(Originally Written June 10, 2008 in the Journal).
Notes on City of God, Book III
Augustine
Book III
We must be especially on guard against evils that affect the character and mind.
The Romans worshipped their gods to secure the insignificant and deceptive happiness of this world; but where were those gods when their worshippers suffered the ills of this world?
Showing posts with label Idol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Idol. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Brief Notes on II Chronicles 1-36
(Originally Written June 7, 2008 in the Journal)
Oh Lord God Almighty, look upon me with pity! See how your servant wallows in agony! My wife has left me and now the door is closing on remaining physically close to her. I see that there is a divine will for me to leave this place. I clung to her too greatly and now I have been stripped of hope in early reconciliation.
Where do you want me Lord? I think about Taylor in my head. If this is your doing make it clear, but if this is just my association with the familiar make that known too. I will go where you lead.
Today I will call my father and seek his advice on this matter. Give him your words so that I may follow you. Lord do not abandon me or forsake me. I need you to be my strength for I have none of my own. Lord grant me the wisdom to make the righteous choice and the discernment to hear your voice and know it is you.
Notes on II Chronicles
Chapter 1 - Solomon is granted wisdom and discernment as well as riches and power by God.
Chapter 2 - Solomon makes preparation for building the Temple.
Chapter 3 - They build the Temple
Chapter 4 - The Temple is ornamented
Chapter 5 - The Temple is dedicated
Chapter 6 - Solomon prays to God before Israel
Chapter 7 - God answers Solomon's prayer
Chapter 8 - Solomon rebuilt and fortified cities
Chapter 9 -
The queen of Sheba visited Solomon to test his wisdom. Many kings sought an audience with Solomon and paid him tribute. Solomon reigned 40 years and died.
Chapter 10 - Israel rebelled against Solomon's son Rehoboam and nation split.
Chapter 11 - Rehoboam fortified Judah. He had 28 sons.
Chapter 12 - Rehoboam turned from the Lord. The Lord punished Judah by raising up Egypt against them.
Chapter 13 -
Abijah succeeded his father Rehoboam as king of Judah. Abijah defeated Jeroboam, king of Israel, because the Judahites called upon the Lord.
Asa, son of Abijah succeeded him as king of Judah.
Chapter 14 -
Asa followed the Lord.
Judah defeated Zerah the Ethiopian king and his force of a million strong.
Chapter 15 - Asa removed idols from Judah
Chapter 16 - Asa sinned by trusting the king of Aram when Israel attacked Judah.
Chapter 17
Jehoshaphat succeeded Asa as king of Judah. Jehoshaphat pleased the Lord. He fortified the cities of Judah and the surrounding nations feared the Lord on his account.
Chapter 18
Jehoshaphat and Ahab, king of Israel, went to battle against Aram. They were defeated and Ahab died.
Chapter 19 - Jehoshaphat set up judges to bring order and peace to Judah.
Chapter 20 - Jehoshaphat prayed to the Lord for a vast army had been assembled against Judah. The Lord caused the army to fight amongst itself and the Judahites took the plunder.
Chapter 21 -
Jehoram succeeded his father Jehoshaphat as king of Judah. Jehoram was evil and practiced idolatry. The Lord raised Edom and Libnah against Judah for Jehoram's wickedness. Jehoram died and was buried in the city of David, but not as a king.
Chapter 22 -
Ahaziah became king of Judah. He was the youngest son of Jehoram. Ahaziah did evil in the sight of the Lord. Ahaziah was cut down by Jehu, who the Lord had appointed to overthrow the house of Ahab in Israel.
Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah took over Judah by killing the royal family. Only Jehosheba, the youngest son of Ahaziah was spared and that was because he was hidden.
Chapter 23 - After eight years of the reign of Athaliah, Jehosheba was named king. He was crowned king and Athaliah was killed.
Chapter 24 -
Joash and the priest Jehoida restored the Temple of the Lord and reinforced it. Jehoida lived to 130 years old and died. He was buried with the kings for his service to the Lord.
Joash turned from God after the death of Jehoida and even had Jehoida's son Zechariah stoned to death after he prophesied against him.
Joash was killed by conspirators. He was not buried as a king.
Chapter 25
Amaziah replaced his father Joash as king of Judah. He pleased the Lord but did not serve God wholeheartedly. He conquered Seir but brough back their gods to worship. For this he was punished.
Amaziah, filled with pride went to war with King Joash of Israel. He was soundly defeated. Amaziah fled to Lachish but was cut down there.
Chapter 26
Uzziah became king after his father Amaziah was killed. Uzziah fortified Jerusalem and gathered a large army to him. He was feared among the nations. When Uzziah became strong he became too proud and burnt incense to the Lord. As a result he received leprosy and was a leper until the day he died.
Chapter 27
Jotham succeeded his father Uzziah as king of Judah. Jotham pleased the Lord, but the people were sinful.
Chapter 28
Ahaz succeeded his father Jotham as king. Ahaz did not please the Lord and worshipped Baal. As a result Judah fell to Aram and then to Israel in war. Ahaz set up more high places to the gods of Aram and further angered the Lord.
Chapter 29
Hezekiah, son of Ahaz became king of Judah. Hezekiah summoned the Levites to restore the Temple of the Lord. Hezekiah had a sin offering for all of Israel prepared.
Chapter 30
Hezekiah called for all of Judah and Israel to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.
"Be not obstinate, as your fathers were; extend your hands to the Lord and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever and serve the Lord your God, that he may turn away his burning anger from you" (II Chronicles 30:8, New American Bible).
Chapter 31 - Hezekiah reestablished the prescribed order in the priesthood.
Chapter 32
Sennacherib, king of Assyria besieged Jerusalem and mocked the Lord. Isaiah the prophet and King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. The Lord sent an angel who defeated the Assyrian invaders. Sennacherib returned home and was killed in the temple of his god by his own family.
Hezekiah died and was buried as a king.
Chapter 33
Manasseh became king at age twelve and reigned, wickedly, for fifty five years.
Manasseh provoked the Lord to great anger with idolatry, immolations, divination and spirit worship.
Manasseh repented after being taken captive by the Babylonians.
Amon succeeded him as king of Judah. Amon was even more wicked than his father Manasseh. He did not repent and was killed by his subjects.
Josiah, the son of Amon became king of Judah.
Chapter 34
Josiah served the Lord. He destroyed the high places and destroyed the temple of Baal.
Josiah restored the Temple of the Lord. While restoring the Temple, the book of the Law of Moses was found.
Josiah renewed the covenant with the Lord.
Chapter 35
Josiah held Passover that had not been seen since the time of Samuel (as was prescribed in the book of the Law).
Josiah was killed in battle against Neco, the Pharaoh of Egypt.
Chapter 36
Jehoahaz replaced his father as king of Judah. Jehoahaz reigned only three months before being kidnapped by Neco.
Jehoiakim, his brother became king. Jehoiakim was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim became king. Jehoiachin was evil and was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.
Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiachin became king. Zedekiah was evil and did not humble himself in front of the Lord's prophet Jeremiah.
Babylon came down and destroyed the Temple and slaughtered many. The survivors were carried off to Babylon.
Years later, the Persian king, Cyrus, who defeated the Babylonians, released the Judahites to go home to Jerusalem.
Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the glory and the power forever and ever, Amen.
Thank you Lord for this day. May you continue to comfort me through the night.
Oh Lord God Almighty, look upon me with pity! See how your servant wallows in agony! My wife has left me and now the door is closing on remaining physically close to her. I see that there is a divine will for me to leave this place. I clung to her too greatly and now I have been stripped of hope in early reconciliation.
Where do you want me Lord? I think about Taylor in my head. If this is your doing make it clear, but if this is just my association with the familiar make that known too. I will go where you lead.
Today I will call my father and seek his advice on this matter. Give him your words so that I may follow you. Lord do not abandon me or forsake me. I need you to be my strength for I have none of my own. Lord grant me the wisdom to make the righteous choice and the discernment to hear your voice and know it is you.
Notes on II Chronicles
Chapter 1 - Solomon is granted wisdom and discernment as well as riches and power by God.
Chapter 2 - Solomon makes preparation for building the Temple.
Chapter 3 - They build the Temple
Chapter 4 - The Temple is ornamented
Chapter 5 - The Temple is dedicated
Chapter 6 - Solomon prays to God before Israel
Chapter 7 - God answers Solomon's prayer
Chapter 8 - Solomon rebuilt and fortified cities
Chapter 9 -
The queen of Sheba visited Solomon to test his wisdom. Many kings sought an audience with Solomon and paid him tribute. Solomon reigned 40 years and died.
Chapter 10 - Israel rebelled against Solomon's son Rehoboam and nation split.
Chapter 11 - Rehoboam fortified Judah. He had 28 sons.
Chapter 12 - Rehoboam turned from the Lord. The Lord punished Judah by raising up Egypt against them.
Chapter 13 -
Abijah succeeded his father Rehoboam as king of Judah. Abijah defeated Jeroboam, king of Israel, because the Judahites called upon the Lord.
Asa, son of Abijah succeeded him as king of Judah.
Chapter 14 -
Asa followed the Lord.
Judah defeated Zerah the Ethiopian king and his force of a million strong.
Chapter 15 - Asa removed idols from Judah
Chapter 16 - Asa sinned by trusting the king of Aram when Israel attacked Judah.
Chapter 17
Jehoshaphat succeeded Asa as king of Judah. Jehoshaphat pleased the Lord. He fortified the cities of Judah and the surrounding nations feared the Lord on his account.
Chapter 18
Jehoshaphat and Ahab, king of Israel, went to battle against Aram. They were defeated and Ahab died.
Chapter 19 - Jehoshaphat set up judges to bring order and peace to Judah.
Chapter 20 - Jehoshaphat prayed to the Lord for a vast army had been assembled against Judah. The Lord caused the army to fight amongst itself and the Judahites took the plunder.
Chapter 21 -
Jehoram succeeded his father Jehoshaphat as king of Judah. Jehoram was evil and practiced idolatry. The Lord raised Edom and Libnah against Judah for Jehoram's wickedness. Jehoram died and was buried in the city of David, but not as a king.
Chapter 22 -
Ahaziah became king of Judah. He was the youngest son of Jehoram. Ahaziah did evil in the sight of the Lord. Ahaziah was cut down by Jehu, who the Lord had appointed to overthrow the house of Ahab in Israel.
Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah took over Judah by killing the royal family. Only Jehosheba, the youngest son of Ahaziah was spared and that was because he was hidden.
Chapter 23 - After eight years of the reign of Athaliah, Jehosheba was named king. He was crowned king and Athaliah was killed.
Chapter 24 -
Joash and the priest Jehoida restored the Temple of the Lord and reinforced it. Jehoida lived to 130 years old and died. He was buried with the kings for his service to the Lord.
Joash turned from God after the death of Jehoida and even had Jehoida's son Zechariah stoned to death after he prophesied against him.
Joash was killed by conspirators. He was not buried as a king.
Chapter 25
Amaziah replaced his father Joash as king of Judah. He pleased the Lord but did not serve God wholeheartedly. He conquered Seir but brough back their gods to worship. For this he was punished.
Amaziah, filled with pride went to war with King Joash of Israel. He was soundly defeated. Amaziah fled to Lachish but was cut down there.
Chapter 26
Uzziah became king after his father Amaziah was killed. Uzziah fortified Jerusalem and gathered a large army to him. He was feared among the nations. When Uzziah became strong he became too proud and burnt incense to the Lord. As a result he received leprosy and was a leper until the day he died.
Chapter 27
Jotham succeeded his father Uzziah as king of Judah. Jotham pleased the Lord, but the people were sinful.
Chapter 28
Ahaz succeeded his father Jotham as king. Ahaz did not please the Lord and worshipped Baal. As a result Judah fell to Aram and then to Israel in war. Ahaz set up more high places to the gods of Aram and further angered the Lord.
Chapter 29
Hezekiah, son of Ahaz became king of Judah. Hezekiah summoned the Levites to restore the Temple of the Lord. Hezekiah had a sin offering for all of Israel prepared.
Chapter 30
Hezekiah called for all of Judah and Israel to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.
"Be not obstinate, as your fathers were; extend your hands to the Lord and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever and serve the Lord your God, that he may turn away his burning anger from you" (II Chronicles 30:8, New American Bible).
Chapter 31 - Hezekiah reestablished the prescribed order in the priesthood.
Chapter 32
Sennacherib, king of Assyria besieged Jerusalem and mocked the Lord. Isaiah the prophet and King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. The Lord sent an angel who defeated the Assyrian invaders. Sennacherib returned home and was killed in the temple of his god by his own family.
Hezekiah died and was buried as a king.
Chapter 33
Manasseh became king at age twelve and reigned, wickedly, for fifty five years.
Manasseh provoked the Lord to great anger with idolatry, immolations, divination and spirit worship.
Manasseh repented after being taken captive by the Babylonians.
Amon succeeded him as king of Judah. Amon was even more wicked than his father Manasseh. He did not repent and was killed by his subjects.
Josiah, the son of Amon became king of Judah.
Chapter 34
Josiah served the Lord. He destroyed the high places and destroyed the temple of Baal.
Josiah restored the Temple of the Lord. While restoring the Temple, the book of the Law of Moses was found.
Josiah renewed the covenant with the Lord.
Chapter 35
Josiah held Passover that had not been seen since the time of Samuel (as was prescribed in the book of the Law).
Josiah was killed in battle against Neco, the Pharaoh of Egypt.
Chapter 36
Jehoahaz replaced his father as king of Judah. Jehoahaz reigned only three months before being kidnapped by Neco.
Jehoiakim, his brother became king. Jehoiakim was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim became king. Jehoiachin was evil and was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.
Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiachin became king. Zedekiah was evil and did not humble himself in front of the Lord's prophet Jeremiah.
Babylon came down and destroyed the Temple and slaughtered many. The survivors were carried off to Babylon.
Years later, the Persian king, Cyrus, who defeated the Babylonians, released the Judahites to go home to Jerusalem.
Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the glory and the power forever and ever, Amen.
Thank you Lord for this day. May you continue to comfort me through the night.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Brief Notes on City of God - Book II
(Originally Written June 5, 2008 in the Journal)
Notes on City of God - By Augustine
Book II
If one were to attempt to refute all criticisms of Christianity one would water their time for those who absolutely refuse to accept the logic of Christianity refuse to accept logic itself.
"Find out the role that God would have you play, the part assigned you, in the scheme of things" (Augustine, 54).
Pagan gods have not laid out places for moral instruction. Wherever Christianity has spread one can point to the church there for this moral instruction.
The pagan gods delight in their own ruin and in the ruination of man.
The gods of Rome undermined the morality of the Roman citizens by demanding displays of immoral behavior.
The Romans cannot receive the establishment of morals from their gods for they establish the morals of their gods.
Rome sunk to the depths of degradation long before the arrival of Christ, as was stated by some of the best Romans prior to the coming of Christ.
The Roman gods took no action to save Rome as her morals were declining.
Abandon false gods and "spring out to genuine liberty" (Augustine, 87).
Notes on City of God - By Augustine
Book II
If one were to attempt to refute all criticisms of Christianity one would water their time for those who absolutely refuse to accept the logic of Christianity refuse to accept logic itself.
"Find out the role that God would have you play, the part assigned you, in the scheme of things" (Augustine, 54).
Pagan gods have not laid out places for moral instruction. Wherever Christianity has spread one can point to the church there for this moral instruction.
The pagan gods delight in their own ruin and in the ruination of man.
The gods of Rome undermined the morality of the Roman citizens by demanding displays of immoral behavior.
The Romans cannot receive the establishment of morals from their gods for they establish the morals of their gods.
Rome sunk to the depths of degradation long before the arrival of Christ, as was stated by some of the best Romans prior to the coming of Christ.
The Roman gods took no action to save Rome as her morals were declining.
Abandon false gods and "spring out to genuine liberty" (Augustine, 87).
Brief Notes on I Chronices 1-21
(Originally Written June 5, 2008 in the Journal)
Lord I am so feeble and weak. My soul is in anguish. My temper flares and I hurt from longing. Why has she forsaken me? Why would you cause this to happen? What must I learn from you? Do I not trust you? Do I not bless your name? Where is the easy yoke? Lord may your will be done and may the whole world come to see that you are just and good. Lord I struggle, but I thank you for the struggle. For if I die, I will be with you and if I live I will be even stronger in you for it. May you restore my wife to me or otherwise show me your plan for me. You have my heart, my soul, my mind, my all. 'Tis a small offering I know, but what I have is yours. Comfort me in the readings today. Do not look on me in anger or disgust, but deliver me from my anguish. Thank you Lord for all you have done. May the whole world praise you ceaselessly. May every tongue sound of the Holiness of the one true God. Thank you for your love and care.
Notes on I Chronicles
Chapter 1 - Genealogy from Adam to the Edomites
Chapter 2 - Genealogy of the sons of Israel, that is Jacob
Chapter 3 - The line of David
Chapter 4 -
The sons of Judah
Jabez prayed to the Lord, "oh that you may truly bless me and extend my boundaries! Help me and make me free of misfortune, without pain!" The Lord answered his prayer.
The sons of Simeon
The sons of Reuben
Reuben, though firstborn, lost his birthright to Joseph. The king came from Judah because Judah was powerful.
The sons of Gad.
The sons of East Manasseh.
These men angered God by idolatry and were deported to Assyria.
The sons of Levi
Chapter 6 - The descendants of Aaron
Chapter 7
The sons of Issachar
The sons of Benjamin
The sons of Dan, Naphtali and Manasseh
The sons of Ephraim
The sons of Asher
Chapter 8 - The sons of Benjamin
Chapter 9 -
Judah had been carried away into Babylon as exiles.
Jerusalem still had some Israelites in it from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh and also some Levites dwelled in Jerusalem.
The Genealogy of Saul
Chapter 10
Saul and his three sons were killed in battle by the Philistines because Saul rebelled against the Lord.
Chapter 11
David was made king of Israel.
David conquered Jerusalem.
Chapter 12 - David gathered many warriors around him
Chapter 13 - David brought the Ark to Jerusalem
Chapter 14 -
David settled in Jerusalem, took wives and had sons.
David conquered the Philistines who attacked him. The Lord made all nations fear David.
Chapter 15 -
David danced in the streets and his wife Michal, daughter of Saul, despised him for it.
Chapter 16
"Glory in his holy name; rejoice, o hearts that seek the Lord" (I Chronicles 16:10, New American Bible).
"Sing to the Lord, all the earth, announce his salvation, day after day" (I Chronicles 16:23, New American Bible).
