Post by Archangelwolf on Apr 4, 2004 19:03:06 GMT -5
So, God creates everything good, but not perfect so that it can "evolve" (for lack of a better term) into perfection. Humanity is created as God's servants to willingly help in creating, protecting, and loving God's creation. But humanity becomes selfish, and begins using God's creation for their own agendas. God suspends them indefinitely from His paradise; but the problem only gets worse. It starts with the murder of Abel, and then spirals out of control. People begin living impure lives; doing all sorts of abominations that are contrary to God and His creation. So, God is suddenly ashamed of humanity, and decides to do away with them.
He sends a great flood and washes them away (Gee, there is some symbolism.) But He spares a few, because even in wrath, God always has hope. He starts over with Noah and his family. But even that has dire circumstances. One night Noah gets drunk, and his boys find him. Noah, in anger, curses one of them; and once again division and enmity has been created.
Well, well, well! What is a God to do? These darn humans keep messing it all up! He refuses to give up!
Humanity becomes wicked yet again! They even try to build a tower in their own arrogance, and God once again puts them in their place. One thing God can give them credit for: persistence. An evil generation once again festers like a cancer on God's creation. All of a sudden, God comes up with an incredible new plan.
God will find someone who will follow Him, make a covenant with this person, and start a resistance movement against evil. But who?
God finds a young man named Abram in the Mesopotamian valley. This young man is already frustrated with the whole concept of monotheism and idol-worship. (Some of his older relatives are now worshipping gods younger than they are. Crazy!) God decides to communicate with Abram. God makes a promise to Abram that if he will leave his home and follow God into the wilderness, God will prepare a place for him, and will make his family a blessing to the nations of the world for generations. The only catch; Abram will not know where he is going.
So, Abram, despite his concerns, does what he is told. He moves his family out into the wilderness, changes his name to Abraham, and has his adventures. His son Isaac continues the adventures, and his grandson Jacob as well. The real obvious lesson is that, through Abraham's descendants, his family is a blessing to those who bless them; and a curse to those who curse them. They are chosen as God's people; His resistance movement against the evil that is trying to corrupt His creation.
However, even God's resistance movement tends to get off track every now and then; which is why they find themselves in trouble. They are blessed when Joseph is made leader in Egypt, and feeds the nations. They are cursed when they begin to adopt the Egyptian religions and become enslaved. Then, they are blessed when Moses appears and shows them the way back to God; but they wander in the wilderness when they attempt to worship a golden calf.
This seesaw relationship continues all throughout the Old Testament. God resistance movement sometimes finds themselves fighting on the wrong side, realize it, and repent back to God's side.
The ultimate failing of this resistance movement, however, is yet to come.
Arch.
He sends a great flood and washes them away (Gee, there is some symbolism.) But He spares a few, because even in wrath, God always has hope. He starts over with Noah and his family. But even that has dire circumstances. One night Noah gets drunk, and his boys find him. Noah, in anger, curses one of them; and once again division and enmity has been created.
Well, well, well! What is a God to do? These darn humans keep messing it all up! He refuses to give up!
Humanity becomes wicked yet again! They even try to build a tower in their own arrogance, and God once again puts them in their place. One thing God can give them credit for: persistence. An evil generation once again festers like a cancer on God's creation. All of a sudden, God comes up with an incredible new plan.
God will find someone who will follow Him, make a covenant with this person, and start a resistance movement against evil. But who?
God finds a young man named Abram in the Mesopotamian valley. This young man is already frustrated with the whole concept of monotheism and idol-worship. (Some of his older relatives are now worshipping gods younger than they are. Crazy!) God decides to communicate with Abram. God makes a promise to Abram that if he will leave his home and follow God into the wilderness, God will prepare a place for him, and will make his family a blessing to the nations of the world for generations. The only catch; Abram will not know where he is going.
So, Abram, despite his concerns, does what he is told. He moves his family out into the wilderness, changes his name to Abraham, and has his adventures. His son Isaac continues the adventures, and his grandson Jacob as well. The real obvious lesson is that, through Abraham's descendants, his family is a blessing to those who bless them; and a curse to those who curse them. They are chosen as God's people; His resistance movement against the evil that is trying to corrupt His creation.
However, even God's resistance movement tends to get off track every now and then; which is why they find themselves in trouble. They are blessed when Joseph is made leader in Egypt, and feeds the nations. They are cursed when they begin to adopt the Egyptian religions and become enslaved. Then, they are blessed when Moses appears and shows them the way back to God; but they wander in the wilderness when they attempt to worship a golden calf.
This seesaw relationship continues all throughout the Old Testament. God resistance movement sometimes finds themselves fighting on the wrong side, realize it, and repent back to God's side.
The ultimate failing of this resistance movement, however, is yet to come.
Arch.
