Surround Sound: A Blast from the Past!

Music is of paramount importance in this age of technology. Hence, rather than using traditional means of explaining the "godhead" let me use what most people understand.

First off, the godhead, is the nature of God. Since Christians worship God, it's best to know about him. We lived with our own father. We know his nature. We know his likes and dislikes, his temperament, his personality, and even his appearance. Likewise, our Father in heaven has a nature!  We call the nature of God "personalities" and call those three personalities the "Trinity". Some refer to the Trinity as the "three persons" of the Godhead. I don't like that terminology because it implies to some that the Trinity is three people. It's not. It's one "person" with three natures.  Among those many natures of God are personalities. However, each personality (or component if you will) is much more than that. Each has different attributes. One form of God is spiritual while another is physical while the other is beyond comprehension. We are to be careful in not implying that there are three Gods by having three persons.Christians are monotheistic. The godhead is one. We worship one God.Let's take a look at the personalities of God.

Let's choose a listening system. It can be simply stereoscopic or surround sound. Here is what we need for good acoustics and great sound:

1) A listening Room

• Correct Speakers Placement
• Room Acoustic Treatments
• The 'Sweet Spot' from which to listen

2) Stereo or Multiple Speakers

3) Components:

•  receiver (power output) (channels) 
•  amplifier 
• connections
• remote controls

4) Media

• writer and composer
• recording studio
• recording device and media

5) Listeners

6) An energy source

7) A voice or instrument

Now let's do an analogy. If you're not familiar with that term, it means that I will paint a picture of information using a common feature to represent a more abstract concept. Your job is to use constructive thinking to help make the relationship meaningful!

First off, stereoscopic systems are used for communication. For this analogy we're looking at one-way communication since stereos are for listening for pleasure or learning. There must be some type of voice or instrument which the listener chooses to hear. If the listener rejects the genre of music or lyrics, the power is turned off and nobody benefits.

This is much like us. Scripture addresses this issue:

Ezekiel 12:2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

So you have a stereo system, but it takes a fine recording and makes screeching noises! What shall you do? You turn it off! This is  much like a rebellious person with God's word. The listener isn't hearing what he likes so off goes the power. You're no longer listening.

There may be various reasons for not listening, but let's consider "high fidelity". That's the ability of the stereo system to reproduce what is real.  A "hi-fi" system produces sound without distortion, noise is absent and frequency response is the dynamics of the system. Without hi-fi the ear doesn't find the medium pleasing and the listener quits listening. That type of system is useless. Never buy a cheap system. It won't be reliable!

The same goes with God! He's a "hi-fi" because what he transmits is of the highest quality. God's fidelity is called "truth" because the message matches reality. What God says sounds just like things really are. The message he delivers is reliable and there is no screeching or distortion!

John 14:6a (ESV)  "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.' "

God is truth! He is the optimal in high-fidelity. Fidelity and truth are synonymous.

2 Timothy 3:16a (ESV) "All Scripture is breathed out by God..." John 17:17b (ESV) "... your (God's) word is truth."

Listener rest easy! What you hear is truth. You're hearing the highest quality "hi-fi" you'll ever hear. Don't reject what you're hearing because you will find no better fidelity anywhere anytime.

We now know that's the reliability of the system. Lets look at what makes up the good system:

We know that the message or sound that is transmitted is the voice of God. "All scripture is breathed out by God" is what we want to hear, if we're obedient anyway. However, most appreciative people should want to hear the sound being transmitted if it is reliable. They want to hear it with no deviation from what was transmitted. Hence, the listener would choose to hear (or read) scripture. Why? It's a message from God, being "God-breathed", but it's a message with a reason. However, God's message isn't meant to entertain as is a stereo system, but to teach and correct:

2 Timothy 3;16b "...and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..."

The listener must understand what's being heard. Why transmit a true sound if it's not appreciated.  That's where teachers and preachers come in. They are there with you in the listening room helping you to have "music appreciation". I'll talk more about listeners later, but sometimes to appreciate what's being heard someone with greater knowledge must explain it. With God we call "music appreciation" class "church". We assemble together to learn from one another among other things.

Acts 8:28b "...and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him."

The eunuch needed help understanding what was being heard. We can hear scripture all day, but if we fail to understand what we hear, then it not only is boring, but confusing. A good sound system may present many genres of music, being a combination of lyrics with sounds. Personally, when I hear some music, I fail to understand the lyrics. Although the sound may be pleasing I may turn the volume down. Likewise, poor lyrics, as I understand them, may be accompanied with a good tune. It takes quality lyrics with quality sounds for me to understand that the music is pleasing. Sometimes, I don't associate the lyrics to the music and others need to explain it to me. This is "scripture appreciation" when used in terms of the message from God!

