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When I was growing up, my parents introduced my brothers and me to The Chronicles of Narnia. I remember us piled on their bed while Dad read to us from these classic books of fantastical adventure. He took the time to explain the deeper connections the author, C.S Lewis, was making between the enchanted world in the woods to Jesus, to humanity, and to God’s character.
There’s a line from the series’ most popular book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, that is meant to make a definitive statement about God Himself, and truth be told, I never understood it.
In the context of the story, the four children are asking a wise, older couple (who happen to be talking beavers, but that’s neither here nor there!) about Aslan, the Lion, the hero of the story. The children ask Mr and Mrs Beaver if Aslan is safe.
Mr Beaver responds:
Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course He isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King.
– C. S. Lewis; The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
For all the affection I had for the world C.S. Lewis created in the enchanted woods of wintry Narnia, that line was so puzzling to me.
For one, I knew enough to know that the mighty Aslan represented God in these stories. So how could God not be safe? On top of that, if we’re saying He isn’t safe, then ‘good’ couldn’t possibly be the alternative! I could think of a dozen adjectives that were far better than ‘good’. Good was lame. Good seemed so boring to me. Good was the answer to questions you couldn’t be bothered with, like:
How was school?
-Good.How’s dinner?
– Good.How was the doctor’s appointment
– Good.How’d you sleep?
– Good.How are you?
– Good.
I mean, no thank you! A God that’s just ‘good’ doesn’t seem worth my time. Much less my surrender and sacrifice.
If He’s not safe, then give me powerful! Give me amazing! Give me brilliant! Or compelling! Or omniscient! Or really any other omni-word that applies to Him alone. I’ll take it. But good? Good is lacking. C.S. Lewis could have done better there.
Unless… unless we explore what God’s goodness really means in light of His holiness.
God’s holiness means that He cannot be in the presence of sin. We’re shown this clearly in Leviticus 10, when the sons of Aaron the priest offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. They had no regard for the parameters God had established in order to provide a way for His people to actually draw near to Him safely. As a result, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died on the spot.
Another example is in 2 Samuel 6, when King David was having the Ark of the Covenant brought back to Jerusalem in a long processional celebration. While on their way, the oxen carrying the Ark slipped, and it started to topple over. In that moment, a man named Uzzah, who was guiding the Ark, reached out to steady it. The Scriptures say that the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act. God struck him down, and he died right there beside the Ark of God.
One more example, and it’s a beautiful one
Thankfully, it’s not so shockingly traumatic, so stay with me!
In Exodus 33, Moses is having it out with God. God tells Moses that the Israelites could continue on to the Promised Land, but that He wouldn’t be going with them because they were a stiff-necked people and He might just destroy them on the way.
This means, that for their protection, God is saying that in their sinful state, they are not safe in His Holy Presence. But Moses pleads with God, and tells Him that he doesn’t want God’s blessings without God Himself.
That’s because Moses recognized what so many people – Christians included! – do not: what even is blessing apart from God?
Moses said it this way,
If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?
Exodus 33:15-16
Moses recognized what can easily be missed. There is no goodness apart from God. There is no blessing, prosperity, peace, or flourishing without Him.
In response to Moses’ plea, God relents and agrees to go with them to the Promised Land. But not before Moses makes another bold request of God.
Moses asks God,
“Show me Your glory”
God tells Moses that no one can see the Lord and live. But God does arrange for Moses to see His back as His glory passes by him. God actually calls it His goodness!
He says to Moses,
I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My Name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
– Exodus 33:19
A beautiful story, right? But does this mean He is safe? The point of all these stories is this: God is holy. God is a consuming fire. When we get too close, we are not safe. He is too holy for a sinful people to survive His presence.
BUT! He is good. And in His goodness, He made a way for us to draw near to Him without being completely destroyed by His very Presence.
And that’s Jesus.
Through Jesus, we can draw near to God in good times, in bad, in strife, in pain, in sin, in suffering, in all our mess.
Isaiah 53:3 talks about how in Jesus’ death, He became so acquainted with sin and pain, more intimate with them than any human ever could. So that He could conquer them on our behalf. His resurrection is proof that sin and death were defeated. This means we could now draw near to God in our own pain.
Is He safe? ‘Course He isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King.
- So even when the struggles of life rage on around us, we can draw close to God, through Jesus who made that possible.
- Even when we’ve soiled our hands with the dirtiest of sin, we can draw close to God, because He is good.
Seeing God’s greatness is not our deepest need, but seeing His goodness.
– Dane C. Ortlund
What really draws us to God is not the flashy miracle or mighty acts – as spectacular as they are.
His greatness isn’t what draws us. It’s His goodness! The fact that we can draw near to Him in our pain. It’s the beauty of knowing that even in His holiness, He draws near to us in our struggle.
Is there greater comfort than that?
As Moses asked of God,
How will anyone know that we belong to You, if You do not go with us?
– Exodus 33:16
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are those who take refuge in Him.
– Psalm 34:8
Do YOU want real blessing? You can find it by taking refuge in God through the storms of life or even because of the consequences of your own sin. Taste and see how good He is through it all. Just by choosing to be in His presence.
What’s in the Ears
Has this helped you to see how good our God really is? Let me know in the comments or send me a message!
Podcast version available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!
From The Overflow 