Friday: Further Thought ~ Preamble to Deuteronomy
Further Thought:
For a deeper and very well thought out study on the great controversy theme, based on the idea of God as love, and written by a Seventh-day Adventist, see John Peckham’s Theodicy of Love: Cosmic Conflict and the Problem of Evil (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018).
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
The fact that this work has been published by a non-Adventist press shows how good biblical scholarship can reveal the reality of the great controversy as depicted in Scripture.
“In brief, I argue that God’s love (properly understood) is at the center of a cosmic dispute and that God’s commitment to love provides a morally sufficient reason for God’s allowance of evil, with significant ramifications for understanding divine providence as operating within what I call covenantal rules of engagement.” — John C. Peckham, Theodicy of Love: Cosmic Conflict and the Problem of Evil (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018), p. 4.
“The decree that Israel was not to enter Canaan for forty years was a bitter disappointment to Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua; yet without a murmur they accepted the divine decision. But those who had been complaining of God’s dealings with them, and declaring that they would return to Egypt, wept and mourned greatly when the blessings which they had despised were taken from them. They had complained at nothing, and now God gave them cause to weep. Had they mourned for their sin when it was faithfully laid before them, this sentence would not have been pronounced; but they mourned for the judgment; their sorrow was not repentance, and could not secure a reversing of their sentence.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 392.
Discussion Questions:
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Across this week I have attempted to outline some key principles that are applicable to unpacking Deuteronomy as we embark on doing so this quarter.
The SDA church officially acknowledges that "the inspired writers of the Scriptures commonly credit God with doing actively that which in Western thought we would say He permits or does not prevent from happening, for example, the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart".
I acknowledge and appreciate that some are understandably concerned that if this is the case, then that would imply that God is merely a passive bystander. However, this is not automatically the case.
Could it be that God is actively involved/present in something and yet not the causative agent when it comes to forces of destruction? Design law - with its inherent cause-and-effect nature - would say yes. And Galatians 6:7,8 goes so far as to suggest that God's reputation is upheld because of the cause-and-effect nature inherent in design law as the underpinning 'mechanism'. Those Galatians verses also overview the two 'antagonistic' (Galatians 5:17) principles (ie laws) that are at work within this world.
On the one hand there is "the law of the Spirit of life" (Galatians 6:8; Romans 8:2) that will be unpacked in Deuteronomy 28 and 30:15-20). On the other hand there is also "the law of sin and death" that will also be unpacked in the same passages. The former is what exists within the boundaries of God's Kingdom principles. The latter is what lies outside of those boundaries.
Is this a salvational issue that everyone must agree on? No. What does become a salvational issue for someone is a view of God that repulses rather than attracts them. For some, a God who is the active agent that directly causes the destruction of sin and sinners is not a repulsive view for them. But for others, such is unfortunately not the case. For those people, I present for your consideration and further investigation the views and associated supporting evidence that I have been writing about.
To that end I offer the following - and its wider context for those who are interested via the link provided. This quote is not pointed at anyone, but is offered as a reflection point for each and every one of us - myself included. This was the spirit that characterised the earliest days of 'Adventism'.
May God's Spirit guide and bless you as you search out the Scriptures for yourself this quarter to see the things offered in discussions are true or otherwise (Acts 17:11). For at the end of the day, each person is to be fully persuaded by God in their own mind (Philippians 3:15b; Romans 14:5b).
I am not entirely sure just where to finish up with the lesson this week. It has jumped around a bit. The idea that I probably thought about more than anything else was the response of the Israelites firstly to the task of going up and possessing the promised land, and then their reaction when they were told that their response was disappointing and sinful and they were not going to get there at all. Only their children would get there.
In 1901, the Seventh-day Adventist Church held a General Conference Session that was supposed to have far reaching consequences for the organisation of the church. There was a lot of conflict and it was described as a session where ,
In fact at the time, the abolished the office of General Conference President. This lasted for 2 years! It was a dark chapter in Seventh-day Adventist history. People wanted to have their own way and refused to bend to the ideas presented to them by conferences and committees.
I know that for most of us 1901 is a long time ago, but perhaps the lesson of that period is this. The same self-interest that fuelled the conflict with the Israelites was present among the Church leadership in 1901 and it cost the church dearly in terms of its sense of mission.
The question that we need to ask ourselves now is: Have we learned from these two episodes of history, or are we bound to repeat the same mistakes again? Has our selfishness ambushed us from pursuing the Gospel commission?
Thanks Brother Maurice, for your inspiring thoughts. All I can say is:
2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Again, as I have been saying all week, this verse, and the entire Bible, is talking about "Us", not secular people; even the "turn from their wicked ways", is talking about, and to, us. We must realize this, pray, seek God's face, ask for forgiveness, and ask for His help to overcome our sins; these are all involved in our humbling process.
Happy Preparation Day! And I hope everyone have a Happy Sabbath Day!!
