Whenever people (non-believers) throw scripture in an attempt to disprove something I am saying or to prove a point they are trying to make that is the first thing that comes to my mind: CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING!
Much of the New Testament is chock full of quotes from the Torah. (I think I am using that correctly, I might not be). Jesus and the Apostles reference OT scripture frequently. There are even points where you question whether or not they are using it correctly based on YOUR understanding of the scripture, but you must always remember their context, who they were, how the Bible was used then, and the fact that their context included a physical representation of God who died on a cross and rose to offer some final lessons before ascending to heaven, shedding even MORE light on old text.
And here's my proof: "Lord, the king finds joy in Your strength."
I am using old-style quoting. :) This is the first verse of Psalm 21 (see my previous post on Psalm 22). Psalm 21 is a piece of scripture that had meaning to David hundreds of years before Jesus was born but it seems oddly familiar to a Christian as being indicative of GOD'S victory on the cross. It is as if the Psalmist wrote this knowing what would happen in the future. This is what I mean when I mention the duality of scripture.
Scripture isn't REALLY dual natured, it is what it is, but it is enduring. The thoughts and reasons behind ancient scripture can still be applied today (even scripture that seems irrelevant to this day and age has a message behind it that you need to ponder. Read it in the context of the time, the location and the state of the people to whom it refers and you will most likely be able to better understand what it means).
Scripture speaks to the will and nature of God; it is eternal.
[edit]
Psalm 21
1 Lord, the king finds joy in Your strength.
How greatly he rejoices in Your victory!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not denied the request of his lips.
3 For You meet him with rich blessings;
You place a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked You for life, and You gave it to him—
length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through Your victory;
You confer majesty and splendor on him.
6 You give him blessings forever;
You cheer him with joy in Your presence.
7 For the king relies on the Lord;
through the faithful love of the Most High
he is not shaken.
8 Your hand will capture all your enemies;
your right hand will seize those who hate you.
9 You will make them burn
like a fiery furnace when you appear;
the Lord will engulf them in His wrath,
and fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their descendants from the earth
and their offspring from the human race.
11 Though they intend to harm you
and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.
12 Instead, you will put them to flight
when you aim your bow at their faces.
13 Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
we will sing and praise Your might.
[edit]
Psalm 21
1 Lord, the king finds joy in Your strength.
How greatly he rejoices in Your victory!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not denied the request of his lips.
3 For You meet him with rich blessings;
You place a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked You for life, and You gave it to him—
length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through Your victory;
You confer majesty and splendor on him.
6 You give him blessings forever;
You cheer him with joy in Your presence.
7 For the king relies on the Lord;
through the faithful love of the Most High
he is not shaken.
8 Your hand will capture all your enemies;
your right hand will seize those who hate you.
9 You will make them burn
like a fiery furnace when you appear;
the Lord will engulf them in His wrath,
and fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their descendants from the earth
and their offspring from the human race.
11 Though they intend to harm you
and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.
12 Instead, you will put them to flight
when you aim your bow at their faces.
13 Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
we will sing and praise Your might.
1 comment:
As an aside...
People often stumble over edicts or statements from God that cause the deaths of humans, the very ones He considers His children, who he was willing to suffer and die to save. Compassion is ONE aspect of God. Truth is another. One thing God cannot abide is sin, that is committing an act that goes against the very nature of God.
We are ALL sinners. All of us. There is only one punishment for sin that has not been atoned for: death. Sounds harsh, I know, but even if you were to come before God with sin, well... think about matter and anti-matter. *BOOM* They just cannot come together. The various tribes the Israelites battled were groups of people who committed terrible acts, such as child sacrifice (a big one). Even the Israelites, God's priests to the world, committed terrible acts and were punished for it.
The beauty of Jesus life, death, burial and resurrection is this: he paid for all our sins and is our advocate during our time of judgement. Whooo hooo! We don't have to worry about that. We only have to worry about accepting the free gift He offers and make our hearts right.
How do you make your heart right? It's simple, yet not always as easy as it sounds. We are (speaking of) dual natured creatures. We are flesh and spirit and the two are constantly at odds with one another, have been since the first time we disobeyed God. The flesh desires things ... well ... of the flesh. The spirit desires things of God... aspects of God that we admire, like compassion, peace, love, and the acts that come from those things. I am not saying that some of the things the flesh desire are bad, no; food, sex, and other things that bring pleasure are not bad in themselves, but when they are abused or used as not intended, they become bad.
How to explain it... even GIVING can be wrong if it isn't done in the right SPIRIT. If you are giving simply because you want to show how awesome YOU are, that is wrong. If you are giving simply because you need a tax write off, that is wrong. You give because someone else needs.
If your neighbor's wife is beautiful and she gives you "the eye" and you desire her and worse, act on it, you have done something wrong... she is not yours to desire. She has a husband and is bound to him before God.
If your neighbor has a new tractor and you want it... stop right there. Be happy with what you have and if you need a new tractor, save up for it and buy one.
One thing that many people miss is that God warns us to do our best to not even THINK about doing something against His nature. Starting with Cain and Abel, god warned Cain that he was about to go down a dark path when Cain was stewing about Abel and his offering. Cain was thinking bad things... which led to him killing his brother. Jesus warns as well... he warns that a person shouldn't even "evil thoughts" because at that point you making yourself vulnerable, susceptible to committing an act against the nature of God.
Alright, well I am rambling now. Forgive me!
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