Chapter 17
Nathan had a vision that David's son would build the temple of the Lord and David rejoiced at this.
Chapter 18
David subdued the Philistines and the Moabites. He defeated the king of Zobah and the Arameans.
Chapter 19
David defeated the Ammonites for shaming ambassadors he sent them. David then crushed the Arameans for aid the Ammonites.
Chapter 20
David went to battle with the Philistines again and the Israelites defeated three giants that were sons of the Rephaim.
Chapter 21
David then sinned and took a census of Israel. David was given three choices of punishment and chose pestilence. 70,000 men died on account of David's sin.
Lord I am so feeble and weak. My soul is in anguish. My temper flares and I hurt from longing. Why has she forsaken me? Why would you cause this to happen? What must I learn from you? Do I not trust you? Do I not bless your name? Where is the easy yoke? Lord may your will be done and may the whole world come to see that you are just and good. Lord I struggle, but I thank you for the struggle. For if I die, I will be with you and if I live I will be even stronger in you for it. May you restore my wife to me or otherwise show me your plan for me. You have my heart, my soul, my mind, my all. 'Tis a small offering I know, but what I have is yours. Comfort me in the readings today. Do not look on me in anger or disgust, but deliver me from my anguish. Thank you Lord for all you have done. May the whole world praise you ceaselessly. May every tongue sound of the Holiness of the one true God. Thank you for your love and care.
Notes on I Chronicles
Chapter 1 - Genealogy from Adam to the Edomites
Chapter 2 - Genealogy of the sons of Israel, that is Jacob
Chapter 3 - The line of David
Chapter 4 -
The sons of Judah
Jabez prayed to the Lord, "oh that you may truly bless me and extend my boundaries! Help me and make me free of misfortune, without pain!" The Lord answered his prayer.
The sons of Simeon
The sons of Reuben
Reuben, though firstborn, lost his birthright to Joseph. The king came from Judah because Judah was powerful.
The sons of Gad.
The sons of East Manasseh.
These men angered God by idolatry and were deported to Assyria.
The sons of Levi
Chapter 6 - The descendants of Aaron
Chapter 7
The sons of Issachar
The sons of Benjamin
The sons of Dan, Naphtali and Manasseh
The sons of Ephraim
The sons of Asher
Chapter 8 - The sons of Benjamin
Chapter 9 -
Judah had been carried away into Babylon as exiles.
Jerusalem still had some Israelites in it from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh and also some Levites dwelled in Jerusalem.
The Genealogy of Saul
Chapter 10
Saul and his three sons were killed in battle by the Philistines because Saul rebelled against the Lord.
Chapter 11
David was made king of Israel.
David conquered Jerusalem.
Chapter 12 - David gathered many warriors around him
Chapter 13 - David brought the Ark to Jerusalem
Chapter 14 -
David settled in Jerusalem, took wives and had sons.
David conquered the Philistines who attacked him. The Lord made all nations fear David.
Chapter 15 -
David danced in the streets and his wife Michal, daughter of Saul, despised him for it.
Chapter 16
"Glory in his holy name; rejoice, o hearts that seek the Lord" (I Chronicles 16:10, New American Bible).
"Sing to the Lord, all the earth, announce his salvation, day after day" (I Chronicles 16:23, New American Bible).
Chapter 17
Nathan had a vision that David's son would build the temple of the Lord and David rejoiced at this.
Chapter 18
David subdued the Philistines and the Moabites. He defeated the king of Zobah and the Arameans.
Chapter 19
David defeated the Ammonites for shaming ambassadors he sent them. David then crushed the Arameans for aid the Ammonites.
Chapter 20
David went to battle with the Philistines again and the Israelites defeated three giants that were sons of the Rephaim.
Chapter 21
David then sinned and took a census of Israel. David was given three choices of punishment and chose pestilence. 70,000 men died on account of David's sin.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Brief Notes on 2 Kings 8-25
(Originally written June 4, 2008 in the Journal)
Thank you Lord for today. May all earth praise you for what you have done. The weather is beautiful. Tonight we go to meet with our counselors. Lord use tonight to begin the reconciliation process. Give me the strength to endure this process and separation. Give me the wisdom to speak what needs to be said. Pour out your spirit on Kris and John that they may enlighten us. Circumcise our hearts, ears and minds. Above all may you be glorified in this meeting! Grant me some wisdom from this reading.
Notes on 2 Kings
Chapter 8
Elisha told of a seven year famine that was coming and it came to pass.
Ben-hadad, king of Aram became ill and sent Hazael to seek out Elisha to see if he would recover. Elisha told Hazael to tell Ben-hadad that he would live but told Hazael that he was in fact going to die. Elisha then wept. Hazael asked why he was crying and Elisha told him that he wept for the monstrous things that Hazael would do to Israel. Hazael asked how he would do these things and Elisha told him that he would become king of Aram. Ben-hadad died and Hazael became king.
Jehoram succeeded his father, Jehoshaphat as king of Judah. Jehoram did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Ahaziah succeeded his father, Jehoram as king of Judah. Ahaziah reigned only for one year and did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 9
Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat as king of Israel. The prophet then doomed the house of Ahab. Jehu then killed Joram, the king of Israel. Next, he killed Ahaziah, king of Judah who was visiting Joram in Jezreel. Jehu had three eunuchs throw Jezebel out of a window. He rode over her with a chariot. Dogs then devoured her flesh as the prophet decreed.
Chapter 10
Jehu then killed all of Ahab's descendants and supporters. Jehu then had 42 men of the house of Ahaziah killed. Jehu then called all of the worshippers of Baal in Israel into the temple of Baal. He slew them all and destroyed the temple, turning it into a latrine. While Jehu did good in the sight of the Lord, he still continued the sins of Jeroboam. He reigned over Israel for 28 years.
Chapter 11
Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah, killed all the royal family of Judah to rule. Joash was hidden from her though. Seven years later Joash was crowned as king of Judah. At the coronation of Joash, Athaliah was put to death. Judah then destroyed the temple of Baal and killed its high priest.
Chapter 12
Joash was seven years old when he became king. He reigned for 40 years and did good in the sight of the Lord because he was guided by the priest Jehoiada.
Chapter 13
Jehoahaz, son of Jehu became king of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Then, Jehoash became king of Israel. He also did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Elisha died and was buried.
Some men were burying a man when Moabite raiders came upon them suddenly. They threw the dead man's body into the grave of Elisha and fled. The man came back to life when he touched the bones of Elisha.
Chapter 14
Amaziah succeeded Joash as king of Judah. Amaziah pleased the Lord, but not as much as David. Amaziah killed the officials who murdered his father. He defeated the Edomites and captured the city of Sela. Amaziah was killed in Lachish and his son Azariah replaced him as king.
Jeroboam II became king of Israel after his father Jehoash died. Jeroboam II did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 15
Azariah, son of Amaziah, reigned over Judah for 52 years. He pleased the Lord, but did not destroy the high places. He became afflicted with leprosy.
Zechariah succeed his father Jeroboam II in Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and only reigned for six months.
Shallum killed Zechariah and ruled one month over Israel. Menahem killed Shallum and became king of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Pekahiah, son of Menahem, succeeded his father on the throne of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Pekahiah was killed by Pekah. Pekah then took over Israel. Hoshea, son of Elah, killed Pekah and took over Israel.
Jotham, son of Azariah, became king of Judah. He pleased the Lord, but did not destroy the high places.
Chapter 16
Ahaz, son of Jotham, succeeded his father as king of Judah. Ahaz did evil in the sight of the LOrd. He even immolated his son.
Rezin, king of Aram and Pekah, king of Israel then besieged Jerusalem. Ahaz enlisted Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria to help him. Together they defeated Aram and Israel. Tiglath-pileser killed Rezin.
Ahaz then removed the altar of the Lord from the Temple and replaced it with one that was similar to the one in Damascus.
Chapter 17
Hoshea became king in Israel after killing Pekah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not to the extent of the other kings of Israel. Under Hoshea, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported its citizens to Assyria. The Lord allowed this to happen because Israel was a stiff-necked people and served other gods.
Chapter 18
Hezekiah came to power in Judah. He pleased the Lord. He removed the high places and shattered the pillars and cut down the sacred poles. Hezekiah never turned from the Lord.
The king of Assyria taunted Jerusalem. He tried to turn Judah against king Hezekiah.
Chapter 19
Hezekiah called upon the Lord for deliverance from Assyria. The angel of the Lord came down and killed 165,000 Assyrians and so Sennacherib, king of Assyria returned to Nineveh. Sennacherib was killed in the temple of his god.
Chapter 20
Hezekiah became ill and Isaiah came to him to tell him to get his house in order for he was going to die. Hezekiah wept and prayed to the Lord. He was healed and lived 15 more years. Isaiah told Hezekiah that a time was coming when the people of Judah would be carried off to Babylon.
Chapter 21
Manasseh succeeded Hezekiah in Judah. He was 12 years old and reigned 55 years. Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord. He rebuilt the high places, erected altars to Baal and set up a sacred pole. He immolated his son and practiced witchcraft. Manasseh did more evil than any other king of Judah and shed much innocent blood.
Amon, son of Manasseh replaced Manasseh as king of Judah. Amon abandoned the Lord and did evil. Amon was killed in his house.
Chapter 22
Josiah, son of Amon became king at age 8. Josiah pleased the Lord and reigned 31 years.
Chapter 23
Josiah removed from the temple all things given to other gods. Josiah removed the sacred pole from the temple and burned it. He tore down the apartments of the cult prostitutes. He defiled all the high places and removed all the priests that were not Levites. He removed the place of Molech so there would be no more immolations. He cut down the sins of Jeroboam. Josiah reestablished the Passover. No Passover had been seen since before the time of the Judges. Josiah did away with all witchcraft and idolatry. Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt at Meggido.
Jehoahaz, son of Josiah replaced him as king of Judah. Jehoahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord. Jehoahaz was carried away to Egypt and Pharaoh Neco appointed Eliakim, son of Josiah as king of Judah. Eliakim changed his name to Jehoiakim and did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 24
Jehoiakim was made a vassal by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jehoiachin replaced Jehoiakim as king and did evil in the sight of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and carried of its treasure. He also deported the Judahites from Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle as king. Mattaniah changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
Chapter 25
Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and caught Zedekiah. Zedekiah's sons were killed in front of them and then he was taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar burned the Temple and the Palace. He burned all of Jerusalem. They carried away all the treasure and people of Jerusalem. Judah was carried away in exile.
Jehoiachin, king of Judah was released by Evil-merodach, successor of Nebuchadnezzar and given a seat of honor in Babylon.
The penalty of sin is great my Lord. I deserve no less than these of you chosen people. My sin is great indeed. Look upon me with mercy for I choose to serve you every day of my life. Do not destroy me, but show me your grace.
Thank you Lord for today. May all earth praise you for what you have done. The weather is beautiful. Tonight we go to meet with our counselors. Lord use tonight to begin the reconciliation process. Give me the strength to endure this process and separation. Give me the wisdom to speak what needs to be said. Pour out your spirit on Kris and John that they may enlighten us. Circumcise our hearts, ears and minds. Above all may you be glorified in this meeting! Grant me some wisdom from this reading.
Notes on 2 Kings
Chapter 8
Elisha told of a seven year famine that was coming and it came to pass.
Ben-hadad, king of Aram became ill and sent Hazael to seek out Elisha to see if he would recover. Elisha told Hazael to tell Ben-hadad that he would live but told Hazael that he was in fact going to die. Elisha then wept. Hazael asked why he was crying and Elisha told him that he wept for the monstrous things that Hazael would do to Israel. Hazael asked how he would do these things and Elisha told him that he would become king of Aram. Ben-hadad died and Hazael became king.
Jehoram succeeded his father, Jehoshaphat as king of Judah. Jehoram did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Ahaziah succeeded his father, Jehoram as king of Judah. Ahaziah reigned only for one year and did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 9
Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat as king of Israel. The prophet then doomed the house of Ahab. Jehu then killed Joram, the king of Israel. Next, he killed Ahaziah, king of Judah who was visiting Joram in Jezreel. Jehu had three eunuchs throw Jezebel out of a window. He rode over her with a chariot. Dogs then devoured her flesh as the prophet decreed.
Chapter 10
Jehu then killed all of Ahab's descendants and supporters. Jehu then had 42 men of the house of Ahaziah killed. Jehu then called all of the worshippers of Baal in Israel into the temple of Baal. He slew them all and destroyed the temple, turning it into a latrine. While Jehu did good in the sight of the Lord, he still continued the sins of Jeroboam. He reigned over Israel for 28 years.
Chapter 11
Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah, killed all the royal family of Judah to rule. Joash was hidden from her though. Seven years later Joash was crowned as king of Judah. At the coronation of Joash, Athaliah was put to death. Judah then destroyed the temple of Baal and killed its high priest.
Chapter 12
Joash was seven years old when he became king. He reigned for 40 years and did good in the sight of the Lord because he was guided by the priest Jehoiada.
Chapter 13
Jehoahaz, son of Jehu became king of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Then, Jehoash became king of Israel. He also did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Elisha died and was buried.
Some men were burying a man when Moabite raiders came upon them suddenly. They threw the dead man's body into the grave of Elisha and fled. The man came back to life when he touched the bones of Elisha.
Chapter 14
Amaziah succeeded Joash as king of Judah. Amaziah pleased the Lord, but not as much as David. Amaziah killed the officials who murdered his father. He defeated the Edomites and captured the city of Sela. Amaziah was killed in Lachish and his son Azariah replaced him as king.
Jeroboam II became king of Israel after his father Jehoash died. Jeroboam II did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 15
Azariah, son of Amaziah, reigned over Judah for 52 years. He pleased the Lord, but did not destroy the high places. He became afflicted with leprosy.
Zechariah succeed his father Jeroboam II in Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and only reigned for six months.
Shallum killed Zechariah and ruled one month over Israel. Menahem killed Shallum and became king of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Pekahiah, son of Menahem, succeeded his father on the throne of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Pekahiah was killed by Pekah. Pekah then took over Israel. Hoshea, son of Elah, killed Pekah and took over Israel.
Jotham, son of Azariah, became king of Judah. He pleased the Lord, but did not destroy the high places.
Chapter 16
Ahaz, son of Jotham, succeeded his father as king of Judah. Ahaz did evil in the sight of the LOrd. He even immolated his son.
Rezin, king of Aram and Pekah, king of Israel then besieged Jerusalem. Ahaz enlisted Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria to help him. Together they defeated Aram and Israel. Tiglath-pileser killed Rezin.
Ahaz then removed the altar of the Lord from the Temple and replaced it with one that was similar to the one in Damascus.
Chapter 17
Hoshea became king in Israel after killing Pekah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not to the extent of the other kings of Israel. Under Hoshea, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported its citizens to Assyria. The Lord allowed this to happen because Israel was a stiff-necked people and served other gods.
Chapter 18
Hezekiah came to power in Judah. He pleased the Lord. He removed the high places and shattered the pillars and cut down the sacred poles. Hezekiah never turned from the Lord.
The king of Assyria taunted Jerusalem. He tried to turn Judah against king Hezekiah.
Chapter 19
Hezekiah called upon the Lord for deliverance from Assyria. The angel of the Lord came down and killed 165,000 Assyrians and so Sennacherib, king of Assyria returned to Nineveh. Sennacherib was killed in the temple of his god.
Chapter 20
Hezekiah became ill and Isaiah came to him to tell him to get his house in order for he was going to die. Hezekiah wept and prayed to the Lord. He was healed and lived 15 more years. Isaiah told Hezekiah that a time was coming when the people of Judah would be carried off to Babylon.
Chapter 21
Manasseh succeeded Hezekiah in Judah. He was 12 years old and reigned 55 years. Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord. He rebuilt the high places, erected altars to Baal and set up a sacred pole. He immolated his son and practiced witchcraft. Manasseh did more evil than any other king of Judah and shed much innocent blood.
Amon, son of Manasseh replaced Manasseh as king of Judah. Amon abandoned the Lord and did evil. Amon was killed in his house.
Chapter 22
Josiah, son of Amon became king at age 8. Josiah pleased the Lord and reigned 31 years.
Chapter 23
Josiah removed from the temple all things given to other gods. Josiah removed the sacred pole from the temple and burned it. He tore down the apartments of the cult prostitutes. He defiled all the high places and removed all the priests that were not Levites. He removed the place of Molech so there would be no more immolations. He cut down the sins of Jeroboam. Josiah reestablished the Passover. No Passover had been seen since before the time of the Judges. Josiah did away with all witchcraft and idolatry. Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt at Meggido.
Jehoahaz, son of Josiah replaced him as king of Judah. Jehoahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord. Jehoahaz was carried away to Egypt and Pharaoh Neco appointed Eliakim, son of Josiah as king of Judah. Eliakim changed his name to Jehoiakim and did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 24
Jehoiakim was made a vassal by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jehoiachin replaced Jehoiakim as king and did evil in the sight of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and carried of its treasure. He also deported the Judahites from Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle as king. Mattaniah changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
Chapter 25
Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and caught Zedekiah. Zedekiah's sons were killed in front of them and then he was taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar burned the Temple and the Palace. He burned all of Jerusalem. They carried away all the treasure and people of Jerusalem. Judah was carried away in exile.
Jehoiachin, king of Judah was released by Evil-merodach, successor of Nebuchadnezzar and given a seat of honor in Babylon.
The penalty of sin is great my Lord. I deserve no less than these of you chosen people. My sin is great indeed. Look upon me with mercy for I choose to serve you every day of my life. Do not destroy me, but show me your grace.
Brief Notes on City of God - Book 1
(Originally Written June 4, 2008 in the Journal)
Notes on City of God by Augustine
Introduction
"The great lesson of the City of God is that out of all things come good" (Augustine, ix)
Book I
Great effort is needed to convince the proud of the power of humility.
The city of this world seeks to dominate but is dominated by its lust for domination.
"God's providence constantly uses war to correct and chasten the corrupt morals of mankind, as it also uses such afflictions to train men in a righteous and laudable way of life, removing to a better state those whose life is approved, or else keeping them in this world for further service" (Augustine, 6).
It is foolish to trust in gods who can be conquered and yet saved by man's hands. A god ought to be unconquerable and capable of saving man, not the other way around.
The god of Rome would have perished long ago if the Romans had not so painstakingly preserved them.
It is foolishness for men to blame the collapse of Rome on Christ when they invoked his name to save their very lives! The fall of Rome was brought about by their corrupt morals.
