Radiance Bible Studies Lesson Two
“THE REVEALED CONCENTRIC PERSPECTIVE”
Song Lyrics:
A PRAYER OF DAVID
Praise be to You O Lord
God of our father
from everlasting to everlasting
Yours O Lord is the greatness
and the power
and the glory
and the majesty
and the splendor
For everything in heaven and earth is Yours
Yours O Lord is the kingdom
You are exalted as head over all
Wealth and honor come from You
You are the ruler of all things
In Your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all
Now our God we give You thanks
and praise Your glorious name
Scripture Source:
Read 1 Chronicles chapters 28 and 29
In the passage under consideration, David is speaking of a temple that does not yet exist, and is years away from completion. Thus, what David gives in these chapters is not a description of a building, it is a perspective. But it is of a special order: a revealed perspective.
THE REVEALED PERSPECTIVE: A UNIVERSE OF LINKS
The graphic that accompanies this lesson demonstrates that the universe can be seen as concentric rings, each of which is directly linked to God at the center. We could say, therefore, that one way of viewing reality is as a UNIVERSE OF LINKS OR INDICES.
Such an understanding goes beyond what we call “worldview” with its categories (examples: prime reality, fate of man after death, view of human history, etc.) that analyze how a person views reality. This revealed perspective is not inductive, as is the analysis of worldview. Rather, in this revealed perspective we see a totality, with each of its elements (the rings) assigned a place and a purpose.
Consider the enormity of this perspective! Because there is no end to the rings that can be added, it is all-inclusive. Ours is a universe of links or indices. We see that God is linked to every ring.
Understanding reality, then, would be achieved through a type of movement: from the totality to the individual elements. Each of these elements (depicted as a ring) we could call an integral; something to be integrated into the whole.
CONSECRATION AS AN ACTION OF INTEGRATION
Integration as an action took the gold, silver, bronze, stones, labor, and other elements that would make up the building, and integrated them into the temple. Integration changed the status of the object thus integrated – because it was then part of something greater than itself.
The key to this integration is “consecration.” When one consecrates or dedicates an object or an ability—an integral -- it becomes set apart for a specific purpose. But consecration is also an act or an attitude of integrating. Consecration sets in motion the inclusion of something into something bigger. However, it all begins with the perspective, as the following demonstrates:
Perspective >Consecration and the act of integration
In 1 Chronicles 28:8, David affirms this perspective as he addressed Solomon and all gathered on this occasion. Here are some of the implications of this kind of a universe that is so linked:
1. Any comprehension of the universe not including this perspective must be deficient (really wrong).
2. Consequently, our thought, speech, and behavior must reflect this concentric perspective. All of this goes beyond just obeying laws. Thus, thought, speech and behavior should not be based on experiential nor intuitional perspectives.
3. Every fact, event, situation, circumstance, and state of being is an integral. These are not random nor unrelated things. This is so; because if they are integrals, then they are integrated into a larger whole. And each is connected to the center, which is the Lord.
4. All elements of our lives, therefore, should not only be considered integrals; but we must subject them to what could be called the Biblical doctrine of integrals. That is, a perspective and understanding that all elements of our lives are linked to the Lord.
5. For example: The prayer in 29:10-19 praises God. but the temple does not exist. Yet many of its integrals are mentioned in previous verses. They will be integrated, later.
In this we see a continuum:
God------(precedes)------revelation------(precedes)---perspective >integration
For the rest of this Bible Study, go to Acappella's web site to additional resources: Bible Studies A Prayer of David.
We also recommend: Representational Resources.
