God’s Intimacy

Intimacy is a word we use for our relationships with our spouses and some may even use it for their friends. However, it is not thought of In a spiritual context. As a body of Christ we (its members) have a habit of saying I have a relationship with God, but do we understand what that really means?

Intimacy as defined by the Oxford Languages states “ close familiarity or friendship; closeness.”

So, as I present to you on this day I would only ask that you take this time to evaluate the intimacy/relationship you have with God. What is your close familiarity with Him? And, I will show you his close familiarity with us.

Now this topic can easily branch into multiple areas but my goal is to focus on just a few points .

Let us start at the very beginning with God’s initial act of Intimacy.

Open up to Gen 1:26-27; 2:7,18,20-25

  • God says “ Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness (verse 26); So God created man in His own image; male and female.”(verse 27)

  • The Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of LIFE! And man became a living being. (Gen 2:7)

Let us consider this for just a moment. How intimate is that? We were created In His image and given the Breath of Life. That’s not just any breath that’s God’s breath and we are not just any creation we were created in His image. That tells me I’m special, that I matter.

Now let’s move forward a bit. Let’s look at the relationship of man and women so that we can truly understand our dynamic with God.

  • When God said “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Gen 2:18) We know that Eve was then created (Gen 2:21-23)

Pay close attention to God’s wordplay here. Women was created to be comparable to man but, when man was created it was in the image of God not to be comparable to God. However, we have a tendency to try and place ourselves in that “comparable" role and in doing so we sin and when we sin we separated ourselves from God.But, I don’t want to deviate from our topic of Intimacy. We will save that for another day.

  • The scriptures go on to say that “man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:4-6)

I want you to keep this in you mind as we progress forward and see how God works.

Now due to the fall of man which we read about in Genesis 3. We know that we were then separated from God because of a number of reasons but I’ll point out just one for our time.

  • This is the serpent speaking “for God knows that in the day you eat of it(fruit of the tree of life) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Remember we were created In His image but not to be comparable.

Now this is all very important because God then provides us with an opportunity to stay near Him through the covenant which is initially made in Gen 15:18 and the sign of the covenant is in Gen 17:9-14.

  • The covenant God made let him know he would be the father of many nations and that the sign was of physical circumcision.

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This is a little history and background for the meat of our lesson.

Now remember we have been separated from God due to the sins of Adam and Eve, but God mad a covenant with Abraham which would allow for us to be brought back into the fold. However, that is predicated on our obedience to Him.

King David best explains it “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalms 51:5) This is our separation, but look how God shows us Intimacy through the promised covenant.

Let’s go to Ezekiel 16

Starting at verse 4-5

  • God looks at your birth and how you no one has cared to clean you up or cut the cord.

    • Look at how the world treated you (us) from the day we were born no pity or compassion is shown. Observe our world today is there any being shown now? Or is it only in the presence of God that we receive it?

Verses 6-14

  • These verses go on to show how God cleaned us up and made his covenant with us. How the world looked upon us like wow that’s a beautiful women (mind you it’s the reference to the people of Jerusalem his chosen people). The world wanted what God provided.

I want us to understand that God’s covenant with us is exactly our wedding vows. So when God married us it is meant to be FOREVER! (See Matt 19:4-6) What God joined together let no man separate.

And this is the intimacy we have available to us, that by definition: closeness and friendship. Our marriage is the perfect example that’s our best friend, confidant, shoulder to cry on, our better half.

But, God is not our better half He is our perfect whole and through the Intimacy we have received by his initial covenant and the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross thus fulfilling the promise of God for those who believe in Christ (John 14:6).

Remember God chose the Israelites as his bride thus the Intimacy was made just as in marriage we choose our spouses. Christ points out we were chosen (John 6:44).

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