From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part 45 of a series. Read part 44.

Deists, among others, claim that the Bible presents an "insane picture of God." But who is truly insane?

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14)

As we conclude our study of this section of the libretto of Handel's Messiah, it is well worth our time to focus once again on the reason Charles Jennens chose all of its Scripture texts, and this one in particular: He was seeking to refute the false teachings of Deism that had become popular in the 18th century - and are regaining popularity in our own time.

The angelic announcement of Luke 2:8-14 refutes all major tenets of Deism. While Deism is not a monolithic philosophy, all Deists do hold to a common core set of beliefs.

The God Who Is Not Here?

Deism asserts that an impersonal "God" (or some "creative force") made the universe and established it natural laws, but since then has left it running on its own, free of Divine interference, interaction, or intervention. The Deists' "God" is uninvolved in the affairs of men or in the operation of the created order. Deism denies God's holiness, man's sinfulness under the curse, and the need of redemption for man and the creation.

The angelic announcement of the advent of the Messiah thoroughly refutes such thinking. It is the announcement that God did not merely set the universe in motion as a watchmaker winding up a clock and placing it on the shelf. He has been in the world, active and involved, from before the Fall of man and ever since. Scripture asserts that the creator God is holy, and is taking full, unilateral, and personal initiative to redeem both man and the entire created order from the curse of sin.

The God Who Does Not Act?

Deism asserts that God has never been inside the universe. Deists therefore likewise deny miracles or the supernatural as the explanation of any event.

The angelic announcement was itself a supernatural event. It was the announcement of the ultimate intervention - God becoming man, to redeem souls from the curse. Far from presenting a false portrayal of a God who does not act, Scripture reveals to us a God who carries out the ultimate of all acts - the sacrifice of His own Son for the sin of the world.

The God Who Does Not Speak?

Deism also denies special revelation from God. As Thomas Paine, the philosophical father of many Deists, once put it,

The creation is the Bible of the Deist. He there reads, in the handwriting of the Creator himself, the certainty of his existence and the immutability of his power, and all other Bibles and Testaments are to him forgeries.[1]

The website of the World Union of Deists goes further, asserting that the concept of revealed truth is a myth, and that the Bible "paint[s] a very evil and insane picture of God." [2]

Contrary to this, Charles Jennens understood the axiomatic nature of Scripture - that the Bible itself, not man's reason, is the first postulate, the statement that must be accepted as truth, in order for human beings to understand anything about God, His creation, or themselves.

The Deist Who Is a Fool

Indeed, the angelic announcement does present what the World Union of Deists calls an "insane picture of God." It is insanity to the unbeliever, because the unbeliever is spiritually insane:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greek foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

The Necessity of Humility

The Messiah Himself spoke of the necessity of the humility which the Deist lacks:

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4)

As the Holy Spirit through Paul continues in First Corinthians:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption - that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:16-31)

Charles Jennens understood these vital facts when he assembled the Scriptural libretto for Handel's masterwork. In refuting the empty philosophy of Deism he understood that there was no better weapon than "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). Ever since its composition in 1741, God has used Handel's Messiah as a witness against "the disputer of this age," holding forth "Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greek foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

References:

1. Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, In Two Parts (New York: G.N. Devries, 1827), page 173.

2. World Union of Deists, "Welcome to Deism!" as viewed at http://www.deism.com/deism_defined.htm on 10/18/2017.

Next: The Righteous Savior

hm_45

Copyright 1998-2024

TeachingtheWord Ministriesmmmmmwww.teachingtheword.org

All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only,
for non-commercial purposes, provided that this copyright notice is included.

We also suggest that you include a direct hyperlink to this article
for the convenience of your readers.