Originally posted by dj2beckerJealously is hardly a quality I would include in my resume' if I were the alpha and the omega the creator of all things. In fact, if I were God and who I was and how I behaved were completely up to me I would be perfect. I would consider it my duty as the eternal babysitter not to have faults like jealously for fear I might get upset one day and start smiting people for stupid reasons.
The way I see it, God is a jeasous God. However, He has a Godly jealousy which is unlike our human jealousy. He wishes that He be first in our lives. I can't see this as insecurity though...
But that is just me.
TheSkipper
Hi there to all, interesting discussion out here. Just an opinion of my own. It is written that God created us in His own image. Thus we have our own will. We are capable to make decisions according to influence and external elements. God will not force us to do something that is higher than what we are capable of. The comfort is, God will always provide a way out. He does not dump us and leave us in a mess. But then on the other hand we should know God, through His spirit in us.
Getting back to the discussion of Abraham and Isaac. It was a tall order given to Abraham, I wonder what I would have done? We might not know the in and outs of what happened there, but for one thing I'm convinced and that is the lesson I can learn out of it for my life and my will/decisions right now.
The example that I relate to might not be applicable to all, but I have seen it. About three generations ago in the Afrikaans nation many if not most we truly devoted Christians. They lived with/by the word of God and applied it practically in their lives. They taught their children the standards of God that is jotted down in the bible, biblical truths. Parents would show the door to their children if they did not live accordingly, they were devoted people. Sadly in many cases it is the opposite today, the Bible had lost its authority, parents listen to the children, and run after them not wanting to loose them or scare them. Well, what is happening now. Parents love their children more than God.
Sorry for the long post.
Originally posted by TheSkipperOk if I take a shot at this?....
That is fine. I'm not going to run you over the cheese grater over it. I'm sure we have both studied the Bible a great deal and if you do not see a difference between the god of the old testament and the god of the new...I respect your perspective.
TheSkipper
The God of the OT is the same God of the NT...plain and simple. He is all light and in Him is no darkness at all....The reasons for the apparent difference is complex and the answers are found right in the bible.
In the OT God appears to kill people. Understood. In the NT He appears loving, etc.
Also, keep in mind that Jesus came to "declare" God. Why did he say this?
I believe because God was misunderstood in the OT....not a whole lot was revealed...even Jesus spoke in parables...
The gift of holy spirit was not yet avaliable "in" people. It was always "upon" them. It was also "conditional"....In the NT, because of Christ's accomplishments it was "In" Christians, and "unconditional".
When God ordered David and other great leaders to destroy the Amalikites, and all the other "ites" there was good reason. These people were demonic..."nephalim"..they could not be "rehabilitated"...they were "of" Satan. Read Genesis chapter 6...God could not reveal Satan and his power to His people for reasons I can't go into right now.....God was "stuck" with taking blame for all the evil and killing...That is why there are many phrases like "an evil spirit from the Lord". As I said this topic is extensive and I would have to refer you to a website that has much more info and is much more articulate than I can be....I will post it at the bottom of this post for anyone interested at having a look.
If these people were evil and were out to destroy God's people, he had to send David, Caleb, Joshua, etc. to destroy them. These people or "Nephalim" were out to destroy the "seed" promised in Genesis 3:15. Satan had always tried to destroy the Jews for this very reason. He knew that the promised Messiah would eventually "crush" his head. So all through the OT he is trying to do this very thing....BUT he failed, the Christ was born, God protected the "seed" of the woman...that is why Matthew and Luke present the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, etc. because Man's redemption had to be legal. Payment for sin required a blood sacrafice...Read Hebrews chap 9...
Anyway getting back to "killing".....in a body with cancer cells, we "kill" the cancer cells to save the good cells....same thing in the OT....God had to ensure that the seed of the woman would survive....
If you carefully read the gospels , Jesus "declared" God ..."In the law it says this, but I say to you..."
Now we have God's gift of holy spirit "in" us and it is unconditional...which led Paul by the holy spirit to say...
1 Cor 2:7-8
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
(NKJ)
The OT prophets searched the scriptures looking for this Messiah that would come...but a lot was kept hidden until the time was right. Satan even tried killing the Messiah via Herod with the killing of all firstborn under two..
Matt 2:16
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had...
(NKJ)
sorry have to stop for now...have chores to attend to...
http://www.truthortradition.com/
Originally posted by checkbaitorThat's as good an explanation of the Error as any, it's also why decent people become atheists. Which I'm not but would be before I believed what you do.
Ok if I take a shot at this?....
The God of the OT is the same God of the NT...plain and simple. He is all light and in Him is no darkness at all....The reasons for the apparent difference is complex and the answers are found right in the bible.
In the OT God appears to kill people. Understood. In the NT He appears loving, etc.
Also, keep in mind that ...[text shortened]... NKJ)
sorry have to stop for now...have chores to attend to...
http://www.truthortradition.com/