In the sack of Rome, the savagery of war was tempered by something new: Christianity. Pagan and Christian alike were spared in the temples of Christ. How then can Christ be blamed for the fall of Rome?
The mercy of the Lord extends to both the good and the bad. This is so the wicked can repent and come to the Lord, for God waits for all men to come. Some choose to harden their hearts, but that is their own task for destruction.
The mercy God extends will someday in the future only extend to those who accept Him.
God has willed that temporal goods and temporal evils will befall good and bad alike.
"The good man is not exalted by this world's goods; nor is he overwhelmed by this world's ills" (Augustine, 13-14).
Not all evil doing is punished in this world. Some punishment is stored up for the final judgment.
God punishes some sin in this world so that the belief in providence never ceases.
God rewards some good deeds here so that we do not believe God has no concern for temporal blessings, but other good deeds have blessings that are bestowed after this temporal life is done.
Though the suffering of the good and evil are alike, the sufferers are different. The wicked curse God under affliction; the good offer prayers to Him.
"Stir a cesspit, and a foul stench arises; stir a perfume, and a delightful fragrance ascends. But the movement is identical" (Augustine, 14).
The suffering of Christians have caused their moral improvement because they viewed them with eyes of faith.
Christians suffer justly when they do not admonish sins, for not to admonish sin is a sin itself.
The good and bad suffer because though they do not live equal lives, they both love this temporal world too much.
The worldly advantages of life are not discreditable in themselves. What is discreditable is when the Christian is unduly attached to those advantages.
The Christian loses nothing in the deprivation of temporal goods. A man can be poor in life, yet rich in spirit. A Christian ought to be content with that they have and bless the Lord for it.
Those Christians who grieve the loss of their temporal goods, though they do not love them as much as they love Christ, can learn how much sin they have committed in losing those temporal things. These Christians refused to be taught by words and so God taught them by experience.
Christ condemns the desire for riches, not the opportunity riches afford.
Those who suffer torture who have no wealth on account of wealth confess Christ. If the torturer is not swayed the tortured will still be justly rewarded in heaven.
The only thing that makes death an evil is what comes after death. We ought not worry about death because all die; we should instead focus on our destination after death.
We need not worry over the body of a man who has died. Those who can kill the body have no power over the soul. The saints who have fallen but not been given a proper burial will still be resurrected.
Suicide is never justifiable.
Purity is a virtue of the mind, not the body.
Courage endures evil, but does not condone it.
We cannot commit suicide for the Bible says we cannot kill (which implies a human being) and to kill one's self is to kill a human being.
Not all homicide is murder. God orders killing, but when He does so the man does not do the killing. He is just an instrument of God. He is like the sword that God is wielding.
Though gods may be false, worship of those gods can be sincere.
The judgment of God is inscrutable and His ways are mysterious. Sometimes we cannot comprehend why we suffer, but we can take consolation in the fact that Divine Providence is at work.
God always works suffering to result in our justification or our correction.
The saints ought not to regret this temporal life for it is their schooling for eternity.
Those who rebel against the Christian era do so that they may indulge themselves in extravagant sin.
The Church has members hidden amongst the world as the Church has ungodly hidden in its midst. But, God knows these men.
The city of God and the city of man stand interwoven and intermixed, awaiting separation on the Judgment Day.
Notes on City of God by Augustine
Introduction
"The great lesson of the City of God is that out of all things come good" (Augustine, ix)
Book I
Great effort is needed to convince the proud of the power of humility.
The city of this world seeks to dominate but is dominated by its lust for domination.
"God's providence constantly uses war to correct and chasten the corrupt morals of mankind, as it also uses such afflictions to train men in a righteous and laudable way of life, removing to a better state those whose life is approved, or else keeping them in this world for further service" (Augustine, 6).
It is foolish to trust in gods who can be conquered and yet saved by man's hands. A god ought to be unconquerable and capable of saving man, not the other way around.
The god of Rome would have perished long ago if the Romans had not so painstakingly preserved them.
It is foolishness for men to blame the collapse of Rome on Christ when they invoked his name to save their very lives! The fall of Rome was brought about by their corrupt morals.
In the sack of Rome, the savagery of war was tempered by something new: Christianity. Pagan and Christian alike were spared in the temples of Christ. How then can Christ be blamed for the fall of Rome?
The mercy of the Lord extends to both the good and the bad. This is so the wicked can repent and come to the Lord, for God waits for all men to come. Some choose to harden their hearts, but that is their own task for destruction.
The mercy God extends will someday in the future only extend to those who accept Him.
God has willed that temporal goods and temporal evils will befall good and bad alike.
"The good man is not exalted by this world's goods; nor is he overwhelmed by this world's ills" (Augustine, 13-14).
Not all evil doing is punished in this world. Some punishment is stored up for the final judgment.
God punishes some sin in this world so that the belief in providence never ceases.
God rewards some good deeds here so that we do not believe God has no concern for temporal blessings, but other good deeds have blessings that are bestowed after this temporal life is done.
Though the suffering of the good and evil are alike, the sufferers are different. The wicked curse God under affliction; the good offer prayers to Him.
"Stir a cesspit, and a foul stench arises; stir a perfume, and a delightful fragrance ascends. But the movement is identical" (Augustine, 14).
The suffering of Christians have caused their moral improvement because they viewed them with eyes of faith.
Christians suffer justly when they do not admonish sins, for not to admonish sin is a sin itself.
The good and bad suffer because though they do not live equal lives, they both love this temporal world too much.
The worldly advantages of life are not discreditable in themselves. What is discreditable is when the Christian is unduly attached to those advantages.
The Christian loses nothing in the deprivation of temporal goods. A man can be poor in life, yet rich in spirit. A Christian ought to be content with that they have and bless the Lord for it.
Those Christians who grieve the loss of their temporal goods, though they do not love them as much as they love Christ, can learn how much sin they have committed in losing those temporal things. These Christians refused to be taught by words and so God taught them by experience.
Christ condemns the desire for riches, not the opportunity riches afford.
Those who suffer torture who have no wealth on account of wealth confess Christ. If the torturer is not swayed the tortured will still be justly rewarded in heaven.
The only thing that makes death an evil is what comes after death. We ought not worry about death because all die; we should instead focus on our destination after death.
We need not worry over the body of a man who has died. Those who can kill the body have no power over the soul. The saints who have fallen but not been given a proper burial will still be resurrected.
Suicide is never justifiable.
Purity is a virtue of the mind, not the body.
Courage endures evil, but does not condone it.
We cannot commit suicide for the Bible says we cannot kill (which implies a human being) and to kill one's self is to kill a human being.
Not all homicide is murder. God orders killing, but when He does so the man does not do the killing. He is just an instrument of God. He is like the sword that God is wielding.
Though gods may be false, worship of those gods can be sincere.
The judgment of God is inscrutable and His ways are mysterious. Sometimes we cannot comprehend why we suffer, but we can take consolation in the fact that Divine Providence is at work.
God always works suffering to result in our justification or our correction.
The saints ought not to regret this temporal life for it is their schooling for eternity.
Those who rebel against the Christian era do so that they may indulge themselves in extravagant sin.
The Church has members hidden amongst the world as the Church has ungodly hidden in its midst. But, God knows these men.
The city of God and the city of man stand interwoven and intermixed, awaiting separation on the Judgment Day.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Brief Notes on The Epistle to Diognetus
(Originally Written June 3, 2008 in the Journal)
The Lord is good and faithful, merciful and just. He fills my cup when it is empty and restores me to health when I am sick. Though my world collapses around me, I stand firm for my feet rest upon the Rock. Give me strength to make it through today Lord. Grant me the wisdom to follow you. May you treat my enemies severely in your time, but give me the grace to treat them with love. Lord be with her. Do not cut her off form you. She seeks that which she knows not. Though you know perfectly well she seeks you in the wrong places. Guide her aim to you. Fill her cup and restore her to you. If it is in your will restore her to me as well. Teach me today Lord that I may be more fit to serve you.
Notes on Early Christian Writings
The Epistle to Diognetus is a treatise that was most likely written between 120-200 A.D. Diognetus seems to have been a Greek official and a pagan who had an interest in Christianity.
The Epistle to Diognetus
The author starts by criticizing idols as they are made by man with perishable substances. The fact is that these gods could be refashioned into everyday, common items. "In a word, are they not, one and all, nothing but dumb, blind, lifeless things, without sense, without movement, rotting and decaying?" (Early Christian Writings, 143). It is interesting that the gods made of stone and pottery are left unprotected, but those of gold and silver are guarded. This shows that the material is even more valuable to you then the gods themselves.
The Jews, while serving the true God, make use of the absurd rituals of the pagans. If these rituals are absurd to stone, lifeless things, then who could expect the living God to see them as acceptable?
"One party, it seems, makes its offerings to creatures which cannot partake of the gifts, the other to the One who needs none of them" (Early Christian Writings, 144).
The unique things of Christians is that they live among their people, but are citizens of heaven. "They obey the prescribed laws, but in their own private lives they transcend the laws. They show love to all men - and all men persecute them" (Early Christian Writings, 145).
Christians are to the world as the soul is to the body. The soul is through the whole body and likewise Christians live throughout the world. The soul is in the body but does not form part of it. So too are Christians in the world but not part of it. The soul is immortal but must live in the mortal body, so too the Christian.
It is the moral duty of a Christian not shrink from sufferings and persecutions.
There is no compulsion found in the Word of God. He came to save us by persuasion, not compulsion.
The more the Christians suffer, the more men join their ranks.
Christianity is not the product of man, but of God.
Only through faith are we permitted to know God.
The Lord was loving and long-suffering toward mankind.
The wickedness of the masses was covered by the Innocence of Jesus Christ. The Lord set out from the beginning to exchange the Holy for the wicked because He loves us so.
God has not willed man to be imitators of Him.
"Without knowledge there can be no life, and without life there can be no trustworthy knowledge" (Early Christian Writings, 150).
The Lord is good and faithful, merciful and just. He fills my cup when it is empty and restores me to health when I am sick. Though my world collapses around me, I stand firm for my feet rest upon the Rock. Give me strength to make it through today Lord. Grant me the wisdom to follow you. May you treat my enemies severely in your time, but give me the grace to treat them with love. Lord be with her. Do not cut her off form you. She seeks that which she knows not. Though you know perfectly well she seeks you in the wrong places. Guide her aim to you. Fill her cup and restore her to you. If it is in your will restore her to me as well. Teach me today Lord that I may be more fit to serve you.
Notes on Early Christian Writings
The Epistle to Diognetus is a treatise that was most likely written between 120-200 A.D. Diognetus seems to have been a Greek official and a pagan who had an interest in Christianity.
The Epistle to Diognetus
The author starts by criticizing idols as they are made by man with perishable substances. The fact is that these gods could be refashioned into everyday, common items. "In a word, are they not, one and all, nothing but dumb, blind, lifeless things, without sense, without movement, rotting and decaying?" (Early Christian Writings, 143). It is interesting that the gods made of stone and pottery are left unprotected, but those of gold and silver are guarded. This shows that the material is even more valuable to you then the gods themselves.
The Jews, while serving the true God, make use of the absurd rituals of the pagans. If these rituals are absurd to stone, lifeless things, then who could expect the living God to see them as acceptable?
"One party, it seems, makes its offerings to creatures which cannot partake of the gifts, the other to the One who needs none of them" (Early Christian Writings, 144).
The unique things of Christians is that they live among their people, but are citizens of heaven. "They obey the prescribed laws, but in their own private lives they transcend the laws. They show love to all men - and all men persecute them" (Early Christian Writings, 145).
Christians are to the world as the soul is to the body. The soul is through the whole body and likewise Christians live throughout the world. The soul is in the body but does not form part of it. So too are Christians in the world but not part of it. The soul is immortal but must live in the mortal body, so too the Christian.
It is the moral duty of a Christian not shrink from sufferings and persecutions.
There is no compulsion found in the Word of God. He came to save us by persuasion, not compulsion.
The more the Christians suffer, the more men join their ranks.
Christianity is not the product of man, but of God.
Only through faith are we permitted to know God.
The Lord was loving and long-suffering toward mankind.
The wickedness of the masses was covered by the Innocence of Jesus Christ. The Lord set out from the beginning to exchange the Holy for the wicked because He loves us so.
God has not willed man to be imitators of Him.
"Without knowledge there can be no life, and without life there can be no trustworthy knowledge" (Early Christian Writings, 150).
Brief Notes on 1 Kings 9-22
(Originally Written June 3, 2008 in the Journal)
Notes on 1 Kings
Chapter 9
The Lord spoke to Solomon through Gibeon, telling Solomon that the Lord would remain faithful to the temple so long as Solomon and Israel remained faithful to the Lord. But, He warned Solomon if they turned to idols He would put the Temple to ruins.
Chapter 10
The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see if he was as wise as his fame reported. She found it to be so and gave Solomon the largest gift ever given to a king. Solomon grew to be the wealthiest man in the world and all kings of the earth came to hear his wisdom. (It is interesting that the Scriptures state that the men came to hear the wisdom that God had given him, not to see the fortune of Solomon).
Chapter 11
Solomon sinned and married many foreign women. Solomon was swayed by the gods of his wives and did not follow the Lord with his whole heart as David had done. The Lord grew angry with Solomon and told him that He would split the kingdom, not in the lifetime of Solomon though on account of the Lord's love of David. God raised up Hadad, heir to Edom against Solomon. Also the Lord raised up Rezin, who became king of Damascus, against Solomon. The Lord raised up Jeroboam and gave to him 10 tribes of Israel to be king over.
Chapter 12
Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went up to Schechem and spoke to Israel. They told Rehoboam they would follow him if he had an easier yoke for them than Solomon. Rehoboam consulted his father's advisors and they told him to do such. He then consulted young men of his age and they told him to press the Israelites even harder. Rehoboam took the latter advice and Israel abandoned him as king, leaving only Judah for him to rule.
Jeroboam was then made king of Israel's other ten tribes. Jeroboam then sinned against the Lord by erecting idols to the Lord to have the people worship at, rather than traveling to Jerusalem.
Chapter 13
The Lord sent up a man from Judah to the altar where Jeroboam was offering sacrifices and spoke out against Jeroboam. He told everyone that Josiah would rise up out of Judah and slaughter Israel on this altar for their sins. A prophet of Israel tricked the man of God from Judah into coming home with him and eating. As punishment the man of God from Judah was slain by a lion on his trip back home.
Chapter 14
Abijah, the son of Jeroboam grew ill so Jeroboam sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah to find out what would happen to his son. It was Ahijah that told Jeroboam initially that he would become king. Ahijah told Jeroboam's wife that her son would die because of the sins of Jeroboam. All Ahijah said happened and all of Israel mourned the death of Abijah. Jeroboam died and his son Nadab succeeded him. Jeroboam reigned for 22 years.
Rehoboam, the king of Judah sinned and the Lord punished Judah. The Egyptian king carried off the wealth of the Temple of Solomon.
Chapter 15
Abijam succeeded Rehoboam as king of Judah. Abijam warred with Jeroboam and reigned over Judah for three years. He sinned as his father Rehoboam had.
Asa, son of Abijam, succeeded Abijam and reigned for 41 years. Asa banished the prostitutes and tore down the idols of his fathers. Asa pleased the Lord.
Nadab, son of Jeroboam, king of Israel was wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He only reigned for two years over Israel.
Baasha, a son of Issachar, deposed Nadab and became king over Israel. Baasha killed off the entire house of Jeroboam. Baasha reigned for 24 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Chapter 16
Elah, son of Baasha, succeeded him as king of Israel.
Zimri plotted against Elah and killed him. He then killed the whole house of Baasha as the Lord had said would happen through the prophet Jehu.
Zimri reigned for only seven days and was replaced by Omri, the general of the Israelite army.
Omri reigned for 12 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Ahab succeeded his father Omri as king. Ahab reigned for 22 years over Israel, but was even more wicked than his father. Ahab turned to Baal worship. During the reign of Ahab a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt Jericho. He lost his two sons as the Lord said would happen through Joshua.
Chapter 17
Elijah rose up and went to king Ahab and told him that the Lord would send a drought on him. Elijah then hid in the Wadi Cherith where the Lord had ravens feed him. The wadi grew dry and the Lord sent Elijah to a widow in Sidon. There the Lord made the widow's cup of flour and cup of oil sustain her, Elijah and her son for a whole year. Elijah called upon the Lord to heal the boy and the Lord did so.
Chapter 18
Obadiah hid 100 prophets of the Lord when Jezebel, queen of Ahab began to murder the followers of the Lord.
Elijah then went to Ahab as the Lord commanded. Elijah commanded Ahab to summon Israel to Mount Carmel along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Elijah spoke to the people of ISrael and said, 'if the Lord is God then follow him; if Baal is God then follow him'. Elijah called for two bulls, one for himself and one for the prophets of Baal. He said the true God would start the fire for the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal called on Baal to start the fire for hours, but Elijah mocked them. Elijah then prepared the bull on the altar to the Lord he had built and poured twelve jars of water on the holocaust. He prayed to the Lord and the fire of the Lord came down and consumed the holocaust and the altar itself. Elijah told the Israelites to kill the prophets of Baal and the Lord sent rain to parched Israel.
Chapter 19
Jezebel cursed Elijah for what he did to the prophets of Baal. Elijah walked across the desert for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb to escape Jezebel. Elijah then went and anointed Elisha as his successor as the Lord commanded.
Chapter 20
Ben-hadad, king of Aram went to war against Ahab of Israel. The Lord then delivered the Arameans into the hands of Ahab. Ben-hadad attacked again and the Lord handed him a defeat through Israel. But, Ahab set Ben-hadad free, so the Lord's anger flared up against Ahab.
Chapter 21
Ahab went to Naboth and asked him to sell his vineyard to him, but Naboth refused because it was his ancestral heritage. Jezebel then had Naboth stoned to death and told Ahab to go and claim the field. Elijah then went and doomed the line of Ahab on cue from the Lord. Ahab humbled himself before the Lord at the news, so the Lord told Elijah that because Ahab had humbled himself he would not bring about the doom during Ahab's life.
Chapter 22
King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab went to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead from Aram. Four hundred prophets of the Lord told Ahab to go, but Micaiah told him that he would be defeated. Ahab locked Micaiah in prison until he returned. Micaiah said that if he returned then the words he had spoken were not from the Lord. King Ahab was killed while he was in disguise by a stray arrow. The Israelites then fled in terror.
King Jehoshaphat reigned 25 years over Judah. He followed his father Asa and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
King Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah. Ahaziah was wicked and worshiped Baal. He reigned only two years.
