I guess this is the first time that I've posted anything up here, so yay! :P I thought I'd share this particular Bible study that I've just had on campus. Be warned, may be slightly confrontational, thought-provoking and hopefully discussion worthy.
God's Judgement: Questioning and Understanding
The particular passage that was addressed was Ezekiel 25-33. Yes, 8 chapters, I know, but thankfully, you don't have to read through all 8 chapters to get the gist of things. In these chapters, God has spoken through Ezekiel and prophesied that he will judge the surrounding nations around Israel. Let's just step back for a bit. In this particular section of history, Babylon has just conquered the nation of Israel for Israel's attitude towards God, and yet, God is punishing the nations around Israel?
In chapter 25:6-7, the Lord says: "Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel, therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD."
As we can read here, the surrounding nations revelled in Israel's judgement and celebrated. Think about it, when you see someone else's misfortune, is it not part of our thought process that thinks: "at least it wasn't me". Some may ask themselves, "Why isn't it me?", and our logical, human conclusion is: Because I didn't do wrong, because I'm better than them, and in this, comes the main idea of how these chapters apply to us today
First of all, as Jesus said in Luke 13: 2-5, when Pilate had horrifically murdered some Galileans (Gentiles):"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
We are all equal in sin, so Jesus tells us not to look at others' misfortune, but to look within ourselves, and put ourselves in their shoes. Again in Romans 3:9: "What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin".
Looking back at the passage in Ezekiel, Tyre and Egypt are both centres of great power and the kings of those nations have proclaimed themselves powerful! How can we not see ourselves as having power, especially when we have accomplished so much, and in their case, conquered many nations, gathered much wealth and prosperity. Perhaps we don't see things to such an extreme, but we do see ourselves as having a great deal of control, and the world tells us that
The world tells us, very early on that we have the power to do what we want with our lives, we can change the world! We all have once looked up to people who have achieved something magnificent, such as winning a gold medal in the Olympics, or won a worldwide Starcraft tournament (to put into perspective :P), and when interviewed, they tell us of their determination, their struggle to achieve, the hardships that they faced and won over along the road to achievement. Not to belittle achievement, but 95% of the time, it is due to circumstance, opportunity and God-given talent. We attribute these positive achievements to our own doing, to our own reasoning and our own efforts, and I'm sure that we have all felt like this at least once in our lives. This is the heart of human arrogance. No matter how small, it is in human reasoning that the world decides to rely on today, and in human reasoning that the world prides on.
the world prides itself on human reasoning, and through that, we think that it is the greatest force. One example of this is Darwinism, and the theory of evolution; one of the fundamental views in atheism. Using this example, can we find the human reason? Darwinism proclaims "survival of the fittest" and in order to survive, one must continue reproducing the "fittest" of the species. Now for another look on Darwinism. If you posited to an atheist, the idea of culling the "bad, stupid and ugly" from society to create a far superior gene pool in order to continue "survival of the fittest", I'm sure that they would find the idea abhorrent, and yet that is the reasoning behind Darwin's theory of evolution, and by human reasoning, we have to establish that, in order for our species to survive, we must become the "fittest". Why, then, do we have the moral set that we do? Why is it that we must be a "good person" to function in society? Is this not against human reasoning? Is this not illogical according to Darwin's theory of evolution?
The not-so-simple answer is: Human reason is malleable, it is open to change. A prime example of this is the comparison of our society today, and the Holocaust. On branch of human reasoning leads to a moral community and the ethical and moral treatment of other members of society, whereas the other leads to the massacre of millions of people based on physical characteristics in order to create a superior race. Which of these is more logical? In fact, both outcomes are derived from human logic and reason, with each step as logical as the next, and yet we look upon one situation as vastly different and horrific. Yet we pride ourselves on our logic and reason and demand explanations from God for his actions.
The kings of Tyre and Egypt in Ezekiel saw their own power and pretty much proclaimed: "I am God". Although not to this extent, this is the demand of human reason. Some of the big questions are: Why does God let suffering continue? If he's so loving towards us, why does he punish us? Perhaps slightly more ignorantly: Who is God to judge us? Is it fair for God to judge us? Is God just not a bully by judging us? I found this short story online. Please have a read, and if you guys are at Tehillah, provoke some discussion at this point? :)
There are many answers to these difficult questions, but the answer could go something like: Who are we to question God? Who are we to put God into a box and limit him to human reasoning? Has the world's pride in human reasoning and logic grown to the capacity in which we think that our reasoning surpasses that of God? The short of it is: God has no need to explain himself to us, as expressed by Jeremiah 18:3-4, he is the potter, and we are the clay. He is the creator, we are the created. If anything, it will be us who has to explain ourselves to God when judgement comes. God cannot be placed in a box, and cannot be limited to the finite boundaries of human reason.
From all that I've said here, it seems like that there is a lot of negativity surrounding God's judgement and the puffed up concept of human reasoning. However, amidst all the judgement, fire and brimstone in the passage that is Ezekiel 25-33, there is a small space, and eye of the storm that gives a small bit of consolation. This is found in 28: 25-26:"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbours who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."
These two verses in the midst of a long list of judgement shows the restoration of God's people. God is no bully! He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. He knows just as well as we do the pain and suffering that we experience when he judges us. How does he know? He's felt it. Through Jesus. When he gave us his son to die on the cross, he came down to earth as a man and experienced the suffering of man. God knows the extent of his judgement upon man, and takes no delight in it, unlike the nations surrounding Israel.
God knows that he must judge the wicked, but he also gives hope for his people. God's judgement is in his own logic, his own reasoning, and as such is beyond the comprehension of man. Would a creator be obligated to explain himself to his creation? No, and as such, it is not the place of a creation to question his maker. The message of this is: Do not fall into the pride of human reasoning. Do not look on at misfortune of others and see the human reasoning of who has done wrong and who has not. Instead, look at yourself and see what would be the case if you were the one being judged. How would you answer to God for your actions? What will his judgement be? Be not afraid for your body but for your soul, for that is what is important, as Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell". God will not let the arrogance and the pride of the human heart continue. Look into yourself, and look at how you will answer to God.
Hope this has made you guys think, I only summarised what i heard and wrote down what i got from notes and memory.
for further reading have a look at:
Love from sydney!
Tim
2 comments:
thats ur first comment tim hahaha
lol...at the first comment.
but yea for tehillah people reading that short story, just remember that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him.
that story of how to enter into heaven is really distorted. But do really think about why you believe. Just remember that God it consistently working in this world and in people's lives. he didn't just create the world and sat back folded his arms and not have a relationship with us.
Again this story really does reflect on human arrogance in their pride of their own intellect.
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