That GOD is spoken of as “a man of war” is the topic, today, with more on reading the scriptures as literal. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “Denny” (Level 1 with 9 points, a member since February 9, 2013) posted the following:
Is God really a man of war? Why does the Bible say he is?
THE BATTLE AXE: What to Take Literally (03/11/2013)—Because an important purpose of the Bible is to establish inarguable, spiritual truth through focus upon human events, moral principles, and accounts of intimate relationship with GOD, the holy writings are held to exacting standards for accuracy, clarity, completeness, simplicity and transparency. Trust that the Scriptures are truly provided by GOD is promoted by the absence of contradictions, distortions, exaggerations, lies and superfluous matter (we say “clutter”). To the extent the Scriptures present the very same devices and techniques found in literary writing such as essays, novels and poetry, many insist the Bible contains no sacred material, and should be subject to the “scientific” scrutiny of such academic disciplines as Archeology, Cultural Anthropology, Literary Criticism, Logic, and Philology. It remains, the “sacred material” is to exist both within the writings and within the reader as an imparted, indwelling Spirit from GOD; and the two are to interact as living agents from GOD. By the operation of GOD through rebirth and regeneration, believers receive divine substance from the person of Jesus Christ, and thereafter are directed from within themselves by the same precepts, principles, and propositions described in the pages of Scripture. Thus, the Holy Spirit establishes correct knowledge, discernment, and understanding of the holy writings; and the holy writings function to amplify, convey, nourish, prompt, and refresh the Holy Spirit.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. (Exodus 15: 1-6, King James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Will GOD Bless My Team? (12/31/2012); Put Every Man His Sword By His Side (01/01/2013); The Common Danger (01/02/2013); Why did The Judges Fight? (10/19/2012); The Spirit is Willing (10/20/2012); Violence In The Bible (02/26/2012); Why Confess Before Priest (02/27/2012); Jealous, Not Crazy (08/10/2012); The Divine Tool of Death (08/11/2012); Binder 10: Commitment To Perfection (10/07/2011); Dispatch 35: My Defense (09/14/2011); Dispatch 34: The Servant Must Not Strive (09/15/2011); Dispatch 32: Now Will I Rise (09/11/2011)
Because men have celebrated victory in battle ascribing their success to personal guidance and interventions by GOD (and not to such mechanical and unfeeling elements as chance, destiny, fate and luck), there are various traditions that exalt our Creator as a “man of war,” and that promote the ideals of purity, holy warriors and holy war. (See for example, Exodus 15: 3, 1st Samuel 17: 33-47 and 1st Timothy 6: 12, King James Version.)
Many mature Christian believers agree that the Almighty is spoken of as a GOD of War in order to communicate in a simple way the profound differences existing due to the divergence of divine will and self-will residing within created beings and living creatures. GOD is a spirit, and absolutely may not be known, acknowledged and embraced without spiritual truth (see John 4: 23-24, Revelation 12: 7 and 19: 11, KJV). While the armies of Israel were created by GOD to accomplish the occupation of the Promised Land, rightly understood, they were instruments of divine judgment (like the plagues of Egypt), and not tools for conquest.
The holy writings necessarily use many human language devices that are in line with patterns relied upon by mankind for their carnal, emotional, physical and social existence. Together these elements are called “the World”, a man-made system for exchanging resources and continuing survival. The World supplies a person with definitions, meanings, practices and standards that are used to determine the quality of life experiences as good/bad, illogical/logical, real/unreal, right/wrong, scientific/unscientific and even true or false. Christian believers are “called out” from the World; and are trained to live in the World as new creatures fashioned by Christ.
Just as the World, the Flesh (i.e., appetite such as hunger, thirst, sexual craving; sense such as hearing, seeing, touching; and mind such as fantasy, imagination, recall) and the Devil (i.e., created beings that oppose the will of GOD, demons, unclean spirits), GOD puts forth order and standards to describe the substance and value of objects in human experience. Together, the provisions of GOD comprise the revelation of divinity.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, war perpetuates war; and peace is only the outcome of truth-finding and judgment, for judgment is the resolution of conflict and the settlement of dispute through law. For this reason, judgment is always to be received as blessing, rather than widespread death and punishment.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
No comments:
Post a Comment