Notes on 1 Kings
Chapter 9
The Lord spoke to Solomon through Gibeon, telling Solomon that the Lord would remain faithful to the temple so long as Solomon and Israel remained faithful to the Lord. But, He warned Solomon if they turned to idols He would put the Temple to ruins.
Chapter 10
The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see if he was as wise as his fame reported. She found it to be so and gave Solomon the largest gift ever given to a king. Solomon grew to be the wealthiest man in the world and all kings of the earth came to hear his wisdom. (It is interesting that the Scriptures state that the men came to hear the wisdom that God had given him, not to see the fortune of Solomon).
Chapter 11
Solomon sinned and married many foreign women. Solomon was swayed by the gods of his wives and did not follow the Lord with his whole heart as David had done. The Lord grew angry with Solomon and told him that He would split the kingdom, not in the lifetime of Solomon though on account of the Lord's love of David. God raised up Hadad, heir to Edom against Solomon. Also the Lord raised up Rezin, who became king of Damascus, against Solomon. The Lord raised up Jeroboam and gave to him 10 tribes of Israel to be king over.
Chapter 12
Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went up to Schechem and spoke to Israel. They told Rehoboam they would follow him if he had an easier yoke for them than Solomon. Rehoboam consulted his father's advisors and they told him to do such. He then consulted young men of his age and they told him to press the Israelites even harder. Rehoboam took the latter advice and Israel abandoned him as king, leaving only Judah for him to rule.
Jeroboam was then made king of Israel's other ten tribes. Jeroboam then sinned against the Lord by erecting idols to the Lord to have the people worship at, rather than traveling to Jerusalem.
Chapter 13
The Lord sent up a man from Judah to the altar where Jeroboam was offering sacrifices and spoke out against Jeroboam. He told everyone that Josiah would rise up out of Judah and slaughter Israel on this altar for their sins. A prophet of Israel tricked the man of God from Judah into coming home with him and eating. As punishment the man of God from Judah was slain by a lion on his trip back home.
Chapter 14
Abijah, the son of Jeroboam grew ill so Jeroboam sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah to find out what would happen to his son. It was Ahijah that told Jeroboam initially that he would become king. Ahijah told Jeroboam's wife that her son would die because of the sins of Jeroboam. All Ahijah said happened and all of Israel mourned the death of Abijah. Jeroboam died and his son Nadab succeeded him. Jeroboam reigned for 22 years.
Rehoboam, the king of Judah sinned and the Lord punished Judah. The Egyptian king carried off the wealth of the Temple of Solomon.
Chapter 15
Abijam succeeded Rehoboam as king of Judah. Abijam warred with Jeroboam and reigned over Judah for three years. He sinned as his father Rehoboam had.
Asa, son of Abijam, succeeded Abijam and reigned for 41 years. Asa banished the prostitutes and tore down the idols of his fathers. Asa pleased the Lord.
Nadab, son of Jeroboam, king of Israel was wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He only reigned for two years over Israel.
Baasha, a son of Issachar, deposed Nadab and became king over Israel. Baasha killed off the entire house of Jeroboam. Baasha reigned for 24 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Chapter 16
Elah, son of Baasha, succeeded him as king of Israel.
Zimri plotted against Elah and killed him. He then killed the whole house of Baasha as the Lord had said would happen through the prophet Jehu.
Zimri reigned for only seven days and was replaced by Omri, the general of the Israelite army.
Omri reigned for 12 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Ahab succeeded his father Omri as king. Ahab reigned for 22 years over Israel, but was even more wicked than his father. Ahab turned to Baal worship. During the reign of Ahab a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt Jericho. He lost his two sons as the Lord said would happen through Joshua.
Chapter 17
Elijah rose up and went to king Ahab and told him that the Lord would send a drought on him. Elijah then hid in the Wadi Cherith where the Lord had ravens feed him. The wadi grew dry and the Lord sent Elijah to a widow in Sidon. There the Lord made the widow's cup of flour and cup of oil sustain her, Elijah and her son for a whole year. Elijah called upon the Lord to heal the boy and the Lord did so.
Chapter 18
Obadiah hid 100 prophets of the Lord when Jezebel, queen of Ahab began to murder the followers of the Lord.
Elijah then went to Ahab as the Lord commanded. Elijah commanded Ahab to summon Israel to Mount Carmel along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Elijah spoke to the people of ISrael and said, 'if the Lord is God then follow him; if Baal is God then follow him'. Elijah called for two bulls, one for himself and one for the prophets of Baal. He said the true God would start the fire for the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal called on Baal to start the fire for hours, but Elijah mocked them. Elijah then prepared the bull on the altar to the Lord he had built and poured twelve jars of water on the holocaust. He prayed to the Lord and the fire of the Lord came down and consumed the holocaust and the altar itself. Elijah told the Israelites to kill the prophets of Baal and the Lord sent rain to parched Israel.
Chapter 19
Jezebel cursed Elijah for what he did to the prophets of Baal. Elijah walked across the desert for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb to escape Jezebel. Elijah then went and anointed Elisha as his successor as the Lord commanded.
Chapter 20
Ben-hadad, king of Aram went to war against Ahab of Israel. The Lord then delivered the Arameans into the hands of Ahab. Ben-hadad attacked again and the Lord handed him a defeat through Israel. But, Ahab set Ben-hadad free, so the Lord's anger flared up against Ahab.
Chapter 21
Ahab went to Naboth and asked him to sell his vineyard to him, but Naboth refused because it was his ancestral heritage. Jezebel then had Naboth stoned to death and told Ahab to go and claim the field. Elijah then went and doomed the line of Ahab on cue from the Lord. Ahab humbled himself before the Lord at the news, so the Lord told Elijah that because Ahab had humbled himself he would not bring about the doom during Ahab's life.
Chapter 22
King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab went to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead from Aram. Four hundred prophets of the Lord told Ahab to go, but Micaiah told him that he would be defeated. Ahab locked Micaiah in prison until he returned. Micaiah said that if he returned then the words he had spoken were not from the Lord. King Ahab was killed while he was in disguise by a stray arrow. The Israelites then fled in terror.
King Jehoshaphat reigned 25 years over Judah. He followed his father Asa and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
King Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah. Ahaziah was wicked and worshiped Baal. He reigned only two years.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Brief Notes on I Samuel 1-12
(Originally written in May 28, 2008 in the Journal)
May the Lord look upon me with favor as I faithfully serve Him, swaying neither to the left nor to the right. Lord I am tempted already! How can I make it through August on just bread and water when I am struggling on day two? Was I rash when I vowed to do this? Did I not hear your voice? No, I did. Lord, help me through these temptations. I will be faithful, swerving neither to the left nor the right.
Notes on I Samuel
Chapter 1
There was a man named Elkanah who had two wives, Hannah and Peninah. Hannah was barren, but Peninah had sons. Elkanah loved Hannah more, but Peninah taunted her for being barren. Hannah wept and prayed to the Lord to give her a son and she vowed to dedicated him to the Lord. Eli, the priest, first thinking that Hannah was drunk admonished her, but learning that her prayers were out of deep sorrow blessed her and sent her home. The Lord answered Hannah's prayers and gave her a son named Samuel. Hannah then gave to Eli the priest her son as she had vowed to the Lord.
Chapter 2
"There is no Holy One like the Lord; there is no rock like our God" (I Samuel 2:2, New American Bible).
The sons of Eli were wicked and respected neither the Lord nor the priesthood. The Lord blessed Hannah with three more sons and two daughters. Eli admonished his own sons for being wicked, but they did not listen. Samuel was growing up strong in the Lord. The angel of the Lord appeared to Eli and told him that his family would be doomed for their wickedness and that his two sons would die on the same day.
Chapter 3
One night Samuel was sleeping and heard a voice calling out to him. He ran to Eli but Eli had not called for him. This happened again a second time. The third time this happened Eli realized that the Lord was calling to Samuel and told Samuel to answer the voice of the Lord. The Lord told Samuel that he was going to doom Eli's family. Eli pressed this from Samuel and then said the Lord will do what he judges best on hearing the vision. Samuel became recognized as a prophet on account of the Lord.
Chapter 4
The Philistines defeated Israel in battle so the Israelites decided to take the Ark of the Covenant up to battle. When the ark reached the camp of Israel the warriors shouted so loudly the earth shook. When the Philistines learned of this they became frightened. But, the Philistines defeated the Israelites and captured the ark and Eli's two sons. When Eli learned that the ark was stolen and his two sons were dead he fell back and broke his neck and died. He was 98 years old.
Chapter 5
The Philistines took the ark back to the Temple of Dagon. The next morning the idol of Dagon was lying prone before the ark. The people picked him up and put him back in his proper place, but the next morning the idol was broken and laying before the ark.
The Lord sent plagues to Ashdod (where the ark was) and the people feared it and sent it to Gath. The Lord sent the plague to Gath. The Philistines then moved the ark to Ekron. The people of Ekron wanted to send the ark back because the Lord had dealt severly with them.
Chapter 6
The Philistines put the ark on a cart and hitched it to two cows. The cows then carried it back to Israel.
Chapter 7
Samuel told Israel that if they wished to be free of the Philistines and to serve the Lord they must turn aside from the Baals. Israel did so. The Israelites defeated the Philistines at Mizpah because of the Lord.
Chapter 8
Samuel appointed his sons Joel and Abijah as judges but they perverted justice so the people asked for a king. Samuel was displeased with this but the Lord told him to grant the Israelite's request. Samuel warned them that the king would enslave them, but the people refused to listen to him.
Chapter 9
Kish had some asses who ran away so he sent his son Saul and a servant to find them. When they could not they went to see a man of God to tell them the way. The Lord told Samuel that a man from Benjamin would seek him and that Samuel should appoint him as king. When Samuel saw Saul the Lord told him Saul was to be king. Samuel invited Saul to dinner. Saul was placed at the seat of honor. After dinner, Saul spent the night.
Chapter 10
Samuel then anointed Saul as king. He told him what was to happen and Saul went on his way. All of what Samuel prophesied came true. Samuel then appointed Saul as king in front of all the people.
Chapter 11
Saul summoned 300,000 Israelites to attack Nahash the Ammonite who was besieging Jabesh-Gilead. Saul and his army slaughtered the Ammonites.
Chapter 12
Samuel warned the people against idolatry and meaningless gods. He told them that the Lord would remember the covenant for the sake of His own great name.
Lord, remember me for your name. Remember the marriage vows we said before you. Honor those vows and strengthen our relationship so that you are credited with the victory over sin. Save this marriage so all who meet us will know of your grace and love. I beseech you, do not forsake this marriage. Make it holy and blameless in your sight. By your power it is easily done. Above all do your will but I will continue to pray until you grant me this request.
May the Lord look upon me with favor as I faithfully serve Him, swaying neither to the left nor to the right. Lord I am tempted already! How can I make it through August on just bread and water when I am struggling on day two? Was I rash when I vowed to do this? Did I not hear your voice? No, I did. Lord, help me through these temptations. I will be faithful, swerving neither to the left nor the right.
Notes on I Samuel
Chapter 1
There was a man named Elkanah who had two wives, Hannah and Peninah. Hannah was barren, but Peninah had sons. Elkanah loved Hannah more, but Peninah taunted her for being barren. Hannah wept and prayed to the Lord to give her a son and she vowed to dedicated him to the Lord. Eli, the priest, first thinking that Hannah was drunk admonished her, but learning that her prayers were out of deep sorrow blessed her and sent her home. The Lord answered Hannah's prayers and gave her a son named Samuel. Hannah then gave to Eli the priest her son as she had vowed to the Lord.
Chapter 2
"There is no Holy One like the Lord; there is no rock like our God" (I Samuel 2:2, New American Bible).
The sons of Eli were wicked and respected neither the Lord nor the priesthood. The Lord blessed Hannah with three more sons and two daughters. Eli admonished his own sons for being wicked, but they did not listen. Samuel was growing up strong in the Lord. The angel of the Lord appeared to Eli and told him that his family would be doomed for their wickedness and that his two sons would die on the same day.
Chapter 3
One night Samuel was sleeping and heard a voice calling out to him. He ran to Eli but Eli had not called for him. This happened again a second time. The third time this happened Eli realized that the Lord was calling to Samuel and told Samuel to answer the voice of the Lord. The Lord told Samuel that he was going to doom Eli's family. Eli pressed this from Samuel and then said the Lord will do what he judges best on hearing the vision. Samuel became recognized as a prophet on account of the Lord.
Chapter 4
The Philistines defeated Israel in battle so the Israelites decided to take the Ark of the Covenant up to battle. When the ark reached the camp of Israel the warriors shouted so loudly the earth shook. When the Philistines learned of this they became frightened. But, the Philistines defeated the Israelites and captured the ark and Eli's two sons. When Eli learned that the ark was stolen and his two sons were dead he fell back and broke his neck and died. He was 98 years old.
Chapter 5
The Philistines took the ark back to the Temple of Dagon. The next morning the idol of Dagon was lying prone before the ark. The people picked him up and put him back in his proper place, but the next morning the idol was broken and laying before the ark.
The Lord sent plagues to Ashdod (where the ark was) and the people feared it and sent it to Gath. The Lord sent the plague to Gath. The Philistines then moved the ark to Ekron. The people of Ekron wanted to send the ark back because the Lord had dealt severly with them.
Chapter 6
The Philistines put the ark on a cart and hitched it to two cows. The cows then carried it back to Israel.
Chapter 7
Samuel told Israel that if they wished to be free of the Philistines and to serve the Lord they must turn aside from the Baals. Israel did so. The Israelites defeated the Philistines at Mizpah because of the Lord.
Chapter 8
Samuel appointed his sons Joel and Abijah as judges but they perverted justice so the people asked for a king. Samuel was displeased with this but the Lord told him to grant the Israelite's request. Samuel warned them that the king would enslave them, but the people refused to listen to him.
Chapter 9
Kish had some asses who ran away so he sent his son Saul and a servant to find them. When they could not they went to see a man of God to tell them the way. The Lord told Samuel that a man from Benjamin would seek him and that Samuel should appoint him as king. When Samuel saw Saul the Lord told him Saul was to be king. Samuel invited Saul to dinner. Saul was placed at the seat of honor. After dinner, Saul spent the night.
Chapter 10
Samuel then anointed Saul as king. He told him what was to happen and Saul went on his way. All of what Samuel prophesied came true. Samuel then appointed Saul as king in front of all the people.
Chapter 11
Saul summoned 300,000 Israelites to attack Nahash the Ammonite who was besieging Jabesh-Gilead. Saul and his army slaughtered the Ammonites.
Chapter 12
Samuel warned the people against idolatry and meaningless gods. He told them that the Lord would remember the covenant for the sake of His own great name.
Lord, remember me for your name. Remember the marriage vows we said before you. Honor those vows and strengthen our relationship so that you are credited with the victory over sin. Save this marriage so all who meet us will know of your grace and love. I beseech you, do not forsake this marriage. Make it holy and blameless in your sight. By your power it is easily done. Above all do your will but I will continue to pray until you grant me this request.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Brief Notes on Judges 1-21
(Originally Written May 27, 2008 in the Journal)
Notes on Judges
Chapter 1
Judah and Simeon attacked the Canaanites and Perizzites in Bezek. They caught Adonibezek and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adonibezek said, 'as I have done to others, God has doen to me'. He was taken and killed at Jerusalem.
The house of Joseph went and took Bethel with the help of the Lord.
Many peoples were not dislodged from their homes, but the Israelites impressed them as laborers.
Chapter 2
Because the Israelites did not remove all the inhabitants from the Promised Land, the Lord sent an angel to tell them that the other gods would now be a snare to them. After Joshua died and his generation passed on, a new generation offended the Lord by worshipping the Baals. The Lord grew angry with Israel for their idolatry and refused to remove any more of the peoples living in the Promised Land.
Chapter 3
The Lord allowed the five lords of the Philistines, the remaining Canaanites, the Sidonians and the Hivites to remain in the land as a test for Israel's fidelity.
The Lord allowed the Israelites to fall under the rule of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim for eight years. Then they cried out to the Lord and the Lord raised up Othniel, nephew of Caleb. Israel was at peace for 40 years until Othniel died.
The Israelites sinned again and the Lord raised up Eglon, king of Moab who enslaved them for 18 years. The Israelites called out to the Lord and the Lord raised up Ehud, a Benjaminite. Ehud was left-handed. He hid his sword on the right thigh where it would not be checked and stabbed Eglon in the stomach. Eglon was so fat his belly swallowed the sword. The Israelites came down and conquered Moab and reigned over them for 80 years.
Shamgar was raised up by the Lord and rescued the Israelites by killing 600 Philistines with an ox-goad.
Chapter 4
The Israelites abandoned God after the death of Ehud, so the Lord allowed Jabin, king of Hazor to oppress them for 20 years. Debora and Barak gathered 10,000 men from Zebulun and Naphtali and marched to Mt. Trabor where they defeated the chariots of Jabin. Sisera, the general of Jabin fled and was killed by Jael, the wife of Heber, who was allied with Jabin.
Chapter 5
After defeating the chariots there was peace for 40 years.
Chapter 6
The Israelites again offended the Lord. They fell under the reign of Midian. The Lord sent an angel to Gideon and told him to rise up and save Israel. Gideon tore down the altar to Baal and the sacred pole and built an altar to the Lord on its place. Gideon then tested the Lord twice to see if it was really the Lord.
Chapter 7
The Lord told Gideon he had too many soldiers for him to deliver Midian into his hands. Gideon told all who were fearful to leave. 22,000 men left, but 10,000 stayed. The Lord then dwindled the number down to 300 men.
Chapter 8
Gideon then pursued Zebah and Zalmunna with his 300 men and was refused food from the men in Succoth and Penuel. Gideon vowed to crush Succoth and Penuel when he returned victoriously. Gideon caught Zebah and Zalmunna and returned to crush Succoth and Penuel. Gideon told his son to kill Zebah and Zalmunna but he was too afraid to, so Gideo did it himself. After Gideon died the Israelites once again turned to the Baals.
Chapter 9
Abimelech, the son of Gideon through a concubine, went to Schechem and killed all 70 of Gideon's legitimate sons. Only Jotham, Gidoen's youngest son survived. The people of Schechem made Abimelech king. Abimelech made war on cities against him and was killed by a woman who dropped a millstone on his head.
Chapter 10
After the death of Abimelech, the Issacharite Tola rose up to save Israel. After Tola came Jair. After Jair died the Israelites turned away from God and served the Baals once more. They were allowed to be oppressed for eighteen years by the Ammonites in punishment. The Israelites cried out once more but the Lord told them to cry out to the gods they had chosen. When they persisted the Lord grieved over them.