God's will is the voice to which we need to listen. What is God? We don't know! He's more than the 1's and 0's which we hear through speakers. There are 1's and 0's on the media and the processor inside the receiver turns those binary numbers into great sounds. Digits are arranged to represent sounds that are pleasing to the ear. Only the technicians understand how that's done. The listener doesn't care as long as it's good! (That's part of the mystery we never knew!)

Likewise, with the will of God we don't understand it all. Some did in days gone by and a few may now, but in general, the ways of God are not known.

1 Corinthians 2:7 ""But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

There's many 1's and 0's with God. Not literally, but figuratively. We don't know what he is or why nor how he does it, but it all works out just fine! The listener doesn't need to know all about God's power to do all things, just that he does and it's all beautiful!  Just as the listener doesn't see nor question the sound waves, invisible in the air, that makes a beautiful sound, we don't have to question God's power in creating and comforting. It's a mystery and we just don't need to know. Adam wanted to and his stereo got much interference. If the music sounds good don't mess with the knobs! If we have many blessings from God, don't mess with frivolous issues. Let him be the DJ and you'll be OK!

So God is "The Voice" which is transmitted. It's called "The Word of God":

Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him".

Also note that the voice or message being transmitted is "pure". As sent, there has been no distortion and noise has not distracted from what the voice says. Those producing music don't get an amateur to sing the song. They get the best of the best. Pavaratti's voice is pure, but compared to God's it's amateurish!

Normally those singing or telling a ballad have others to accompany them; background singers and instruments. So does God!

Job 38:7 "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?"

 Revelation 5:11"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands..."

 Can you imagine the multitude of perfect voices singing background for God? Each tenor rings clear and each bass reaches the lowest notes with ease. The harmony is perfect for all are praising God. There is none off-key and none with a gravely voice! This is clarity which when transmitted retains its original content. What we hear is high fidelity!

Then we have the word being recorded! The studio is the best.

Job 41:11b "...whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine."

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

 God has the perfect place from which to speak. He created it and the inhabitants thereof declare his glory. Since God created heaven and the heavens they are the perfect place from which to speak. Acoustics could not be better. There are no imperfect walls nor echo chambers there. There God sets on a throne and speaks and has he does all the angels sing glorious songs to him.

Songs are written by poets and composers add the music to make songs. It's got to be a great song for people to cherish it. If the music is mediocre no one will buy it! With God the written word, the Bible, is nearly all poetry and many, especially in Psalms put that poetry to music. Not only is the music pleasant and enjoyable, but the lyrics have real meaning! God's music is not about man's troubles and woes, but about God's deliverance from evil. God's song is meaningful and heart-warming. It offers hope. Just as people sing when depression is around and they get a moment of relief, with God's message they have eternal hope!

Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Most music has a message. It may be one of love, anti-war music, ballads, polkas, the blues or about anything. Music means to provide a mood; one the listener can appreciate. God's word is the ultimate in satisfaction. Nothing is more powerful than what God says! If we listen attentively to what he says, we shall prosper. If we do what he says we'll be blessed. He surpasses any songwriter with what he writes.

God is so glorious that man cannot be in his presence. He sings a song and tells us about his desires, but he uses a microphone, so to speak. That "microphone" has a name:. It's "The Word"

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

 God's representative takes his will and turns it into word. We can't hear what God wills if there is no microphone. That component is  "The Word"; Jesus. Throughout all time, Jesus was there standing in front of mankind as a kind of microphone to the world, transmitting the will of God. Just as God is everywhere and all-powerful, he has authorized the Word to speak to man for him! Although the microphone relays God's will to man, he's better than one-way communication. He is the mediator for God and when we pray he listens. He not only speaks to us, but carries our message back to God!

1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..."

Wouldn't it be be great if we could sing along with our stereo and the singer know that we're singing along? That's not possible, but with God, that's exactly what happens. Whereas technology, for the most part, limits interaction, camaraderie is why God created us. His speaker is better than a "Magic Mike". His speaker is a "Miraculous  Majesty"! Jesus, although still God he is also Jesus. Think in terms of God being the "will" which has the "thought" and Jesus as his voice who speaks the "thought". It's much like our minds and our voice box. They are both you, but serve different purposes. Their purpose is what I've called their "personality"

Jesus, however, is much more than a microphone. If a sound is made in front of the microphone, no one hears it unless several things happen! There must be a receiver to take the sound, create intelligible sound waves, amplify the sound, conduct it to speakers and then it can be heard!

That's all part of the Godhead. All three "components" of the Godhead work together to carry the message. God is the power source. He's omnipotent. He transmits his will and The Word sounds it into the microphone. The message travels through conductors, represented by the Holy Spirit, into a receiver. Jesus takes that message, God's will, and puts it into a form that man can understand because Jesus is designed in such a manner that man was made into his image. He takes the 1's and 0's and makes sense out of them that man can understand. It's still God providing the word, but The Word presenting it. Both are God so it's still from God. Moving the message from God through Jesus to scripture and presenting it to the listener's ears is accomplished by the Holy Spirit!

