These views show us the depths of God’s love for us.
Bathyscope Views of the Bible
A bathyscope is an instrument used to look into the depths of a river or sea, to look for rocks or coral … or sunken treasure … or underwater marine life.
You could liken the views in this section to the views that visitors enjoy when they visit the underwater observatory at Eilat in Israel.
In this section, we explore the deep things of God, and the depths which are mentioned in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 2:10. Psalm 42:7
What It Means to Have Deep Knowledge of God
It is important (though not necessary for salvation) that we know and love God deeply.
It is also important that we experience His deep, deep love for us personally.
Such knowledge is not just scholarly or theological. Knowledge may exist in a Bible-scholar’s or a theologian’s mind, but it may not touch the feelings … or the spirit.
The Bible informs us that we are composed of body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will go into this subject more fully in a topical bible study; here I just want to point out that we have three parts to our being, and that each of them has three faculties.
The body has three faculties::
- vegetative (growing, self-preservation, homeostasis, self-repair),
- sensing, and
- movement.
The soul has three faculties:
- intellect (including observation, memory, thinking, reasoning, imagination, and expression),
- feelings (including their communication through words and actions), and
- will (including choosing from options, and taking action based on choice).
The spirit also has three faculties:
- knowledge in the human spirit (including knowledge of and faith in God),
- feelings and their communication (including hope in God, worship and prayer), and
- conscience (which guides the will in choices between right and wrong, and results in obedience to God) .
It is possible for a theologian or Bible scholar to know a great deal about God in his intellect, without his emotions being touched or his will being affected, without having the knowledge of God that comes from intimacy with Him, without deep worship or deep prayer. This is specially true of those theologians and Bible scholars, who have knowledge of the Bible without faith in it as God’s Word. They are missing Heaven by 18 inches! – the distance from the head to the heart!
It is even possible for a person to be born again and only splashed with the water from the river of God, or to take sips from it.
But God has — and desires — a lot more for us.
The prophet Ezekiel describes in Ezekiel 47 an experience he had in which he experienced the depths that there are in God.
Ezekiel 47:1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. (Note: “to the loins” = waist-level.)
5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
God wants us not only to dip our ankles into His river, but to go up to the knees, to the waist, and finally to be totally submerged, immersed, in Him.
We can wade into the depths of God’s love in several ways, the first of which is reading the Bible while asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the depths of love within the Godhead for us, and for all mankind.
Another way is to accompany tried and true men of God, men who have experienced the deep love of God in their personal lives, by reading their devotionals. I commend to you:
A third way is to learn and sing hymns that celebrate in a thoughtful way the deep love of God for us, three examples of which are set out right below.
Expressions of Deep Knowledge of God’s Love
When we are immersed in God, when we experience the deep things of God, our emotions and our spirits are profoundly stirred, and often the experience is captured in poetry or song. For example these stirring songs of the spirit.
- Oh the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,
Rolling like a mighty ocean
In its fullness, over me.Click the verse above to go to the whole song
- Since Jesus Came Into My Heart,
Floods of Joy O’er My Soul
Like the Sea Billows Roll
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart. - When Peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll,
Thou Hast Taught Me to Know
It Is Well, It Is Well with My Soul.Click the verse above to go to the whole song.
O The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus
Words by: Samuel Trevor Francis
Music By: Thomas J. WilliamsO the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love,
Leading onward, leading homeward, to Thy glorious rest above!O the deep, deep love of Jesus! Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watcheth o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!Oh the deep deep love of Jesus! Love of every love the best!
“Tis an ocean vast of blessing, ’tis a haven sweet of rest.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ‘tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me,
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
Some choruses express the deep joy which comes from an intimate knowledge of God
Since Jesus Came into My Heart
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my soul for which long I had sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart!Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy over my soul Like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.I have ceased from my wandering and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And my sins, which were many, are all washed away,
Since Jesus came into my heart!Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy over my soul Like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure,
Since Jesus came into my heart!Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy over my soul Like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.There’s a light in the valley of death now for me,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And the gates of the City beyond I can see,
Since Jesus came into my heart!Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy over my soul Like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.I shall go there to dwell in that City, I know,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And I’m happy, so happy, as onward I go,
Since Jesus came into my heart!Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy over my soul Like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.
The joy of God, the joy of heaven, is something we can experience even in the midst of earthly sorrow!
In fact, Jesus gives us a joy that passes our understanding (and passes the understanding of the world)
as we rejoice in the midst of sorrow! (Philippians 4:7).
This is well illustrated in the following hymn, fashioned in the depths of great personal sorrow.
It Is Well With My Soul
by Horatio Spafford
The author of this hymn was a layman, a lawyer and professor of what is known as “medical jurisprudence” from Chicago, and maintained a close friendship with D. L. Moody and other Christian leaders.
In 1870, Spafford’s son died.
During the 1871 Chicago Fire, Spafford lost all of his real estate holdings.
In 1873, Spafford planned to travel to England, with his wife and four daughters, to help Moody in a campaign there. Due to business commitments, he couldn’t travel with his family, but planned to join them in a few days. Then, on November 22, 1873, two ships collided. Mrs. Spafford was rescued, but their four daughters were lost. His wife sent him a telegram which told him the tragic news in two words: “SAVED ALONE”. Horatio Spafford sailed to join his sorrowing wife. It is believed that during that voyage he composed the words of this hymn, including the words that echoed what must have been the experience of those who perished in the storm, “When sorrows like sea billows roll….”
In the face of overwhelming tragedy, he was able to declare, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
Verse 1
When peace, like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
What ever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.Chorus:
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well
With my soul.Verse 2
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul!Chorus:
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well
With my soul.Verse 3
My sin! (O the bliss of this glorious thought)
My sin! not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the Cross, and I bear it no more:
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!Chorus:
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well
With my soul.Verse 4
And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll.
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend!
“Even so!” It is well with my soul!Chorus:
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well
With my soul.
I want to introduce you to two beautiful pages which display this hymn: click on 1, the 45th chapter of the novel “A Cord of Seven Strands” and 2 (which includes the history of the hymn.)
Bibloscope 