Chapter 11
Jephtah, the son of Gilead by a harlot was driven away for being illegitimate. But, the elders of Gilead called him back to be their leader. Jephtah vowed to the Lord that he would offer up whomever came out of the door to greet him in victory as a holocaust to the Lord if the Lord would grant him victory. When Jephtah returned victoriously his daughter came out to greet him and he tore his clothes in despair. Jephtah then offered her as a holocaust as he had vowed.
Chapter 12
The Ephraimites went to war with Jephtah, but Jephtah defeated them. After Jephtah died, Izban of Bethlehem judged Israel. After Izban, Elon judged Israel. After Elon, Abdon judged Israel.
Chapter 13
After Abdon, the Israelites turned from God so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. An angel of the Lord appeared to a woman and told her that she would bear a son to be consecrated to the Lord from the womb. No razor was to touch his head. The woman bore a son and called him Samson.
Chapter 14
Samson killed a lion with his bare hands.
Chapter 15
Samson's wife was married to another man. In anger Samson destroyed the Philistine town with foxes and fire. Samson then killed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. Samson judged Israel for 20 years.
Chapter 16
Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah who wished to find out the secret of his strength for money she was offered. Finally she betrayed him and cut off his hair. The Philistines captured Samson and gouged out his eyes. The put him on display as a prisoner in the temple of Dagon. Samson collapsed the temple, killing everyone inside.
Chapter 17
Micah had an image made of the true God and consecrated a Levite as his personal priest.
Chapter 18
A group of Danites stole Micah's image of God and his priest and attacked a town and sacked it. They rebuilt the city and lived there until they were taken captive.
Chapter 19
A Levite from Ephraim went to get his unfaithful concubine. After getting her he stayed in Gibeah where he gave his concubine to the men of the town to save his own skin. When he returned home he cut her into twelve pieces and sent them throughout Israel.
Chapter 20
The men of Israel rose up and went to this Levite's house and he relayed the story of what had happened. The men of Israel rose up against Gibeah but the Benjaminites refused to give over the wicked men. The Benjaminites went to war with Israel. The Benjaminites defeated the Israelites on the first two days but were crushed on the third day.
Chapter 21
The Israelites were distraught over having destroyed their brother Benjamin. They had sworn an oath not to give wives to Benjamin and so the tribe was in danger of dying out. But the Lord provided a way.
Notes on Judges
Chapter 1
Judah and Simeon attacked the Canaanites and Perizzites in Bezek. They caught Adonibezek and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adonibezek said, 'as I have done to others, God has doen to me'. He was taken and killed at Jerusalem.
The house of Joseph went and took Bethel with the help of the Lord.
Many peoples were not dislodged from their homes, but the Israelites impressed them as laborers.
Chapter 2
Because the Israelites did not remove all the inhabitants from the Promised Land, the Lord sent an angel to tell them that the other gods would now be a snare to them. After Joshua died and his generation passed on, a new generation offended the Lord by worshipping the Baals. The Lord grew angry with Israel for their idolatry and refused to remove any more of the peoples living in the Promised Land.
Chapter 3
The Lord allowed the five lords of the Philistines, the remaining Canaanites, the Sidonians and the Hivites to remain in the land as a test for Israel's fidelity.
The Lord allowed the Israelites to fall under the rule of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim for eight years. Then they cried out to the Lord and the Lord raised up Othniel, nephew of Caleb. Israel was at peace for 40 years until Othniel died.
The Israelites sinned again and the Lord raised up Eglon, king of Moab who enslaved them for 18 years. The Israelites called out to the Lord and the Lord raised up Ehud, a Benjaminite. Ehud was left-handed. He hid his sword on the right thigh where it would not be checked and stabbed Eglon in the stomach. Eglon was so fat his belly swallowed the sword. The Israelites came down and conquered Moab and reigned over them for 80 years.
Shamgar was raised up by the Lord and rescued the Israelites by killing 600 Philistines with an ox-goad.
Chapter 4
The Israelites abandoned God after the death of Ehud, so the Lord allowed Jabin, king of Hazor to oppress them for 20 years. Debora and Barak gathered 10,000 men from Zebulun and Naphtali and marched to Mt. Trabor where they defeated the chariots of Jabin. Sisera, the general of Jabin fled and was killed by Jael, the wife of Heber, who was allied with Jabin.
Chapter 5
After defeating the chariots there was peace for 40 years.
Chapter 6
The Israelites again offended the Lord. They fell under the reign of Midian. The Lord sent an angel to Gideon and told him to rise up and save Israel. Gideon tore down the altar to Baal and the sacred pole and built an altar to the Lord on its place. Gideon then tested the Lord twice to see if it was really the Lord.
Chapter 7
The Lord told Gideon he had too many soldiers for him to deliver Midian into his hands. Gideon told all who were fearful to leave. 22,000 men left, but 10,000 stayed. The Lord then dwindled the number down to 300 men.
Chapter 8
Gideon then pursued Zebah and Zalmunna with his 300 men and was refused food from the men in Succoth and Penuel. Gideon vowed to crush Succoth and Penuel when he returned victoriously. Gideon caught Zebah and Zalmunna and returned to crush Succoth and Penuel. Gideon told his son to kill Zebah and Zalmunna but he was too afraid to, so Gideo did it himself. After Gideon died the Israelites once again turned to the Baals.
Chapter 9
Abimelech, the son of Gideon through a concubine, went to Schechem and killed all 70 of Gideon's legitimate sons. Only Jotham, Gidoen's youngest son survived. The people of Schechem made Abimelech king. Abimelech made war on cities against him and was killed by a woman who dropped a millstone on his head.
Chapter 10
After the death of Abimelech, the Issacharite Tola rose up to save Israel. After Tola came Jair. After Jair died the Israelites turned away from God and served the Baals once more. They were allowed to be oppressed for eighteen years by the Ammonites in punishment. The Israelites cried out once more but the Lord told them to cry out to the gods they had chosen. When they persisted the Lord grieved over them.
Chapter 11
Jephtah, the son of Gilead by a harlot was driven away for being illegitimate. But, the elders of Gilead called him back to be their leader. Jephtah vowed to the Lord that he would offer up whomever came out of the door to greet him in victory as a holocaust to the Lord if the Lord would grant him victory. When Jephtah returned victoriously his daughter came out to greet him and he tore his clothes in despair. Jephtah then offered her as a holocaust as he had vowed.
Chapter 12
The Ephraimites went to war with Jephtah, but Jephtah defeated them. After Jephtah died, Izban of Bethlehem judged Israel. After Izban, Elon judged Israel. After Elon, Abdon judged Israel.
Chapter 13
After Abdon, the Israelites turned from God so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. An angel of the Lord appeared to a woman and told her that she would bear a son to be consecrated to the Lord from the womb. No razor was to touch his head. The woman bore a son and called him Samson.
Chapter 14
Samson killed a lion with his bare hands.
Chapter 15
Samson's wife was married to another man. In anger Samson destroyed the Philistine town with foxes and fire. Samson then killed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. Samson judged Israel for 20 years.
Chapter 16
Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah who wished to find out the secret of his strength for money she was offered. Finally she betrayed him and cut off his hair. The Philistines captured Samson and gouged out his eyes. The put him on display as a prisoner in the temple of Dagon. Samson collapsed the temple, killing everyone inside.
Chapter 17
Micah had an image made of the true God and consecrated a Levite as his personal priest.
Chapter 18
A group of Danites stole Micah's image of God and his priest and attacked a town and sacked it. They rebuilt the city and lived there until they were taken captive.
Chapter 19
A Levite from Ephraim went to get his unfaithful concubine. After getting her he stayed in Gibeah where he gave his concubine to the men of the town to save his own skin. When he returned home he cut her into twelve pieces and sent them throughout Israel.
Chapter 20
The men of Israel rose up and went to this Levite's house and he relayed the story of what had happened. The men of Israel rose up against Gibeah but the Benjaminites refused to give over the wicked men. The Benjaminites went to war with Israel. The Benjaminites defeated the Israelites on the first two days but were crushed on the third day.
Chapter 21
The Israelites were distraught over having destroyed their brother Benjamin. They had sworn an oath not to give wives to Benjamin and so the tribe was in danger of dying out. But the Lord provided a way.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Brief Notes on Deuteronomy 20-34
(Originally Written May 26, 2008 in the Journal)
Thank you God for her safe passage home. Thank you for all the blessing you have bestowed upon us. Circumcise our hearts, ears and minds that we may submit to your love and grace. Teach me in your Word. Hear my prayer Heavenly Father.
Deuteronomy
Chapter 20
Instructions for battle, kill all people living in the land of Canaan.
Chapter 21
How to deal with a dead body when found. The purging of sin by washing away the blood.
You may marry a female captive, but if you lose your liking for her you must free her because she was married under compulsion.
You must stone an incorrigible son to death.
Those put to death must be buried the same day.
Chapter 22
When you find something that is lost, take care of it for the owner until he claims it.
Women ought not to wear men's clothing and men are not to wear women's clothing. This is an abomination.
Infidelity is a capital punishment. You must purge evil from your midst.
If a man lies with an unmarried woman he must marry her and cannot divorce her.
Chapter 23
You must keep your camp clean and holy for the Lord dwells with you.
Chapter 24
Take care of the poor, needy and alien.
Chapter 25
Weigh true and just, do not cheat.
Honor your brother and his family.
Chapter 26
You are a people of the Lord. He will bless you if you keep His commandments.
Chapter 27
12 Curses:
1. Cursed is the man who makes an idol.
2. Cursed is the man who dishonors his father and mother.
3. Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's landmarks.
4. Cursed is the man who misleads the blind man.
5. Cursed is the man who violates the orphan, widow or alien.
6. Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife.
7. Cursed is the man who practices bestiality.
8. Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister.
9. Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law.
10. Cursed is the man who murders his neighbor.
11. Cursed is the hit man.
12. Cursed is the man who does not follow the law.
Chapter 28
Blessed are those who follow the ways of the Lord.
"Though you betroth a wife, another man will have her. Though you build a house, you will not live in it. Though you plant a vineyard, you will not enjoy its fruits" (Deuteronomy 28:29-30, New American Bible). A prophecy of Christ.
Chapter 29
Warnings against idolatry
Chapter 30
The Lord will delight in you if only you keep His commandments.
Chapter 31
The Lord your God will never fail or forsake you.
Moses commissioned Joshua as his successor.
Chapter 32
The Song of Moses.
It is God and God alone who inflicts wounds and heals them.
Moses went to Mount Nebo to view Canaan and die.
Chapter 33
Blessings are bestowed on the tribes through Moses.
Chapter 34
Moses went up to Mount Nebo and viewed the Promised Land. He died and the Israelites mourned him for thirty days.
Thank you God for her safe passage home. Thank you for all the blessing you have bestowed upon us. Circumcise our hearts, ears and minds that we may submit to your love and grace. Teach me in your Word. Hear my prayer Heavenly Father.
Deuteronomy
Chapter 20
Instructions for battle, kill all people living in the land of Canaan.
Chapter 21
How to deal with a dead body when found. The purging of sin by washing away the blood.
You may marry a female captive, but if you lose your liking for her you must free her because she was married under compulsion.
You must stone an incorrigible son to death.
Those put to death must be buried the same day.
Chapter 22
When you find something that is lost, take care of it for the owner until he claims it.
Women ought not to wear men's clothing and men are not to wear women's clothing. This is an abomination.
Infidelity is a capital punishment. You must purge evil from your midst.
If a man lies with an unmarried woman he must marry her and cannot divorce her.
Chapter 23
You must keep your camp clean and holy for the Lord dwells with you.
Chapter 24
Take care of the poor, needy and alien.
Chapter 25
Weigh true and just, do not cheat.
Honor your brother and his family.
Chapter 26
You are a people of the Lord. He will bless you if you keep His commandments.
Chapter 27
12 Curses:
1. Cursed is the man who makes an idol.
2. Cursed is the man who dishonors his father and mother.
3. Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's landmarks.
4. Cursed is the man who misleads the blind man.
5. Cursed is the man who violates the orphan, widow or alien.
6. Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife.
7. Cursed is the man who practices bestiality.
8. Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister.
9. Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law.
10. Cursed is the man who murders his neighbor.
11. Cursed is the hit man.
12. Cursed is the man who does not follow the law.
Chapter 28
Blessed are those who follow the ways of the Lord.
"Though you betroth a wife, another man will have her. Though you build a house, you will not live in it. Though you plant a vineyard, you will not enjoy its fruits" (Deuteronomy 28:29-30, New American Bible). A prophecy of Christ.
Chapter 29
Warnings against idolatry
Chapter 30
The Lord will delight in you if only you keep His commandments.
Chapter 31
The Lord your God will never fail or forsake you.
Moses commissioned Joshua as his successor.
Chapter 32
The Song of Moses.
It is God and God alone who inflicts wounds and heals them.
Moses went to Mount Nebo to view Canaan and die.
Chapter 33
Blessings are bestowed on the tribes through Moses.
Chapter 34
Moses went up to Mount Nebo and viewed the Promised Land. He died and the Israelites mourned him for thirty days.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Brief Notes on Deuteronomy 1 - 17
(Originally written May 23, 2008 in the Journal)
Chapter 1
"Do not fear or lose heart" (Deuteronomy 1:21, New American Bible)
Chapter 2
The Lord would not give the Israelites any land of the Seir or of Moab because they are the descendants of Esau and Lot. He would also not give the land of the Ammonites to the Israelites because they too were the descendants of Lot. The Ammonites, Moabites and the descendants of Esau had all driven out the inhabitants of their land with the help of God. The previous inhabitants were the strong and tall people like the Anakim.
Who are the Anakim? Is there any other reference to them? In mythology? In archeology?
The Lord first delivered Heshbon, the kingdom of the Amorite ruler Sihon to the Israelites. The Israelites doomed them all, man, woman and child.
Chapter 3
The Lord then delivered the Kingdom of Bashan to the Israelites. They defeated King Og and captured over sixty cities. They left no survivors.
Og, the King of Bashan was the last of the Rephaim. His sarcophagus was nine cubits long and four cubits wide.
Moses asked the Lord to allow him to enter the kingdom of the Promised Land, but the Lord refused and showed it to him from a high hill.
Chapter 4
For the Israelites, Egypt was the iron foundry. God allowed the Israelites to be afflicted there for the sake of their spiritual purification. Contrast that with the furnace of affliction in Isaiah 48.
Lord, am I in the iron foundry or the furnace of affliction? I have sinned and deserve the latter. Yet, I am redeemed by the blood of Christ. I am atoned. If this is the foundry then continue the smelting so that I can be pure and strong. If this is the furnace of affliction Lord, cool the fires of your righteous rage and heal me with the balm of your merciful touch. Hear my prayer oh God, for you answer those who call to you. Hear me for the sake of your righteousness and look on me with pity and mercy and love.
Moses warns the Israelites not to be tempted by Idolatry.
"Since the Lord, your God, is a merciful God, He will not abandon and destroy you, nor forget the covenant which under oath he made with your fathers" (Deuteronomy 4:31, New American Bible)
Chapter 5
The retelling of the commandments
Chapter 6
Follow the statutes of the Lord and He will prosper you.
Chapter 7
Do not take mercy or pity on the enemies of God. Loathe and abhor everything that is doomed lest you be doomed by it.
Chapter 8
Do not allow prosperity to make you forget the Lord your God.
Chapter 9
Understand that the Lord gives you good land not because the merits of your heart, but because of the wickedness of others.
Chapter 10
Circumcise your hearts; be receptive to divine grace and guidance.
Chapter 11
You will be blessed and rewarded for obedience to God. You will be cursed for disobedience.
Chapter 12
Destroy all the strongholds and places of idol worship. You will worship the Lord in the place he appoints for you, not wherever you fancy.
Chapter 13
Do not follow a prophet who correctly tells the future but leads you to other gods for the Lord is testing you. Stone to death even your brother, wife or friend if they tempt you to stray to a false god. If a city is led to idolatry, kill all the inhabitants and burn the city. Do not rebuild it.
Chapter 14
Do not follow pagan mourning rituals.
Chapter 15
About the slaves and the poor
Chapter 16
The observation of Passover, Pentecost and the feast of the Booths.
There should be judges in communities whose end should only be justice without partiality.
Do not worship as the pagans do.
Chapter 17
You must stone idol worshippers, but there must be at least two or three witnesses to put a man to death. You must purge evil from the community.
When judges cannot decide they must refer them to the Levitical priests. They will hand down the decision after studying the case.
If you decide to take a king he will be appointed by God. He must not have many wives, horses or silver.
Chapter 1
"Do not fear or lose heart" (Deuteronomy 1:21, New American Bible)
Chapter 2
The Lord would not give the Israelites any land of the Seir or of Moab because they are the descendants of Esau and Lot. He would also not give the land of the Ammonites to the Israelites because they too were the descendants of Lot. The Ammonites, Moabites and the descendants of Esau had all driven out the inhabitants of their land with the help of God. The previous inhabitants were the strong and tall people like the Anakim.
Who are the Anakim? Is there any other reference to them? In mythology? In archeology?
The Lord first delivered Heshbon, the kingdom of the Amorite ruler Sihon to the Israelites. The Israelites doomed them all, man, woman and child.
Chapter 3
The Lord then delivered the Kingdom of Bashan to the Israelites. They defeated King Og and captured over sixty cities. They left no survivors.
Og, the King of Bashan was the last of the Rephaim. His sarcophagus was nine cubits long and four cubits wide.
Moses asked the Lord to allow him to enter the kingdom of the Promised Land, but the Lord refused and showed it to him from a high hill.
Chapter 4
For the Israelites, Egypt was the iron foundry. God allowed the Israelites to be afflicted there for the sake of their spiritual purification. Contrast that with the furnace of affliction in Isaiah 48.
Lord, am I in the iron foundry or the furnace of affliction? I have sinned and deserve the latter. Yet, I am redeemed by the blood of Christ. I am atoned. If this is the foundry then continue the smelting so that I can be pure and strong. If this is the furnace of affliction Lord, cool the fires of your righteous rage and heal me with the balm of your merciful touch. Hear my prayer oh God, for you answer those who call to you. Hear me for the sake of your righteousness and look on me with pity and mercy and love.
Moses warns the Israelites not to be tempted by Idolatry.
