The Bible

 

Genesis 1:3

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3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Commentary

 

Face

  
Photo by Caleb Kerr

“The eyes are the windows of the soul.” That's a sentiment with roots somewhere in murky antiquity, but one that has become hopelessly cliché because it is both poetic and obviously true. We feel that if we can look in someone's eyes, we can truly know what they are inside. And it's not just the eyes; really it is the face as a whole that conveys this. As Swedenborg puts it, the face is “man's spiritual world presented in his natural world” (Heaven and Hell, No. 91). Our faces reveal our interior thoughts and feelings in myriad ways, which is why psychologists, poker players and criminal investigators spend so much time studying them. It makes sense, then, that people's faces in the Bible represent their interiors, the thoughts, loves and desires they hold most deeply. We turn our faces to the ground to show humility when we bow in worship; we turn them to the mountains when seeking inspiration; we turn them toward our enemies when we are ready to battle temptation. When things are hard, we need to “face facts,” or accept them internally. When the topic is the Lord's face, it represents the Lord's interiors, which are perfect love and perfect mercy. And when people turn away from the Lord and refuse his love, it is described as the Lord “hiding his face.”

(References: Heaven and Hell 91)


Commentary

 

#65 Jesus the Creator, Jehovah the Redeemer: Understanding the Holy Trinity

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: Jesus the Creator, Jehovah the Redeemer

Topic: Trinity/Unity

Summary: We explore the unity and trinity in God--how the "Father" relates to the "Son," the "Word," and the "Holy Spirit." Fairly absurd concrete analogies are brought to bear on these important but mystical truths.

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
Matthew 28:19
1 John 5:7-8
Genesis 1:26-27
Job 19:25
Psalms 19:14; 78:35; 130:7-8
Isaiah 43:1, 3, 11; 44:6
Revelation 1:11, 17; 22:13
Isaiah 44:22-24; Isaiah 48:17, Isaiah 48:20; 49:7, 26; 54:5, 8; 59:20; 60:6; 63:16
Jeremiah 50
Hosea 13:14
Micah 4:10
John 1:1, 3, 14
Ephesians 3:9
Colossians 1:15-17
Hebrews 1:1-2
Revelation 4:11; 11:8
Isaiah 9:6

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 11/2/2011. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com