John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Any good system has backup components. God is everywhere, but since Jesus is flesh, he's more limited. For awhile he appeared as God in the flesh on earth (God's microphone and voice), but now he's in heaven. We could hear Jesus. He not only was the microphone and receiver, but he was the speaker too! Now that he's no longer with us the Holy Ghost has stepped in for a time! He's still God, but rather than having a "cabinet" of skin he's spirit. Rather than having audible speakers, the sound waves are there through him, but it takes a special method of "hearing" that voice. It's somewhat muted to the world, but quite audible to those who enjoy "The Word".

There's a special filter for hearing the Holy Ghost's sound. It's the spirit of discernment!

1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

There are many sounds out there, but to hear quality sound with high fidelity takes this special filter. We test what we hear through scripture. It's the analysis tool to check the systems fidelity. Our filter may go awry by noise and distortion. That's evil spirits confounding fidelity and what we hear isn't true. If we use this filter we call The Bible, understand it and believe in it, we have faith and with faith our system will never blow-up!

Faith is akin to believing in and loving the systems fidelity. It's sound is so true that it provides joy. Each time we speak with God that joy leads to hope and as a result of God's voice our mood is changed. We mellow out in the word of the Lord!

We don't have to listen to the stereo of God. We have controls. Nowadays that would be a remote control. From anywhere we are we can turn off that stereo and never enjoy it's fidelity. We can have fun doing other things, but it will never bring us satisfaction as does this Godly stereo. The other modes of entertainment we choose for our listening will eventually burn out being a cheap imitation of the systems God has made, so we can have pleasure for just a spell.

2 Corinthians 4;13b "the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

I think that for me and my household I'll take the everlasting stereo! That makes sense.

 Acts 16:15a  "And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there."

Here's that faith again! If we appreciate good fidelity, we become part of the household. As such we all listen to the same voice and the stereo to which we listen provides joy to all! Likewise, salvation provides joy to all who listen to truth, the fidelity to God's word!

The household is "the listening room". It's laid out with a speaker or speakers, but those speakers must be of a high power and the power provided through the conduit. That's where the Holy Ghost comes in. He is the conduit for taking that powerful message to the speaker at such a quality and volume that it falls immaculately on the ears of the listener. Those in the spirit, so to speak, have found the "sweet spot" in the room. Because of the conviction of the speaker the Holy Ghost directs those truths (fidelity) to the listener. Since each person is free to listen to what he wants to hear, it takes the Holy Ghost to direct it to the person who God wants to receive the message. All may have ears to hear the message, but most fail to hear the fidelity, not appreciating truth and that is being presented! It falls on ears who have no "music appreciation" as was discussed earlier.

The entire stereo system is God. His intent is to communicate with us for our mutual enjoyment of each other. The music he presents is a song of what he wills, it's  transmitted through the speaker to the receiver with high power, and the Holy Spirit conducts it to the listener. When the microphone/speaker components are not there (Jesus), the Holy Ghost is backup. He brings the music to the listener!

The song is God, the lyrics are God, the microphone is God, the receiver is God and so is the speaker. The conductors are God, but more importantly, the entire stereo system is God. However, each component has a different name and a different function, but they are still part of the stereo system as the three "components" are still God.

This is just like God. Each member of the Trinity serves a different purpose and all are God, but so too is the entire Trinity; the God-head. The mystery of God is that each of these components, although hidden from most, has now been revealed to all!

Ephesians 3:1 "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery;  4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit..."

In other ages we had radios, even with stereo output. This cabinet model had all the components hidden from site. There was a receiver, power supply, amplifiers, and speakers. Usually they weren't seen, but they were still there! With the advent of componentry for better economics and optimization, we now know the mystery of what was in that cabinet. Most of it has been exposed to the casual listener.

Likewise, with God. In the Old Testament, Jesus was there and so was the Holy Ghost, but they were veiled to all, but the prophets and patriarchs. What God told them has now been revealed to all! Jesus was there all the time, but now he's manifested in flesh like ours. He revealed the Holy Ghost to us another "component" of the Godhead. All three were there all the time, but didn't appear to us until God was ready. After he was ready by grace(better economics) he conceived Jesus who Mary bore and we no longer had to put up with the old system. This new technology is a gift. It's called grace and is like a graceful component system. One can't appreciate modern technology without first having lived with the old time systems. That was the Law from which grace delivered us! Yes, cabinet models were pictures of the Law and component models a picture of grace, because we now see and commune with each "component" of God. Now, that's economical and graceful!