"Since the Lord, your God, is a merciful God, He will not abandon and destroy you, nor forget the covenant which under oath he made with your fathers" (Deuteronomy 4:31, New American Bible)
Chapter 5
The retelling of the commandments
Chapter 6
Follow the statutes of the Lord and He will prosper you.
Chapter 7
Do not take mercy or pity on the enemies of God. Loathe and abhor everything that is doomed lest you be doomed by it.
Chapter 8
Do not allow prosperity to make you forget the Lord your God.
Chapter 9
Understand that the Lord gives you good land not because the merits of your heart, but because of the wickedness of others.
Chapter 10
Circumcise your hearts; be receptive to divine grace and guidance.
Chapter 11
You will be blessed and rewarded for obedience to God. You will be cursed for disobedience.
Chapter 12
Destroy all the strongholds and places of idol worship. You will worship the Lord in the place he appoints for you, not wherever you fancy.
Chapter 13
Do not follow a prophet who correctly tells the future but leads you to other gods for the Lord is testing you. Stone to death even your brother, wife or friend if they tempt you to stray to a false god. If a city is led to idolatry, kill all the inhabitants and burn the city. Do not rebuild it.
Chapter 14
Do not follow pagan mourning rituals.
Chapter 15
About the slaves and the poor
Chapter 16
The observation of Passover, Pentecost and the feast of the Booths.
There should be judges in communities whose end should only be justice without partiality.
Do not worship as the pagans do.
Chapter 17
You must stone idol worshippers, but there must be at least two or three witnesses to put a man to death. You must purge evil from the community.
When judges cannot decide they must refer them to the Levitical priests. They will hand down the decision after studying the case.
If you decide to take a king he will be appointed by God. He must not have many wives, horses or silver.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Brief Notes on Exodus 12-21
(Originally Written April 17, 2008 in the Journal)
Why do you test me so severely Lord? I feel as though I can struggle no further. This hurt, this pain is too much. Where is your easy yoke? But, I will praise you nonetheless and evermore.
There are 4 elements of Scripture:
1. Literal - What Happened
2. Allegorical - A Hidden Theological Meaning
3. Analagoical - Heavenly Scene
4. Moral/Tropological - Significance for Individual Behavior
Notes on Exodus:
Chapter 12
There will be no eating of leavened bread during Passover. The penalty for infractions is to be cut off from Israel.
Passover Regulations:
1. No foreigner may partake of it
2. Slaves may partake if they have been bought and circumcised.
3. You cannot take the flesh outside.
4. You cannot break the lamb's bones.
5. The whole community must partake.
6. If foreigners wish to participate they must be circumcised
Chapter 13
The first born is to be consecrated to God because he belongs to God.
Chapter 14
14:14 "The Lord himself will fight for you; you only have to keep still" (New American Bible).
Chapter 20: The Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no gods before me
2. You shall have no idols
3. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not kill
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's possessions
Do not make anything equal to God (Exodus 20:23)
Exodus 21:1-11 Laws concerning slavery
Exodus 21:12-32 Punitive laws concerning bodily harm
Exodus 21:33-37 Punitive laws concerning property
Why do you test me so severely Lord? I feel as though I can struggle no further. This hurt, this pain is too much. Where is your easy yoke? But, I will praise you nonetheless and evermore.
There are 4 elements of Scripture:
1. Literal - What Happened
2. Allegorical - A Hidden Theological Meaning
3. Analagoical - Heavenly Scene
4. Moral/Tropological - Significance for Individual Behavior
Notes on Exodus:
Chapter 12
There will be no eating of leavened bread during Passover. The penalty for infractions is to be cut off from Israel.
Passover Regulations:
1. No foreigner may partake of it
2. Slaves may partake if they have been bought and circumcised.
3. You cannot take the flesh outside.
4. You cannot break the lamb's bones.
5. The whole community must partake.
6. If foreigners wish to participate they must be circumcised
Chapter 13
The first born is to be consecrated to God because he belongs to God.
Chapter 14
14:14 "The Lord himself will fight for you; you only have to keep still" (New American Bible).
Chapter 20: The Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no gods before me
2. You shall have no idols
3. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not kill
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's possessions
Do not make anything equal to God (Exodus 20:23)
Exodus 21:1-11 Laws concerning slavery
Exodus 21:12-32 Punitive laws concerning bodily harm
Exodus 21:33-37 Punitive laws concerning property
Thursday, May 3, 2007
The Uniqueness of Christian Salvation
(Originally written May 3, 2007 in Book 15)
Salvation is unique to Christianity and there is no salvation outside of Christ.
Does this imply conscience faith in Christ or can one be saved through implicit faith?
Old Testament
God's convenient people (Jews) are saved
- Implicit faith in Christ
- Sacrificial system, Temple Cultus, the Law, the Prophets and the writings point to the coming of Jesus Christ
In the Old Testament than are only the Jews eligible for salvation?
1) There are converts
2) Non-Jews that worship the true God, (i.e. Melchizedek, Job, Rahab)
Any person that involves idolatry in their worship cannot be saved. Dos point away from Christ, not towards him.
Ultimately, Idolatry consists of worshipping the creature rather than the creator.
New Testament
Those who have heard the gospel and responded by faith are the ones who are saved.
Who is not saved?
- People who have heard and understood the gospel but have rejected Christ
What about those who have not heard?
- There is a natural revelation and a natural law; but, unfortunately, we all have violated it.
But there are examples in the New Testament of people in the New Testament who are serious about God without having knowledge in Christ who God sends the message of Jesus Christ to (i.e. Apollos, Peter to the centurion, etc.).
Salvation is unique to Christianity and there is no salvation outside of Christ.
Does this imply conscience faith in Christ or can one be saved through implicit faith?
Old Testament
God's convenient people (Jews) are saved
- Implicit faith in Christ
- Sacrificial system, Temple Cultus, the Law, the Prophets and the writings point to the coming of Jesus Christ
In the Old Testament than are only the Jews eligible for salvation?
1) There are converts
2) Non-Jews that worship the true God, (i.e. Melchizedek, Job, Rahab)
Any person that involves idolatry in their worship cannot be saved. Dos point away from Christ, not towards him.
Ultimately, Idolatry consists of worshipping the creature rather than the creator.
New Testament
Those who have heard the gospel and responded by faith are the ones who are saved.
Who is not saved?
- People who have heard and understood the gospel but have rejected Christ
What about those who have not heard?
- There is a natural revelation and a natural law; but, unfortunately, we all have violated it.
But there are examples in the New Testament of people in the New Testament who are serious about God without having knowledge in Christ who God sends the message of Jesus Christ to (i.e. Apollos, Peter to the centurion, etc.).
Friday, July 28, 2006
Romans 1-2
(Originally written July 28, 2006 in Book 7)
Recently I have been paying a lot of attention to philosophy and been completely neglecting any focus on God. I want to be a philosopher so I can reconcile philosophy with faith in God. If I don't pay attention to God I will fail in this quest. I need to spend contemplative time in the Word of God as well as prayer time with Him. I thin a study of the letters of Paul will again inspire me with God's word.
Romans
1:1-6 Paul describes himself as:
1) A slave of Jesus Christ
2) Called to be an apostle
3) set apart for the gospel of God
He describes the Gospel as:
1) Promised through the prophets
2) about Jesus Christ
He describes Jesus Christ as:
1) The son
2) Humanly descendant of David
3) Holy in spirit
4) declared with the power to be the son of God
5) resurrected from the dead
He offers the resurrection as proof for him being the son of God.
The charge of Paul's apostleship is to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith
The Romans are included in those who Paul is charged to call to obedience.
1:7 - Paul's greeting to the Romans
1:8-16 - Paul longs to visit Rome
He thanks God for the Romans and their faith
v. 12 is interesting "that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith". It is interesting because Paul, a man who wrote about half of the New Testament, is able to be encouraged by another person's faith. My minuscule faith can encourage someone who has great faith. That is a testament to faith's power.
v. 14 is also interesting to me and my call. "I am obligated... to the wise and the foolish".
v. 16 The power of faith: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes". The power of God is at the use of believers in the form of the Gospel.
How should we live? The righteous will live by faith...
1:18-32 "God's wrath against mankind"
Godlessness and wickedness surprise the truth
"What may be known about God is plain to them" v. 20. This means that knowledge of God is in plain sight, but that is only what may be known of Him. Hidden knowledge of God is not possible because what is known of Him is in plain sight because God has made it known to them.
No men have excuses because God can be known solely through creation.
Paul eludes to philosophers in v. 22. "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools". This foolishness caused men to become idolaters.
As punishment for their idolatry God gave them over to their sins. A man's choice of sin can therefore become his own punishment. This is evidence for free will.
v. 24, v. 26, and v. 27 condemns homosexuality, but it is one of many sins that God condemns. It should not be singled out as 'the' mortal sin or worse than any other. It is just another sin in the long list of wicked acts performed by mankind. All sins are equally horrid.
Chapter 2
Everyone is condemned by the judgment they pass on others.
Unrepentant hearts store up judgment against themselves from God.
God does not show favoritism.
Chapter two makes a strong case for innate ideas.
Physical appearances are not what God judges man on. God judges man on the contents of their heart. A heart precedes actions and transcends actions. God judges a man's heart.
Today I read Romans 1 & 2. I need to read more, but I am tired. I need to get back into the habit of reading God's word. Lord help me with this. Let the words sink into my heart. Help me to live by faith.
Recently I have been paying a lot of attention to philosophy and been completely neglecting any focus on God. I want to be a philosopher so I can reconcile philosophy with faith in God. If I don't pay attention to God I will fail in this quest. I need to spend contemplative time in the Word of God as well as prayer time with Him. I thin a study of the letters of Paul will again inspire me with God's word.
Romans
1:1-6 Paul describes himself as:
1) A slave of Jesus Christ
2) Called to be an apostle
3) set apart for the gospel of God
He describes the Gospel as:
1) Promised through the prophets
2) about Jesus Christ
He describes Jesus Christ as:
1) The son
2) Humanly descendant of David
3) Holy in spirit
4) declared with the power to be the son of God
5) resurrected from the dead
He offers the resurrection as proof for him being the son of God.
The charge of Paul's apostleship is to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith
The Romans are included in those who Paul is charged to call to obedience.
1:7 - Paul's greeting to the Romans
1:8-16 - Paul longs to visit Rome
He thanks God for the Romans and their faith
v. 12 is interesting "that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith". It is interesting because Paul, a man who wrote about half of the New Testament, is able to be encouraged by another person's faith. My minuscule faith can encourage someone who has great faith. That is a testament to faith's power.
v. 14 is also interesting to me and my call. "I am obligated... to the wise and the foolish".
v. 16 The power of faith: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes". The power of God is at the use of believers in the form of the Gospel.
How should we live? The righteous will live by faith...
1:18-32 "God's wrath against mankind"
Godlessness and wickedness surprise the truth
"What may be known about God is plain to them" v. 20. This means that knowledge of God is in plain sight, but that is only what may be known of Him. Hidden knowledge of God is not possible because what is known of Him is in plain sight because God has made it known to them.
No men have excuses because God can be known solely through creation.
Paul eludes to philosophers in v. 22. "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools". This foolishness caused men to become idolaters.
As punishment for their idolatry God gave them over to their sins. A man's choice of sin can therefore become his own punishment. This is evidence for free will.
v. 24, v. 26, and v. 27 condemns homosexuality, but it is one of many sins that God condemns. It should not be singled out as 'the' mortal sin or worse than any other. It is just another sin in the long list of wicked acts performed by mankind. All sins are equally horrid.
Chapter 2
Everyone is condemned by the judgment they pass on others.
Unrepentant hearts store up judgment against themselves from God.
God does not show favoritism.
Chapter two makes a strong case for innate ideas.
Physical appearances are not what God judges man on. God judges man on the contents of their heart. A heart precedes actions and transcends actions. God judges a man's heart.
Today I read Romans 1 & 2. I need to read more, but I am tired. I need to get back into the habit of reading God's word. Lord help me with this. Let the words sink into my heart. Help me to live by faith.
Friday, June 30, 2006
The Wisdom and Values of 8,218 Days - Axiology
(Originally written June 30, 2006 in Book 2)
It has been awhile since I paid tribute to the man who got me interested in philosophy. It was Bertrand Russell's inexcusable attack upon God, Christianity and the beliefs that sustain me that drove me to philosophy. His folly, passed as wisdom, was the spark that ignited this fire that burns ever hotter in me. Russell was the catalyst that set me on the path to the second greatest thing that drives me. Well, that is a little lofty, and not quite true. Now I will examine myself for the values that guide me. This will answer the question that should plague every human being - Who Am I?
Who is Chris Linehan?
It is befitting my ethics and value system that I am named 'Christopher', which means 'Steadfast in Christ. That is my aim, my goal, my creed, my life. I can spout nonsense until the day I die and not have failed wholly if I live to the meaning of my name. All my philosophy can be proved wrong because I am inherently flawed. I am fallible and incapable of discerning what is truth in all matters (which is my quest for knowledge). For truth is difficult to come by and requires an ever growing and tireless ambition, but Truth is all around me. Truth is inside me, embedded for the war that rages always from the Fall until the Second Coming of Christ and the final unification of God and man. This is the Truth.
Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to earth, fully human yet paradoxically fully God. He was born of the virgin Mary, walked the earth in ministry to the wicked and self-proclaimed righteous. His ministry was seemingly cut short by the cross, but his death was a step in his glorious plan of redemption for the fallen, which is us. His atoning death was a vitally important step in the redemption of man. His ministry culminated when He rose again. His earthly ministry, atoning death, and conquering of the grave and death itself paved the way for all of us who came after Him. This gave us the chance at salvation if we only believe. And, I believe. After rising from the dead he rejoined his Father and the Holy Spirit in paradise, waiting to return in glory and defeat Satan once and for all. Upon his second coming all the saints of every age will join in his triumph and dwell with him forever in the New Heaven. This is Truth and Truth comes easily to us because it was hard fought by a God who needed nothing, but gave everything, that you and I and all men and women could be reconciled to this ever-loving God.
Above all else I am dedicated, motivated and sustained by God.
1. God is my highest value.
After a dedication to God as my highest value and aspiration, what defines me? Where do my loyalties fall next?
They fall in the category of relationships. First, there is the relationship with Truth, which is a personal relationship with God, who is Triune. Second only to the relationships with my creator, redeemer and sustainer is the relationships to whom He has blessed me with; my family and my friends. As with values as a whole, this too is hierarchical.
The most important relationship I have is between my fiancee and I. [As an aside on 1/20/2016, I encourage you to reread paragraph 2, especially where I state 'I am inherently flawed'. Then you will understand this paragraph a bit more like I do.] This is the ordained way of love that God has prescribed. Above all other men and women, I love______
After ______, my immediate family falls close behind. Then, my distant family (which now includes my wife-to-be's family). After that are my brothers and sisters in Christ, who are my family as well.
Values thus far,
1. God, and my relationship with Him
2. Fiancee/Wife, and my relationship with her
2b. My parents, brothers and sisters & those relationships
2c. My extended family (including my fiancee's family)
2d. My family in Christ
After the relationships to my family, first to _______, my beloved wife, then to my immediate family, then to my extended family, then to my family through Christ (of whom include most of the preceding categories) I have a loyalty to my fellow humans. They are all equals as they are all lost. The only difference between them and my family in Christ is that they are welcome in that family and have explicitly or implicitly rejected that welcome. They are all potential brothers and sisters in Christ. My loyalty to them comes with a responsibility to them. I must continue to welcome, invite, educate and love them in hopes of acquiring a new brother or sister in Christ. These are individuals, not incorporated collectives.
Thus, Values are:
1. God, and my relationship with them: a relationship with Truth.
2. ______ [1/20/16: I badly want to address _______ as either 'she who shall not be named' or lady Voldemort] and my relationship with her
2b. My immediate family and my relationship with them.
2c. My extended family and my relationships with them.
2d. My brothers and sisters in Christ and my relationship with them.
3. All individual humans and my responsibility to them and potential relationships with them.
The responsibility and duty I have because of the value of every individual human being that inherently lies in them in spite of their fallenness requires that I acquire tools. These tools are found in the Quest for Knowledge. There are many paths on this quest: medicine, history, sciences, humanities, art, must, mathematics, etc. But all these paths are bound as a single street towards a single goal. They are interconnected by the avenue that either I have chosen or which has chosen me, which is philosophy. But as any rose called something else is a rose, all paths, when traveled straight and narrow, lead to Truth, which is a relationship with God.
Values again:
1. God, and my relationship with Him
2. Lady V, and my relationship with her
2b. My immediate family and my relationship with them
2c. My extended family and my relationship with them
2d. My brothers and sisters in Christ and my relationship with them
3. All individual men and women in the entire world and the responsibility I have to each and every one of them and the potential relationship I have with them that is capable of growing into 2d.
4. The Quest for Knowledge (only as a means to move 3 to 2d).
The Quest for Knowledge can never be used as an end in and of itself because that will only produce a temporary easing of the lust that is curiosity. It can never be used as a means to further selfish ambition, lest it become a tool of self-servitude. I vow to try not to erect an altar to myself as many learned individuals do. If I gain all knowledge but do not fulfill the responsibilities inextricably connected to the relationships I have than I am unfit to worship. Since I am flawed anyway I will never gain all knowledge and therefore should not be worshipped. Rarely does man worship man, but often does man idolize himself. THis is not the Quest for Knowledge - This is perversion of good.
The Quest for Knowledge leads us to conclusions. They create new loyalties and values that are both universal and subjective. Universal ones include nature and living organisms other than man. These both are God's creations and we are called to rule over them. It is our duty to be stewards of this earth and all who inhabit it. But subjective values, like Political Parties, nations, causes, art, music, passions and interests can be valuable subjectively. A person can choose art over music or music over art depending on whether they are audio or visual in inclination. But these are my values and they should be objective and universal (while the persons in the aforementioned hierarchy are subjective).
1. God and one's relationship to Him (Universal)
2. One's wife/husband and relationship to them
2b. One's immediate family and one's relationship to them
2c. One's extended family and one's relationship to them
2d. The body of Christ, which are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. Every individual in the world and one's responsibility to them and potential relationship with them.
4. One's Quest for Knowledge, whatever field it may be gives one the skills and tools necessary for fulfilling the responsibility to number 3.
5. To the world as a collective. This includes living organisms and the inanimate universe. The environment is important to all values (Save 1) and therefore is necessary to values as means to furthering (the existence/increase of categories 2-3).
