Friday: Further Thought ~ Moses’ History Lesson
Further Thought:
Here’s how one scholar seeks to answer the hard questions about what the Israelites did to some of these nations:
“As Creator of all things and all human beings and as sovereign over all, God can do anything [He] wants with anyone and be right in doing so. … The ways of God are a mystery.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Since we will never completely understand [Him], we might as well relax with the questions in our minds. Isaiah 55:8-9 offers some consolation. According to the biblical picture of the Canaanites, these peoples were extremely wicked, and their annihilation represented God’s judgment for their sin. The destruction of the Canaanites was neither the first nor the last time God would do this. The differences between the Canaanites’ fate and the fate of humanity (except for Noah’s family) as described in Genesis 6-9 involve scale and agency. … God never intended for the Israelites to make the policy of herem [the total destruction] as a general policy toward outsiders. Deuteronomy 7:1 expressly identifies and thereby delimits the target peoples. The Israelites were not to follow these policies against Aramaeans or Edomites or Egyptians, or anyone else (cf. Deuteronomy 20:10-18). … The Canaanites suffered a fate that ultimately all sinners will face: the judgment of God. … God’s elimination of the Canaanites was a necessary step in the history of salvation. … Although the Canaanites as a whole were targets of God’s judgment, they had at least forty years of advance warning (see Rahab’s confession in Joshua 2:8-11).” — Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2012), pages 98, 99.
Discussion Questions:
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One of the guiding principles that I have in the back of my mind when thinking about God is that we should not make God in our image. We tend to paint a picture of God that is seen through the eyes of culture and our own association of ideas. Even in our own discussions here on Sabbath School Net, our pictures of God differ. I am an academic, as most of you know by now and consequently, I look at God through academic eyes and filters, trying to fit God into the mold of rational, peer-reviewed argument. Others look at God as an etherial being living in a place somewhere called heaven, with his finger reaching out and holding our lives together. And I could draw other pictures. When we read about God in the Bible our filters come into action and we interpret what we read according to the filters we have in front of our eyes.
This is something to think about as we consider some of the tough bits of this week's lesson.
Scott Adams wrote:
Maybe Scott Adams has captured the essence of some of the issues we have in reading about God.
Hi Maurice.
I appreciate what you have written for today's comment - as well as what you wrote yesterday at the outset.
Thank you Phil.
Thanks Doc Ashton,
What an analogy that explains our challenges for this week lesson. Because it is very demanding.And don't you think there is a link with last quarter lesson about Jonah, I meant his attitude towards God regarding the
Nininvites? "Ninive was not destroyed" Jonah 3:4
This past week there have been some challenging issues raised and some robust discussion generated in response to such. Amid such, I find there is need for pause every now and again to reclarify what is going on. Friday's seem to be a good place to do this.
I would like it to be known clearly that, as far as I am concerned, there is no expectation that 'one size fit all'. It would appear that Maurice's comment above is in line with such. Across scripture we find the same spectrum of 'sizes'. There are those who had unquestioning faith. And there are those who had questioning faith. Neither was 'right' or 'wrong' - but each needed what they needed. And God accommodated both.
Because I raise a lot of issues and discussion points, I thought I would briefly explain why, so that you don't misunderstand where I am coming from and why I do this. I am not someone who likes to rock the boat merely for the sake of rocking the boat.
Though I won't go into the details of why and how, I am privileged to be in a position where I come across a lot of people who have a background that has been significantly adversely shaped by religious experiences. And I can assure you that these people do not merely need to 'harden up' or 'get over it'. For these people the notion of not asking questions and merely accepting unfortunately mirrors precisely the dynamics that adversely impacted them in the first place. Therefore, being ok about them asking questions and setting about to authentically explore their questions is vitally important for such people. Some of them are in the process of re-opening the door to God being part of their life again as a result.
It is highly likely that you have such people within your church community - or on the fringes of such. You may have such within your family network, your workplace or your social networks.
Again, tackling deep and difficult questions is not for everyone. And those who don't need to do this are no lesser than those that do.
Sabbath School Net offers an opportunity to share what I am discovering and to be challenged with regard to such. The challenges that I receive lead me to go away and do further prayerful study and reflection. And just perhaps there are other contributors to this blog that may also need to explore difficult questions and are benefitted by being able to do so in a respectful and constructive way/space.
For those who are sufficiently settled in their faith walk, please feel free to bypass my contributions. For those who have concerns as to what I raise, please feel free to express your concerns and the specific basis of those concerns so I can use such as accountability checking. And for those who also wish to share their insights and thoughts-in-progress, I greatly appreciate your doing so.
As Maurice has pointed out many times, what is overarchingly most important is the spirit in which we engage here at Sabbath School Net - and in turn within our local church communities - as per one of Maurice's favourite texts, John 13:35.
Phil, I like the depth your comments bring to the lesson.
Phil, I appreciate your statement of your readiness to support those who have additional questions to help better understand the reason for our Faith.
I also have members in my family who have been alienated by the behavior of Christians who could only talk the talk but do not understand the importance of the 'walk'.
This discrepancy between talk and walk has become the focus of my 'reaching out' by highlighting the importance of understand God's 'Love' better. In my opinion, lack of proper understanding is at the heart of all that is wrong with 'organized religion'; one can be a member of a church, fulfill its duty, but not be a true Christian.
