![[Jacques Home Page]](thumbnail/openbibleemitting65x53.jpg "[Jacques Home Page]")
![[Articles Directory]](thumbnail/prophet53x53.jpg "[Articles Directory]")
![[Blurbs Directory]](thumbnail/fruit53x53.jpg "[Blurbs Directory]")
![[Poetry Directory]](thumbnail/heart38x53.jpg "[Poetry Directory]")
Equality
In my pocket I have two coins. I can say that these two coins are equal and that would be a true statement but not 100% true.
Here I have a silver coin and this other one is a gold coin. They certainly do not look equal, one is silver the other gold.
They are obviously not the same size either. This gold coin is smaller but it can buy 86 bags of groceries. The silver coin is larger but can only buy one bag of groceries. So, they are also not equal in value.
So how can I say that these two coins are equal?
They are of identical weight. They both weigh one troy ounce.
In the book of Job God makes other comparisons.
Job 28:12–19 (NKJV)
12 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13 Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. 14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ 15 It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price. 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire. 17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. 18 No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
Job 28:17 mentions the word equal and so does Job 28:19.
Job 28:17 (NKJV)
17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
Job 28:19 (NKJV)
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
I think it is fair to say that nothing on earth can equal wisdom.
Much more could be said about wisdom but let’s focus on the word equal.
The word Equal is mentioned 15 times in 14 verses in the New King James Version.
Let’s look at a few of the others.
Revelation 21:16 (NKJV)
16 The city (speaking of the New Jerusalem) is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
In this example it is safe to say that the equality is in the distances but not necessarily in the structure or appearance as little information is given and we know that the foundation is only at the base.
Ezekiel 47:14 (NKJV)
14 You shall inherit it equally with one another; for I raised My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance.
We see here yet another concept of equal, the division of land. Only in Canada’s prairie provinces have I ever seen land that I would consider neighbours having equal portions. Most land varies significantly from one concession or township to the next. Some have grass, some trees, some creeks, some loam, some rocks and some mountains. Equality here has a different connotation.
Psalm 55:13 (NKJV)
13 But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance.
Here the word equal takes on another meaning again. The two men might be equal in physical ability or mental capacity or in stature. They might be equal also in mutual respect for each other. Or, they might view themselves as equal in the eyes of God.
Isaiah 40:25 (NKJV)
25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
Let’s read the whole passage.
Isaiah 40:12–31 (NKJV)
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? 13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? 14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? 15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. 17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. 18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? 19 The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains. 20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. 25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
God can only compare Himself to God.
Isaiah 46:5 (NKJV)
5 “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike?
Isaiah 46:3–10 (NKJV)
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: 4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. 5 “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. 7 They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble. 8 “Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’
Luke 20:35–36 (NKJV)
35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
How will we be equal to angels? We will be spirit and possess eternal life.
As Christians we are not told to be like angels. We are instructed to follow Christ and to put on Christ. We are to seek God with our whole heart and to become righteous, perfect and holy for God is so.
Philippians 2:5–7 (NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God (or to be like God), 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Equal, Strong’s Number 2470, is translated as ‘like’ in Acts 11:17 of the KJB and in Mark 14:56 and 59 as ‘agree.’
Jesus is comparing Himself to God the Father. For me to be like Christ and Christ to be equal to God is a huge stretch of faith. I cannot even make an electron let alone an atom or molecule or single cell of anything, plant or animal. I cannot make a blade of grass or a worm. Yet our Creators have made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.
God asked Job a few questions.
Job 40:6–8 (Family Of God Bible)
6 Then the Lord (yhvh) answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 7 “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: 8 “Would you indeed nullify My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
Job 40:15 (NKJV)
15 “Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.
Job 41:1 (NKJV)
1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
Job 41:9–11 (NKJV)
9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? 10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me? 11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
Job 41:33 (NKJV)
33 On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.
Jesus speaks to us through the writings of the apostle John.
John 17:20–26 (Family Of God Bible)
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father (pater), are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father (pater), I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father (pater)! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Matthew 5:48 (NKJV)
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
1 Peter 1:16 (NKJV)
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
We are to be holy. We are to be perfect. We are to be similar, like, in agreement with the Father and the Son and we are to become equal too, at least in some respects.
1 John 3:2 (NKJV)
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Isaiah 9:6–7 (NKJV)
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
28 March 2023 Jacques Gauvin
Search for related topics. * United Church Of God - UCG - ucg.org