface or 2D beauty. The beauty that God creates and appreciates is deep - like 3D. Have you ever met someone with a beautiful spirit? That is deeply attractive.
You cannot separate God's attributes. His beauty comes out of His justice. See Isa. 61:3 - "…and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." God is able to make beauty out of devastation. He brings beauty into the brokenness of this world.
For More Study
Thoughts and Questions for Application
Memorization
1 Peter 3:3-4 - "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight" (NIV).
Psalm 27:4 - "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (NIV).
Revelation 1:12-16 - "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance" (NIV).
Revelation 21:10-11 - "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal" (NIV).
God is beautiful. All beauty begins with Him. He takes great care for excellence and precision. Notice the creation account of Genesis 1. Also, read through the instructions to the Israelites for building the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exo. 25-28). Beauty bursts out in God's infinite creativity. Colours matter to Him. How many shades of green are there? According to Wikipedia, there are 73 shades of green. But, really, there are an infinite number of shades of green, because there are an infinite possible number of people perceiving different shades of green. And that is only one colour. God's beauty is vast and deep. The ability to create and appreciate beauty is part of what it means to be made in God's image.
God's beauty is different from the beauty of this world. See Isa. 53:2 - "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him." How is this possible? It must be that Jesus chose not to pin His beauty on externals. See also 1 Peter 3:3-4 - God counts "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" as great worth in His eyes. The world tends only to see surface or 2D beauty. The beauty that God creates and appreciates is deep - like 3D. Have you ever met someone with a beautiful spirit? That is deeply attractive.
You cannot separate God's attributes. His beauty comes out of His justice. See Isa. 61:3 - "…and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." God is able to make beauty out of devastation. He brings beauty into the brokenness of this world.
For More Study
- Exodus 26
- Isaiah 53, 61
- 1 Peter 3:3-5
- Revelation 21
Thoughts and Questions for Application
- What do you appreciate most about God's beauty?
- What unique way(s) has God given you to create beauty?
- How much worth do you put in external beauty? How much effort do you put into developing a beautiful spirit?
- How can you bring beauty into specific devastating situations?
Memorization
1 Peter 3:3-4 - "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight" (NIV).
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