This shortcoming is especially detrimental to children who are just beginning to learn to trust authority. I am highlighting trust, because one can obey without trusting, leading often to becoming judgmental; one can also obey without loving God - which is what alienated our children from the Faith of Christ.
To promote this significant, actually life-changing understanding of 'obedience' based on trust due to Love is what I see to be your heart's desire and your calling as well.
Again, thank you, Phil, for sharing your inspired insights so very helpful for learning that we can explicitly trust our heavenly Father with our lives because He loves us and "can do no other"! (Martin Luther)
Thank you Jim and Brigitte for your feedback. Appreciated.
Insights gained from this week's lesson have deepened my appreciation of the promise that 'those following God's Will will be blessed' - Deut.28:1-14; v.14 "Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them".
'Following/doing' God's Will, spans the full spectrum of 'acts/behavior' from warfare to destroy the enemy based on the Old Covenant to loving the enemies based on the New Covenant -; when following God's Will, we can be assured of God's blessings.
But what happens when 'we' do not follow God's Will? - 'curses will overtake you' - Deut.28:15-68. There are three times more curses listed than blessings. For me, just knowing that one is blessed and not cursed is enough to remain within my Father's Will; I trust His Word that says that He loves me and asks of me to love Him with all my heart and being and loving my fellow traveler as well!
Eventually, there comes the time when mankind's accumulative, sinful actions lead to God's 'cup' of His Wrath to be filled to overflowing. When this time comes, 'wrath - the elimination of evil for the purpose of setting right what is wrong' is poured out upon all who did not believe that it is better to trust God's authority based on His Love than to lean on one's own understanding.
God is lovingly gracious, long-suffering and kind, not wanting that anyone should perish - 2Peter 3:9.
The explanation quoted in today's lesson makes some good points, but I was troubled by the statement, "As Creator of all things and as sovereign over all, God can do anything He wants with anyone and be right in doing so"
There's something highly troubling about believing that. I agree that we can't fully understand God's ways. But if God is love, as the Bible says, then He can't act in certain ways, even though He's God. It would go against His essence. It seems the author of this quote sees God's essence more as power and dominance, but I feel that is not correct. The extension of this belief is predestination, where God can condemn someone to Hell just because He's God and has a right to make that choice. I can't accept that. I can't follow a God who is an omnipotent dictator. Nor do I want a Father God who operates by the catch-phrase, "I brought you into the world and I can take you out of it."
We won't understand everything God does on this Earth, but one day we'll have a thousand years to scrutinize what God has done. If God will allow us that privilege, He can't be a God who just does whatever He likes because He's God.
How about this, Christina: "God can do anything He wants with anyone and be right in doing so" because He never "wants" to do anything that is not an expression of self-forgetful love. He never wants to do anything that is not right and good.
So the statement is technically correct, but I think I know what you mean. It sounds very arbitrary. But God is not arbitrary. He invites us to come and reason with Him. (Isa 1:18)
Hi Christina
I am glad someone else also noted this point.
And thanks Inge for providing clarification to that point.
Looking ahead into the lessons this quarter, there are going to need to be further clarifications of things that are 'technically correct' but at risk of misunderstanding they way they currently read. This is not an incitement to criticism, but an invitation to practice being "thinkers and not mere reflectors".
Hi Christina - thank you for being so frank. Your comment appears to me to be an example of the uncertainty, still present in many believer's minds/hearts, about whether we can trust the God who asks us to love and trust Him, but causes/allows 'horrible' things to happen to mankind. Our own mind/heart might not be willing or yet able to fully trust His Wisdom based on Love, but that is what He asks us to do.
Some struggle mightily, even rebel against trusting by 'giving all authority into His hands', trusting Him to be the all-knowing, all-compassionate, loving heavenly Father that can do no wrong.
I struggled for many years, only to realized that it was only due to His loving guidance and protection during my search for a 'better, more compassionate' God that it was Him who brought me safely back to Himself.
He leaves it up to us to find the way to do what He asks of us - to trust Him -, but He stays with us every step of the way. Overcoming our 'mistrust' of Him is at the beginning of the walk of Faith; believing (because we do not know for sure), therefore trusting that He loves all humanity because we are His children, made by His Integrity as an all-loving Creator/God/Father.
Now, knowing Him better and trusting Him 100%, I can testify that His Love is ever present, even in the 'wilderness of sin'.
This week's lesson creates opportunity for self-sacrificial re-consecration to God, so that we can, given His mighty power (ability to see around the bend), remain loyal to Him, returning recompense rather than rebellion.
God's plan, deliverance from evil, is the only one sure to work for our good as well as to His honour and glory. We are to organize our lives, therefore, as God earlier instructed the faithful: Seek and accept Godly counsel brewed by experience; hear and heed the voice of authority and discernment. If done accordingly we will grow blessed generations moving into the future.
Fear not. Believe in God's ability to bless our lives. Through Scripture, He secures for us a sure, secure and victorious heritage!
God can, indeed, do as He pleases; for, He will not/cannot fail us. His promises are new every morning: We see this in Genesis 17:7; Proverbs 1:33; Numbers 14:28; 2Timothy 3:16, Genesis 15:12 and further. "Great is Your faithfulness!"