The Eternity of God.

     Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
     Before the mountains were born, or you gave birth to the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
                                        Psalm 90:1-2 NASB

     It is of the utmost importance that we know God. Correct theology, and doctrine has its place of importance in understanding God. However there is a danger in seeking to define God. In desiring to know and understand God, we tend to shrink Him down to a manageable level; something that our finite minds can grasp. We want a God we can completely understand, without having to stretch our minds, or leave some things to faith.
     In doing this we place God within a box so to speak. We create a small god, someone who is limited much like we are. We bring Him down a little closer to our level, someone a lot like ourselves, of course with some divine attributes.
     The idea of eternity is one of those concepts that our minds, at least my mind, cannot grasp completely. In some sense, I can understand that time will march on for eternity, never ending, going on for ever and ever. I think that many, if not most of us can grasp the fact that our souls will exist throughout eternity, and God as well, exists forever, with no end.
     The tough one for me is the fact that God has existed from eternity, He has no beginning, as well as no end. That is impossible for the mind to fully comprehend. However hard to understand, it is still fact. As the above text states, God has existed from everlasting, and will continue on with no end (Psalm 90:2, 93:2).
     This is one of God's divine attributes. This is what makes Him God. He has always been and will always be. Nobody created God, there was no cosmic bang, or any other thing that was responsible for God to come into existence. He has always been.
     Sometimes it is good for us to have our view of God stretched. It is good for us to be unable to apprehend some of the truths about the very person of God. It keeps us in awe of Him, in awe of His character and majesty. It tends to produce a holy fear of Him in our hearts. It keeps us from creating a smaller god, one that we can be comfortable with.
     The biblical account of creation presupposes the existence of God, when it tells us "In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1). God already existed to create the world. We see the same thing in Proverbs, where we are told that God possessed wisdom at the beginning, at creation. In fact God has always possessed wisdom, from everlasting it has been established (Proverbs 8:22-31).
     When Moses was confronted by God in the burning bush, he wanted to be able to tell the Israelites who sent him. God said. "I AM WHO I AM, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent you" (Exodus 3:14). God revealed Himself to Moses as the eternal God. In the same way, Jesus declared Himself eternal, thus making Himself equal with God (John 8:58).
     Centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet Micah foretold the birth of One, "whose goings forth are from eternity" (Micah 5:2). Jesus Christ has existed from eternity. All things were created by Him, through Him and for Him (Col 1:16). He is eternal, as is the Holy Spirit who was also in existence at creation (Gen 1:2).
     We also see the eternity of God in the worship that is ascribed to Him.

     Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
                              Revelation 4:8b

     The angelic beings have worshiped God from their beginning.They worship the one who has always been, who now is, and who will always be. The first worshipper, has worshipped the God who has already existed before him. In Revelation 4:8, every living thing in heaven and earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, worship the eternal God.
     God is indeed the high and exalted One, holy, and eternal (Isaiah 57:15). This scripture paints an awesome picture of God. He is far above us. He cannot be brought down to a manageable level, to a place where we can be more comfortable with our views of Him. Yet He will dwell with those who are of a broken and contrite heart.
     Paul speaks of God in a similar fashion.

     Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
                              1 Timothy 6:16 NASB

     Paul is encouraging Timothy to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the return of Christ. Likewise we are to fight the good fight of faith until Christ returns for those of us who remain faithful to Him (1 Tim 6:12-16).
     It is true that God is lofty. As God He transcends everything that we can imagine, yet He considers those who with broken hearts, will surrender their lives to Him and His service.
     The idea of an eternal God should cause us to fear and reverence Him, for it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 2:5, 9:10). Who are we as created beings to think that we can define God as we please? Get into the word of God with passion and purpose, determining to know God. Make it your all consuming pursuit, and He will lead you to the true knowledge of Himself (Proverbs 2:1-5).