Any other values can be attributed subjectively according to one's background, genetics, passions, interests, and likes, etc. But they cannot contradict the universal ones (aforementioned 5). Otherwise, they will further[add weight to, it's incredibly poor handwriting so I could just be guessing, but at the same time I'm getting fairly angry at Lady V and all of her detractors... sort of the self vs the other and the other's other self vs. the self sort of thing, but, I don't want to interrupt riveting self-taught, self-righteous, self-aggrandizing thought of a self-declared prodigy at 22 ] self-serving ambitions as a means to idolizing one's self. Idolizing one's self is disrespecting the valuable relationships in all the universals. Contradicting the universal values is not valuing something else. It is posturing one's self as the Truth. It is breaking the first commandment.
Noticing that I have excluded one's self from the universal values and subjective values is probably the first thing on your mind. I have omitted one's own self intentionally, not because one's self is not valuable, but because it is included in every category. God has no need for us, but loves us regardless. In order to embrace these ethics (the universal) one must first embrace God and create a relationship with Him. One cannot have any values or ethics if one does not exit. One's own value requires existence and existence implies value.
One finds one's own value in its utmost and highest form; in one's relationship with the creating, redeeming, Triune God. Next one finds one's own value in one's relationship to one's family. Families come in all shapes and sizes. The most important familial relationship is to one's spouse, which is a wife for a man or a husband to a woman. These relationships were put into place by God, so by finding one's own value in one's spouse is indirectly finding one's own value in God.
Not all men and women have spouses for a variety of reasons. One still finds one's own value in their blood relatives. God is a relational God; man is created in the image of God; therefore, man is relational. The closest relations are blood relatives and these extend far or not.
After family ties by blood there are family ties by the blood of Christ. These are extremely valuable because their value comes directly from their relationships with God and one's relationship to God and their relationship between the two brothers and sisters in Christ. This includes the Universal Church and particular churches. A quick note - if one's familial ties are ties to people who are not related through Christ, this category is higher than blood relations and even the relationship between spouses. Believers ought to marry believers, but do not divorce an unbeliever. Work ever harder to welcome them as a brother or sister in Christ. One should also work harder to invite blood relatives into the family of Christ, not because those individuals are universally more valuable than other nonbelievers, but because they are subjectively more valuable because of history and closeness.
All individuals are important and inherently valuable because all are made in the image of God. This makes all individuals inherently valuable. As Christ's family we are to continue His ministry in welcoming the world into reconciliation with Truth and God.
God performs the act of reconciliation but requires us (for our own sake, not his) to guide them in their path to God. We are merely trail guides on the path of reconciliation, which Christ blazed nearly 2,000 years ago,
I wonder to to fulfill our duty as trail guides, must we understand and know the trail? We do this on our own Quest for Knowledge. There are many different trails, but all lead to God if they are followed straight and narrow.
Each path is straight and narrow, but requires different types of knowledge to navigate. In order to guide along any part of the path one must know it fully. If a guide is lost then all are lost. A traveler can be lost and yet safe, if his or her guide knows the path. Philosophy is a path that is sort of the starting point of all paths to truth. It is no more nobler or great than any other path. The philosophical guides are measured as good guides as all guides are measured - on the effectiveness, and more importantly, their effort as a guide to Truth, which is God. Philosophers are merely guides of different paths at the same time. The Quest for Knowledge for philosophers is broader and requires more patience, but can equip them to be more versatile guides.
Regardless of the path, all paths lead to a great divide, which is the separation of man and God. This divide is bridged by the reconciliatory work of Christ. While there are many paths to Christ, it is only through Christ that one reaches Truth and God.
The Quest for Knowledge is an exploration of the physical and natural world; an introspection of self, a virtual compilation and assimilation of ideas, emotions and facts. It looks to the past, the present and the future and works with one aim - Truth, which is only reached in a relationship with God, through the bridge that is Christ.
The Quest gives us explicit and implicit knowledge, which guides us to the Scriptures that explicitly and implicitly formulate these values placed here as the universals, including the value of all God's creation. This is where we find explicit knowledge that demands placing value in nature and living organisms. Implicitly, without the revelation of the Scriptural account of the creation which places humans as stewards of the earth, we can know that these are important and valuable.
The path of one's subjective quest for knowledge is chosen because of genetic predispositions, environmental, socioeconomic and otherwise indeterminable circumstances. Our personalities are guides to which path to choose and then are further molded by that path, the experiences upon that path, and the guides who direct, educate and lead us on our quest, for better or for worse. THese personalities, histories, and subjective circumstances help determine what subjective values we place under the five universal natures.
In the five universal values and the few or many subjective values and the inherent value of ourselves we find in all other values form a comprehensive, coherent and cohesive ethical standard. If any subjective value clashes with a universal value than the subjective value is flawed. If one's own self is given value without relation to another value then it is idolatry and a scourge.
The standard and measure of all values is one's adherence to the duties in that relationship. All relationships are social by nature and this social factor is derived from the social nature of God, which is found in all men because they are created in the image of God. These relationships to individuals are all means to the ultimate purpose of value - finding pure, unadulterated, eternal joy in one's own maker, redeemer, and Truth. The ultimate purpose is to be close to God and the standard by which we measure our values is the God-like quality of them. If our values (universal or subjective) are God-like in nature and quality, the values are good and correct. If they are not God-like, then they are incorrect and evil. There are no amoral values.
The five universal values:
1) God, and one's relationship to him
2) Family and one's relationship to them
3) The individuals who make up the word and one's responsibility and potential relationship to them
4) One's subjective Quest for Knowledge
5) The natural world and one's responsibility and interaction with it are all.
when valued appropriately and acted upon are God-Like because they are derived from God Himself.
Obviously a relationship with God is derived from God. All familial relationships are derived from God by one way or the other. Spousal relationships were implemented y God, which gave rise to immediate familial relationships, which gave rise to extended familial relationships, and to be in a family with brothers and sisters in Christ are required to have a relationship with God in order to be in the family of God. Besides familial relationships, our relationships, actual or potential with ever ever individual in the world comes from two Biblical mandates and truths: 1) All men are created in the image of God and 2) The Great Commission. These obviously come from God if they com from the Bible. In addition to the relationship with them we have a duty via the Great Commission to help them to join the family of God.
We use what is at our disposal to facilitate the Great Commission, which we get on our subjective Quests for Knowledge. Knowledge is the means to accomplish the purpose of our Great Commission. We Quest to fulfill our duty to God, which is fulfilled through man. Lastly, our duty to nature is explicitly spelled out through Genesis. This is derived from God's word, which is obviously derived from God.
Thus, all five universal values meet the criteria of values. Values must be good, which means they are God-like in nature and quality. Values that are not God like are incorrect and evil and not values at all. They are forms of idolatry and contradict the first and highest value: God an one's relationship to Him. Any value that contradicts a universal value destroys cohesiveness and must be cast out.
Thus, in order for something to be a subjective value it must be good, which means God-Like. It must not contradict any universal value. If it is found not to contradict and to be God-like by measuring it up to the standard which God Himself. If it comes from God, either directly or indirectly, it will produce pure, unadulterated joy. This joy is eternal and while it can be muddled, it can never be completely stamped out. This leads us to know the purpose of values and ethics - to draw closer to God. This is only accomplished via Christ, which is reached via the Quest! (Circular?)
Yes but the alpha and omega is, was, and will be. Value is in all creation through God. We find that value through our relationship to God (directly & indirectly). It's always there and always has been there via God. But, we discover it only when we enter into a relationship with Him. (Circular?)
No, a salt shaker has salt in it, but we only discover it when we enter into a relationship with it, directly or indirectly. Directly we shake the salt. Indirectly, we eat the food with salt on it and know through inference there exists a salt shaker, even if we cannot see it. So it is with God.
God is the salt shaker. Value is the salt. Sometimes we see the salt (value) poured out through God in our own relationship with him. Sometimes we taste the salt (value) in other relationships, with who we (might be a hammer?) We can't see the shaker (God), but we can experience the salt (value). It isn't circular. It is what it is: 5 universal values - all stemming from God and countless subjective values stemming from God, working to form a diverse set of ethics with common characteristics, universally aimed at one ultimate purpose- chosen-ness to God and measured by God Himself!
Now I simply ask. How did this come from a reevaluation of Bertrand Russell??? Wow! I'm going to go fix some crabcakes and come back and open The History of Western Philosophy as I planned nearly two hours ago.
It has been awhile since I paid tribute to the man who got me interested in philosophy. It was Bertrand Russell's inexcusable attack upon God, Christianity and the beliefs that sustain me that drove me to philosophy. His folly, passed as wisdom, was the spark that ignited this fire that burns ever hotter in me. Russell was the catalyst that set me on the path to the second greatest thing that drives me. Well, that is a little lofty, and not quite true. Now I will examine myself for the values that guide me. This will answer the question that should plague every human being - Who Am I?
Who is Chris Linehan?
It is befitting my ethics and value system that I am named 'Christopher', which means 'Steadfast in Christ. That is my aim, my goal, my creed, my life. I can spout nonsense until the day I die and not have failed wholly if I live to the meaning of my name. All my philosophy can be proved wrong because I am inherently flawed. I am fallible and incapable of discerning what is truth in all matters (which is my quest for knowledge). For truth is difficult to come by and requires an ever growing and tireless ambition, but Truth is all around me. Truth is inside me, embedded for the war that rages always from the Fall until the Second Coming of Christ and the final unification of God and man. This is the Truth.
Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to earth, fully human yet paradoxically fully God. He was born of the virgin Mary, walked the earth in ministry to the wicked and self-proclaimed righteous. His ministry was seemingly cut short by the cross, but his death was a step in his glorious plan of redemption for the fallen, which is us. His atoning death was a vitally important step in the redemption of man. His ministry culminated when He rose again. His earthly ministry, atoning death, and conquering of the grave and death itself paved the way for all of us who came after Him. This gave us the chance at salvation if we only believe. And, I believe. After rising from the dead he rejoined his Father and the Holy Spirit in paradise, waiting to return in glory and defeat Satan once and for all. Upon his second coming all the saints of every age will join in his triumph and dwell with him forever in the New Heaven. This is Truth and Truth comes easily to us because it was hard fought by a God who needed nothing, but gave everything, that you and I and all men and women could be reconciled to this ever-loving God.
Above all else I am dedicated, motivated and sustained by God.
1. God is my highest value.
After a dedication to God as my highest value and aspiration, what defines me? Where do my loyalties fall next?
They fall in the category of relationships. First, there is the relationship with Truth, which is a personal relationship with God, who is Triune. Second only to the relationships with my creator, redeemer and sustainer is the relationships to whom He has blessed me with; my family and my friends. As with values as a whole, this too is hierarchical.
The most important relationship I have is between my fiancee and I. [As an aside on 1/20/2016, I encourage you to reread paragraph 2, especially where I state 'I am inherently flawed'. Then you will understand this paragraph a bit more like I do.] This is the ordained way of love that God has prescribed. Above all other men and women, I love______
After ______, my immediate family falls close behind. Then, my distant family (which now includes my wife-to-be's family). After that are my brothers and sisters in Christ, who are my family as well.
Values thus far,
1. God, and my relationship with Him
2. Fiancee/Wife, and my relationship with her
2b. My parents, brothers and sisters & those relationships
2c. My extended family (including my fiancee's family)
2d. My family in Christ
After the relationships to my family, first to _______, my beloved wife, then to my immediate family, then to my extended family, then to my family through Christ (of whom include most of the preceding categories) I have a loyalty to my fellow humans. They are all equals as they are all lost. The only difference between them and my family in Christ is that they are welcome in that family and have explicitly or implicitly rejected that welcome. They are all potential brothers and sisters in Christ. My loyalty to them comes with a responsibility to them. I must continue to welcome, invite, educate and love them in hopes of acquiring a new brother or sister in Christ. These are individuals, not incorporated collectives.
Thus, Values are:
1. God, and my relationship with them: a relationship with Truth.
2. ______ [1/20/16: I badly want to address _______ as either 'she who shall not be named' or lady Voldemort] and my relationship with her
2b. My immediate family and my relationship with them.
2c. My extended family and my relationships with them.
2d. My brothers and sisters in Christ and my relationship with them.
3. All individual humans and my responsibility to them and potential relationships with them.
The responsibility and duty I have because of the value of every individual human being that inherently lies in them in spite of their fallenness requires that I acquire tools. These tools are found in the Quest for Knowledge. There are many paths on this quest: medicine, history, sciences, humanities, art, must, mathematics, etc. But all these paths are bound as a single street towards a single goal. They are interconnected by the avenue that either I have chosen or which has chosen me, which is philosophy. But as any rose called something else is a rose, all paths, when traveled straight and narrow, lead to Truth, which is a relationship with God.
Values again:
1. God, and my relationship with Him
2. Lady V, and my relationship with her
2b. My immediate family and my relationship with them
2c. My extended family and my relationship with them
2d. My brothers and sisters in Christ and my relationship with them
3. All individual men and women in the entire world and the responsibility I have to each and every one of them and the potential relationship I have with them that is capable of growing into 2d.
4. The Quest for Knowledge (only as a means to move 3 to 2d).
The Quest for Knowledge can never be used as an end in and of itself because that will only produce a temporary easing of the lust that is curiosity. It can never be used as a means to further selfish ambition, lest it become a tool of self-servitude. I vow to try not to erect an altar to myself as many learned individuals do. If I gain all knowledge but do not fulfill the responsibilities inextricably connected to the relationships I have than I am unfit to worship. Since I am flawed anyway I will never gain all knowledge and therefore should not be worshipped. Rarely does man worship man, but often does man idolize himself. THis is not the Quest for Knowledge - This is perversion of good.
The Quest for Knowledge leads us to conclusions. They create new loyalties and values that are both universal and subjective. Universal ones include nature and living organisms other than man. These both are God's creations and we are called to rule over them. It is our duty to be stewards of this earth and all who inhabit it. But subjective values, like Political Parties, nations, causes, art, music, passions and interests can be valuable subjectively. A person can choose art over music or music over art depending on whether they are audio or visual in inclination. But these are my values and they should be objective and universal (while the persons in the aforementioned hierarchy are subjective).
1. God and one's relationship to Him (Universal)
2. One's wife/husband and relationship to them
2b. One's immediate family and one's relationship to them
2c. One's extended family and one's relationship to them
2d. The body of Christ, which are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. Every individual in the world and one's responsibility to them and potential relationship with them.
4. One's Quest for Knowledge, whatever field it may be gives one the skills and tools necessary for fulfilling the responsibility to number 3.
5. To the world as a collective. This includes living organisms and the inanimate universe. The environment is important to all values (Save 1) and therefore is necessary to values as means to furthering (the existence/increase of categories 2-3).
Any other values can be attributed subjectively according to one's background, genetics, passions, interests, and likes, etc. But they cannot contradict the universal ones (aforementioned 5). Otherwise, they will further[add weight to, it's incredibly poor handwriting so I could just be guessing, but at the same time I'm getting fairly angry at Lady V and all of her detractors... sort of the self vs the other and the other's other self vs. the self sort of thing, but, I don't want to interrupt riveting self-taught, self-righteous, self-aggrandizing thought of a self-declared prodigy at 22 ] self-serving ambitions as a means to idolizing one's self. Idolizing one's self is disrespecting the valuable relationships in all the universals. Contradicting the universal values is not valuing something else. It is posturing one's self as the Truth. It is breaking the first commandment.
Noticing that I have excluded one's self from the universal values and subjective values is probably the first thing on your mind. I have omitted one's own self intentionally, not because one's self is not valuable, but because it is included in every category. God has no need for us, but loves us regardless. In order to embrace these ethics (the universal) one must first embrace God and create a relationship with Him. One cannot have any values or ethics if one does not exit. One's own value requires existence and existence implies value.
One finds one's own value in its utmost and highest form; in one's relationship with the creating, redeeming, Triune God. Next one finds one's own value in one's relationship to one's family. Families come in all shapes and sizes. The most important familial relationship is to one's spouse, which is a wife for a man or a husband to a woman. These relationships were put into place by God, so by finding one's own value in one's spouse is indirectly finding one's own value in God.
Not all men and women have spouses for a variety of reasons. One still finds one's own value in their blood relatives. God is a relational God; man is created in the image of God; therefore, man is relational. The closest relations are blood relatives and these extend far or not.
After family ties by blood there are family ties by the blood of Christ. These are extremely valuable because their value comes directly from their relationships with God and one's relationship to God and their relationship between the two brothers and sisters in Christ. This includes the Universal Church and particular churches. A quick note - if one's familial ties are ties to people who are not related through Christ, this category is higher than blood relations and even the relationship between spouses. Believers ought to marry believers, but do not divorce an unbeliever. Work ever harder to welcome them as a brother or sister in Christ. One should also work harder to invite blood relatives into the family of Christ, not because those individuals are universally more valuable than other nonbelievers, but because they are subjectively more valuable because of history and closeness.
All individuals are important and inherently valuable because all are made in the image of God. This makes all individuals inherently valuable. As Christ's family we are to continue His ministry in welcoming the world into reconciliation with Truth and God.
God performs the act of reconciliation but requires us (for our own sake, not his) to guide them in their path to God. We are merely trail guides on the path of reconciliation, which Christ blazed nearly 2,000 years ago,
I wonder to to fulfill our duty as trail guides, must we understand and know the trail? We do this on our own Quest for Knowledge. There are many different trails, but all lead to God if they are followed straight and narrow.
Each path is straight and narrow, but requires different types of knowledge to navigate. In order to guide along any part of the path one must know it fully. If a guide is lost then all are lost. A traveler can be lost and yet safe, if his or her guide knows the path. Philosophy is a path that is sort of the starting point of all paths to truth. It is no more nobler or great than any other path. The philosophical guides are measured as good guides as all guides are measured - on the effectiveness, and more importantly, their effort as a guide to Truth, which is God. Philosophers are merely guides of different paths at the same time. The Quest for Knowledge for philosophers is broader and requires more patience, but can equip them to be more versatile guides.
Regardless of the path, all paths lead to a great divide, which is the separation of man and God. This divide is bridged by the reconciliatory work of Christ. While there are many paths to Christ, it is only through Christ that one reaches Truth and God.
The Quest for Knowledge is an exploration of the physical and natural world; an introspection of self, a virtual compilation and assimilation of ideas, emotions and facts. It looks to the past, the present and the future and works with one aim - Truth, which is only reached in a relationship with God, through the bridge that is Christ.
The Quest gives us explicit and implicit knowledge, which guides us to the Scriptures that explicitly and implicitly formulate these values placed here as the universals, including the value of all God's creation. This is where we find explicit knowledge that demands placing value in nature and living organisms. Implicitly, without the revelation of the Scriptural account of the creation which places humans as stewards of the earth, we can know that these are important and valuable.