The second paragraph sums up the historical facts. The question remains: What is present truth?
Conflict, in and of itself, is part of physical and spiritual life, but for how to resolve 'conflict' of competing or opposing forces we need to turn to the Wisdom of the One who created all things.
He placed everything in perfect order to each other where all that *is* receives its proper attention - all the time; nothing is ever neglected!
God chose LOVE as its cosmic 'adhesive' for His Creation. It's flexibility comes from Wisdom, applying Mercy and Grace to temper rigid Justice in order to balance and maintain that which is. Evil is given its due time and attention to render a fair judgement.
I think the 're-emergence of man's awareness' that he has a Creator God to consider when establishing his life is what is being worked out in the smallest to the grandest setting. It all begins with recognizing, fully understanding that God holds this position of Authority over man's life. Only then comes the point when man, with his capacity to choose, decides for or against Him. For some there is this time to be 'lukewarm', but one needs to move beyond this point in order to benefit from 'awareness', or the inner conflict might cause the Light to be extinguished.
This is how I see the Great Controversy - does God exist? If so, is the Trinity's Authority sovereign, or does there exist another, equal power to decide 'right and wrong'. Lucifer, the powerful Angel who became a competing light, thinks so. He knows God personally and intimately; he knows the parameters governing 'freedom of choice' - what is permissible/acceptable and what is rebellion. He chose rebellion, desiring as many as so inclined to go along with his rebellion.
What does he really rebel against? He rebels against the choice of the Trinity's Order by LOVE! He rebels against the principles chosen for governing all Life - God's Order/Rule by LOVE. - the force God chose to be in place to keep everything in perfect balance and therefore alive. The adversary thinks his is the better way, wanting it to establish this world's reality! Our world's history has proven over and over again that his 'better way' leads to destruction, not life! We are admonished to choose God's Love to be our Life!
Brigitte, while mostly in agreement, did God choose love or is God Himself love, and knows no other way? So what does it mean to love? It means "serving", and you will find no greater Servant than the creator/sustainer of all that exists, who's law is "perfect". Nothing in the natural world would operate without His constant power at work. We live, breath, eat, and find rest because He never slumbers or sleeps. If He took even the briefest of "vacations", creation would cease to exist. We would be only dust without Life, and nothing would consist, since there is no "auto-pilot" for creation.
Love also means to allow choice(since love cannot be arbitrary), which is why sin can even exist under the rule of a perfect law(which defines love at its highest demonstration of serving others).
Satan's accusations were always against God's sovereign law/government, and he chose to rebel against it(wishing rather to be served, and not serving), and was allowed, as you said: to "render a fair judgment", once and for all. Satan knows the "wages of sin" and realizes that he cannot be redeemed from where he has chosen to exist/operate, and his only "power" resides in leading you and me to perish with him, robbing God of His joy in our existence, happiness, and fellowship. He only lives to destroy anything that exhibits the love of God(by serving). Can Satan truly know God(1 John 4:8)?
With all his power, Satan can only entice us to choose, but cannot force the choice. If making that choice, I will perish in the "fire prepared for the devil and his angels" as Jesus taught. So to receive death, I must choose it. Same with Life, and we are choosing with every choice we make. We must realize that Satan cannot destroy, which alone belongs to the Creator, but he can lead us down the path to destruction IF we so choose to follow his leading(by demanding to be served rather than serving).
Deuteronomy is God offering us Life, by offering a Choice, made possible by the blood of the Lamb, who came to Serve in the greatest way possible(John 15:13). To any sinner, this is "Gospel", and a Covenant with God worthy of our highest consideration and unreserved acceptance.
I absolutely agree with a particular part of something you wrote Robert when you said: "since love cannot be arbitrary". I have a functional definition of what arbitrary means and encompasses in my mind, but I am very interested to find out what others understand that term to mean and encompass.
Consequently, would you (or anyone else who is interested in doing so) mind 'defining' or explaining what that term means for you when you use it?
Any input regarding this term would be much appreciated.
Phil
I guess what I was meaning was to be despotic, tyrannical, without options, questions, or dissent being permitted.
One example might be forced/arranged marriages.
Isa 1:18 suggests God is willing to reason with sinners, while leaving them to choose for themselves. No one will be held in God's kingdom against their will.
I agree with Brigette's implication that one may find the Light of the World in the darkest of circumstances.
My God has created a way
of escape from sin and it's penalty, from the foundations of the Earth. We can, because of His past kept promises to Adam, to Abraham and to generations of our faithful families and to us, know that our future will be well.
“We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history,” says author, E. G. White.
Scripture says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Cor 10:13 (NIV)
We can have faith that our ever-loving Creator can be trusted to see us through any of today's unprecedented temporary circumstances, ... through and to eternity! Praise Him!
Rosamund, doesn't Luke 15 teach us that the Light of the world finds us in the darkest of circumstances? And when He does, He rejoices.
Yet, we have been given the power/control over whether we will be "found" or not.