The path of one's subjective quest for knowledge is chosen because of genetic predispositions, environmental, socioeconomic and otherwise indeterminable circumstances. Our personalities are guides to which path to choose and then are further molded by that path, the experiences upon that path, and the guides who direct, educate and lead us on our quest, for better or for worse. THese personalities, histories, and subjective circumstances help determine what subjective values we place under the five universal natures.
In the five universal values and the few or many subjective values and the inherent value of ourselves we find in all other values form a comprehensive, coherent and cohesive ethical standard. If any subjective value clashes with a universal value than the subjective value is flawed. If one's own self is given value without relation to another value then it is idolatry and a scourge.
The standard and measure of all values is one's adherence to the duties in that relationship. All relationships are social by nature and this social factor is derived from the social nature of God, which is found in all men because they are created in the image of God. These relationships to individuals are all means to the ultimate purpose of value - finding pure, unadulterated, eternal joy in one's own maker, redeemer, and Truth. The ultimate purpose is to be close to God and the standard by which we measure our values is the God-like quality of them. If our values (universal or subjective) are God-like in nature and quality, the values are good and correct. If they are not God-like, then they are incorrect and evil. There are no amoral values.
The five universal values:
1) God, and one's relationship to him
2) Family and one's relationship to them
3) The individuals who make up the word and one's responsibility and potential relationship to them
4) One's subjective Quest for Knowledge
5) The natural world and one's responsibility and interaction with it are all.
when valued appropriately and acted upon are God-Like because they are derived from God Himself.
Obviously a relationship with God is derived from God. All familial relationships are derived from God by one way or the other. Spousal relationships were implemented y God, which gave rise to immediate familial relationships, which gave rise to extended familial relationships, and to be in a family with brothers and sisters in Christ are required to have a relationship with God in order to be in the family of God. Besides familial relationships, our relationships, actual or potential with ever ever individual in the world comes from two Biblical mandates and truths: 1) All men are created in the image of God and 2) The Great Commission. These obviously come from God if they com from the Bible. In addition to the relationship with them we have a duty via the Great Commission to help them to join the family of God.
We use what is at our disposal to facilitate the Great Commission, which we get on our subjective Quests for Knowledge. Knowledge is the means to accomplish the purpose of our Great Commission. We Quest to fulfill our duty to God, which is fulfilled through man. Lastly, our duty to nature is explicitly spelled out through Genesis. This is derived from God's word, which is obviously derived from God.
Thus, all five universal values meet the criteria of values. Values must be good, which means they are God-like in nature and quality. Values that are not God like are incorrect and evil and not values at all. They are forms of idolatry and contradict the first and highest value: God an one's relationship to Him. Any value that contradicts a universal value destroys cohesiveness and must be cast out.
Thus, in order for something to be a subjective value it must be good, which means God-Like. It must not contradict any universal value. If it is found not to contradict and to be God-like by measuring it up to the standard which God Himself. If it comes from God, either directly or indirectly, it will produce pure, unadulterated joy. This joy is eternal and while it can be muddled, it can never be completely stamped out. This leads us to know the purpose of values and ethics - to draw closer to God. This is only accomplished via Christ, which is reached via the Quest! (Circular?)
Yes but the alpha and omega is, was, and will be. Value is in all creation through God. We find that value through our relationship to God (directly & indirectly). It's always there and always has been there via God. But, we discover it only when we enter into a relationship with Him. (Circular?)
No, a salt shaker has salt in it, but we only discover it when we enter into a relationship with it, directly or indirectly. Directly we shake the salt. Indirectly, we eat the food with salt on it and know through inference there exists a salt shaker, even if we cannot see it. So it is with God.
God is the salt shaker. Value is the salt. Sometimes we see the salt (value) poured out through God in our own relationship with him. Sometimes we taste the salt (value) in other relationships, with who we (might be a hammer?) We can't see the shaker (God), but we can experience the salt (value). It isn't circular. It is what it is: 5 universal values - all stemming from God and countless subjective values stemming from God, working to form a diverse set of ethics with common characteristics, universally aimed at one ultimate purpose- chosen-ness to God and measured by God Himself!
Now I simply ask. How did this come from a reevaluation of Bertrand Russell??? Wow! I'm going to go fix some crabcakes and come back and open The History of Western Philosophy as I planned nearly two hours ago.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
The sin that haunts us
(Originally written May 25, 2006 in Book 3)
The chief sin is idolatry. But it is idolatry in the sense that we become and therefor worship ourselves as gods. This comes from vain pride.
Pride is good.
Vain pride is bad & potentially dangerous.
Self-idolization from vain pride is evil.
Hence, the first commandment - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Vain pride is the father of all sins.
Sin is the manifestation of evil.
Therefore, vain pride is the evil which haunts us.
The chief sin is idolatry. But it is idolatry in the sense that we become and therefor worship ourselves as gods. This comes from vain pride.
Pride is good.
Vain pride is bad & potentially dangerous.
Self-idolization from vain pride is evil.
Hence, the first commandment - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Vain pride is the father of all sins.
Sin is the manifestation of evil.
Therefore, vain pride is the evil which haunts us.
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Russell: Why I am not a Christian
(Originally written September 1, 2005 in Book 2)
Why I am not a Christian
Bertrand Russell
1957
Essay 1 - Why I am not a Christian
The meaning of the term 'Christian' is too broad in today's terms. It is not defined solely as a person who attempts to live a good life. A Christian must have a certain definite belief to truly be one.
What is a Christian?
A Christian must believe in God and immortality.
A Christian must have some belief in Jesus Christ. They must believe that he is divine, or at least the "wisest and best" man ever.
Russell will explain why he doesn't believe in God and immortality. Russell will explain why he does not believe Christ was the "best and wisest" man ever. Russell admits that Christ had a very high degree of moral goodness.
A Christian does not necessarily have to believe in hell.
The Existence of God
Catholicism claims God's existence can be proven with reason.
The following five arguments are the arguments used to justify this Catholic dogmatic law.
1) First-Cause Argument: Everything we see in this world has a cause, and as you go back to the furthest point there must be a first cause.
If everything must have a cause then God must have a cause. If there is one thing without a cause it might as well be the world, not God. There is no reason to believe that the world has not always existed or that the world had any beginning.
Don't the laws of thermal dynamics refute Russell's thought?
2) The Natural Law Argument:
Natural Law argument was especially popular in the 18th century among those who were influenced by Isaac Newton's cosmology. Newton's cosmology was that God assigned the law of gravity to the planets and that is why they revolve the way they do. Moderns use Einstein's gravitational theories to explain the law of gravity.
Einstein replaced God?
The laws of nature are not actually laws at all, they are either human creations for convenience or they are statistical averages which suggest a random happening.
If God supplied the laws of nature why did he omit some? If God did issue laws at random or for his own pleasure then you find that God is not subject to the argument of natural lawmaking and the argument is invalid.
If God issued the laws of nature to create a perfect working universe why isn't it better?
The Fall and the emergence of sin?
3) The argument from Design
This argument states that everything was designed in such a way that it fits perfectly into the environment it was placed.
In reality evolution and adaptation is what makes species gel with their environment.
If God designed the world then why are there so many flaws? With millions and millions of years, omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence couldn't have God come up with something better than a world that produced the Nazis, the KKK or the H-Bomb?
4) The Moral Argument for Deity
God's existence is proved by the existence of right and wrong.
God cannot be proved good if he created wrong.
(See my argument in "God's role in the creation of sin" to see why this is an illogical argument)
5) The Argument for the remedying of injustice
God exists to bring justice into the world. An after life must exist for this to happen because injustice exists still on earth.
A scientific argument would state that since this world is ruled by injustice and I know only this world I would assume that justice does not rule anywhere else, negating a Just God.
Intellectual arguments do not stir people to believe in God though. The main reason people believe in God is because they have been taught to do so from infancy.
People want to believe in God because they like the idea of safety and the idea of having a "big brother" to look after you.
The Character of Christ
Christ had many maxims that were good, but impossible to live up to:
1) "Resist not evil, but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also". This is an impossible thing to do because it goes against human nature. This is not a new principle. Lao-Tzu and Buddha proposed similar maxims 500-600 years before Christ. Christians defend this by taking it figuratively.
2) "Judge not lest ye be judged". How is a Christian to uphold a court of law if this is to be taken as a literal maxim?
3) "Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow turn not thou away". How can people always give what is asked or lend what they have not?
4) "If thou would be perfect, go and sell that which thou has and give to the poor". How can someone survive if they sell what they have and give it away? Where is the line of Christians selling their goods for the poor?
(Rich man asks God what must I do to go to heaven. Christ shows that the man doesn't have the commitment to God because his wealth is an idol. Money is not bad unless it takes the place of God).
Defects in Christ's teachings:
Historically it is doubtful that Christ ever existed, and if he did, then we know little or nothing about him.
Christ believed that the 2nd coming would occur in his disciples' lifetimes. This was a concept embraced by early Christians as well. This was the basis for many of Christ's moral teachings.
"In that respect, clearly He was not so wise as some other people have been, and He was certainly not superlatively wise" (Russell, 17).
The Moral Problem:
One serious defect in Christ's morals was his belief in Hell. No moral or humane person can believe in everlasting punishment.
Christ was indignant to those who would not listen to Him. Compare his to Socrates' response to those who would not listen and you will see that Socrates is more noble and moral. Socrates was bland or urbane to those who did not adhere to his teachings.
Christ's condemnation of people who blaspheme the Holy Spirit shows that he has no kindness. A man with any sense of kindness in their nature would not put fears or terrors of this sort into the world as Christ did.
Christ's preaching of Hell and damnation is so prevalent and constant that he may have derived a sort of sadistic sick pleasure from it.
Christ banished the legion of demons into a herd of pigs. If he was omnipotent he had no reason to condemn those pigs to death, he could have banished the demons elsewhere.
What about when Christ destroyed the fig tree because it had no fruit? Never mind the fact it was not fig season.
Buddha and Socrates are more virtuous than Christ.
The Emotional Factor:
Religion is accepted on an emotional level.
Morals are supposedly tied up in religion and we ought not attack religion because without religion good men will turn into wicked men. Wickedness, true wickedness actually comes from fervent religion or dogmatic law, i.e. the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Hunts and the Crusades.
"The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world" (Russell).
How the Churches have retarded progress:
Morality is used as a disguise to inflict pain on people. The church's insistence of adhering to a strict moral code impairs people from achieving happiness because it inflicts them with unnecessary suffering, i.e. birth control.
Fear, the foundations of religion:
Religion is mostly and primarily based on fear.
-Fear of the unknown
-Fear of the mysterious
-Fear of death
-Fear of defect
Fear is the parent of cruelty, not surprising when you realize how cruel religion has been throughout history.
Science has pushed itself against Christianity and it is Science that will deliver us from the fear that religion puts in the world.
"Our hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to invent allies in the sky, but to look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in" (Russell, 22).
What we must do:
Conquer the world by intelligence.
The whole concept of God comes from ancient oriental despotisms.
People debase themselves in church by claiming to be wretched sinners.
We shouldn't lower ourselves to religion as self-respecting freemen but to make the best of the world.
"A good world needs knowledge, kindliness and courage; it does not need regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men" (Russell).
The past is dead, trust that the future will be better because of our intelligence.
Why I am not a Christian
Bertrand Russell
1957
Essay 1 - Why I am not a Christian
The meaning of the term 'Christian' is too broad in today's terms. It is not defined solely as a person who attempts to live a good life. A Christian must have a certain definite belief to truly be one.
What is a Christian?
A Christian must believe in God and immortality.
A Christian must have some belief in Jesus Christ. They must believe that he is divine, or at least the "wisest and best" man ever.
Russell will explain why he doesn't believe in God and immortality. Russell will explain why he does not believe Christ was the "best and wisest" man ever. Russell admits that Christ had a very high degree of moral goodness.
A Christian does not necessarily have to believe in hell.
The Existence of God
Catholicism claims God's existence can be proven with reason.
The following five arguments are the arguments used to justify this Catholic dogmatic law.
1) First-Cause Argument: Everything we see in this world has a cause, and as you go back to the furthest point there must be a first cause.
If everything must have a cause then God must have a cause. If there is one thing without a cause it might as well be the world, not God. There is no reason to believe that the world has not always existed or that the world had any beginning.
Don't the laws of thermal dynamics refute Russell's thought?
2) The Natural Law Argument:
Natural Law argument was especially popular in the 18th century among those who were influenced by Isaac Newton's cosmology. Newton's cosmology was that God assigned the law of gravity to the planets and that is why they revolve the way they do. Moderns use Einstein's gravitational theories to explain the law of gravity.
Einstein replaced God?
The laws of nature are not actually laws at all, they are either human creations for convenience or they are statistical averages which suggest a random happening.
If God supplied the laws of nature why did he omit some? If God did issue laws at random or for his own pleasure then you find that God is not subject to the argument of natural lawmaking and the argument is invalid.
If God issued the laws of nature to create a perfect working universe why isn't it better?
The Fall and the emergence of sin?
3) The argument from Design
This argument states that everything was designed in such a way that it fits perfectly into the environment it was placed.
In reality evolution and adaptation is what makes species gel with their environment.
If God designed the world then why are there so many flaws? With millions and millions of years, omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence couldn't have God come up with something better than a world that produced the Nazis, the KKK or the H-Bomb?
4) The Moral Argument for Deity
God's existence is proved by the existence of right and wrong.
God cannot be proved good if he created wrong.
(See my argument in "God's role in the creation of sin" to see why this is an illogical argument)
5) The Argument for the remedying of injustice
God exists to bring justice into the world. An after life must exist for this to happen because injustice exists still on earth.
A scientific argument would state that since this world is ruled by injustice and I know only this world I would assume that justice does not rule anywhere else, negating a Just God.
Intellectual arguments do not stir people to believe in God though. The main reason people believe in God is because they have been taught to do so from infancy.
People want to believe in God because they like the idea of safety and the idea of having a "big brother" to look after you.
The Character of Christ
Christ had many maxims that were good, but impossible to live up to:
1) "Resist not evil, but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also". This is an impossible thing to do because it goes against human nature. This is not a new principle. Lao-Tzu and Buddha proposed similar maxims 500-600 years before Christ. Christians defend this by taking it figuratively.
2) "Judge not lest ye be judged". How is a Christian to uphold a court of law if this is to be taken as a literal maxim?
3) "Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow turn not thou away". How can people always give what is asked or lend what they have not?
4) "If thou would be perfect, go and sell that which thou has and give to the poor". How can someone survive if they sell what they have and give it away? Where is the line of Christians selling their goods for the poor?
(Rich man asks God what must I do to go to heaven. Christ shows that the man doesn't have the commitment to God because his wealth is an idol. Money is not bad unless it takes the place of God).
Defects in Christ's teachings:
Historically it is doubtful that Christ ever existed, and if he did, then we know little or nothing about him.
Christ believed that the 2nd coming would occur in his disciples' lifetimes. This was a concept embraced by early Christians as well. This was the basis for many of Christ's moral teachings.
"In that respect, clearly He was not so wise as some other people have been, and He was certainly not superlatively wise" (Russell, 17).
The Moral Problem:
One serious defect in Christ's morals was his belief in Hell. No moral or humane person can believe in everlasting punishment.
Christ was indignant to those who would not listen to Him. Compare his to Socrates' response to those who would not listen and you will see that Socrates is more noble and moral. Socrates was bland or urbane to those who did not adhere to his teachings.
Christ's condemnation of people who blaspheme the Holy Spirit shows that he has no kindness. A man with any sense of kindness in their nature would not put fears or terrors of this sort into the world as Christ did.
Christ's preaching of Hell and damnation is so prevalent and constant that he may have derived a sort of sadistic sick pleasure from it.
Christ banished the legion of demons into a herd of pigs. If he was omnipotent he had no reason to condemn those pigs to death, he could have banished the demons elsewhere.
What about when Christ destroyed the fig tree because it had no fruit? Never mind the fact it was not fig season.
Buddha and Socrates are more virtuous than Christ.
The Emotional Factor:
Religion is accepted on an emotional level.
Morals are supposedly tied up in religion and we ought not attack religion because without religion good men will turn into wicked men. Wickedness, true wickedness actually comes from fervent religion or dogmatic law, i.e. the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Hunts and the Crusades.
"The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world" (Russell).
How the Churches have retarded progress:
Morality is used as a disguise to inflict pain on people. The church's insistence of adhering to a strict moral code impairs people from achieving happiness because it inflicts them with unnecessary suffering, i.e. birth control.
Fear, the foundations of religion:
Religion is mostly and primarily based on fear.
-Fear of the unknown
-Fear of the mysterious
-Fear of death
-Fear of defect
Fear is the parent of cruelty, not surprising when you realize how cruel religion has been throughout history.
Science has pushed itself against Christianity and it is Science that will deliver us from the fear that religion puts in the world.
"Our hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to invent allies in the sky, but to look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in" (Russell, 22).
What we must do:
Conquer the world by intelligence.
The whole concept of God comes from ancient oriental despotisms.
People debase themselves in church by claiming to be wretched sinners.
We shouldn't lower ourselves to religion as self-respecting freemen but to make the best of the world.
"A good world needs knowledge, kindliness and courage; it does not need regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men" (Russell).
The past is dead, trust that the future will be better because of our intelligence.
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Isaiah 30 & a prayer
(Originally written July 6, 2005 in Talks with God)
Lord I am starting to feel complacent in my role and I am starting to get comfortable and I am pushing boundaries. Stretch me more so that I am not comfortable and I don't push your limits.
I am in sin. Help me Lord and pull me up. Do not abandon me. Hear my plea for help. I want to serve you in all I do and I cannot do this alone. I need and want you to help. Hear my cry Lord as you have heard countless cries before. Make me an effective tool for your work. You didn't make me ordinary, help me achieve extraordinary things for you.
Isaiah 30:19-22
"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will se them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it". Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold. You will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "away with you!
"
Lord I am starting to feel complacent in my role and I am starting to get comfortable and I am pushing boundaries. Stretch me more so that I am not comfortable and I don't push your limits.
I am in sin. Help me Lord and pull me up. Do not abandon me. Hear my plea for help. I want to serve you in all I do and I cannot do this alone. I need and want you to help. Hear my cry Lord as you have heard countless cries before. Make me an effective tool for your work. You didn't make me ordinary, help me achieve extraordinary things for you.
Isaiah 30:19-22
"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will se them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it". Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold. You will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "away with you!
"
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