I love the fact that I am comfortable with thoughts and questions I shied away from in my youth because I was swamped in dogma. I have no regrets about that. Amidst the conformity and tightly controlled religious messages a truth rang out that I have never forsaken, and I am thankful for the grace that God has given and the years I spent in church. I am fortunate that my path to God is through Jesus and He intercedes for me as an almighty spirit of the living God. I can ask anything of Him, and the world begins to move to answer those very requests. I'm stating these facts about myself because what I am about to say could be misconstrued by some as disbelief. It is not. It is just questions, thoughts. I like questions. They open up thought with a mark that looks like this "?". On the other hand, statements often close down the conversation with a mark that looks like this ".".
In the Psalms, wonderfully inspired words are poured out onto the page with passionate abandon. We accept them in every literal sense in most Protestant congregations, but isn't it puzzling how we tap dance to make meaning of some of them to keep accepting them literally? Here is an example I find puzzling:
Psalms 89: 19 and further begins this, " Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: 'I have set the crown on one who is mighty... my hand shall always remain with him.' Verse 28 says,"Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm. If his children forsake my law.... then I will punish their transgression with the rod...,but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness...His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun. It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies."
What a beautiful declaration of God's faithfulness to his servant David, even though punishment for transgressions may be doled out, the love remains steadfast. Not only to David, but also to his descendants, one of which is Jesus of Nazareth. Ironically, in verse 38, David states, "But now, you have spurned and rejected him; you are full of wrath against your anointed. The Psalm ends, after David Laments God's anger, with David's usual declaration of faithfulness and these words, "Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen and Amen." Even David's greatest despair expressed rose to the top after pouring out his heart to God. It's a beautifully human pattern.
Does David remind you of yourself at times? Do you think he forgot the meaning of forever when he was distressed? Do you think Christians have forgotten the meaning of forever? Do you think because the Jews rejected Jesus, all of them will die and go to hell? If so, does that mean his throne "established like the moon" is doomed? I don't know. I'm just askin' questions.
Peace. Love, Linda
In the Psalms, wonderfully inspired words are poured out onto the page with passionate abandon. We accept them in every literal sense in most Protestant congregations, but isn't it puzzling how we tap dance to make meaning of some of them to keep accepting them literally? Here is an example I find puzzling:
Psalms 89: 19 and further begins this, " Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: 'I have set the crown on one who is mighty... my hand shall always remain with him.' Verse 28 says,"Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm. If his children forsake my law.... then I will punish their transgression with the rod...,but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness...His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun. It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies."
What a beautiful declaration of God's faithfulness to his servant David, even though punishment for transgressions may be doled out, the love remains steadfast. Not only to David, but also to his descendants, one of which is Jesus of Nazareth. Ironically, in verse 38, David states, "But now, you have spurned and rejected him; you are full of wrath against your anointed. The Psalm ends, after David Laments God's anger, with David's usual declaration of faithfulness and these words, "Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen and Amen." Even David's greatest despair expressed rose to the top after pouring out his heart to God. It's a beautifully human pattern.
Does David remind you of yourself at times? Do you think he forgot the meaning of forever when he was distressed? Do you think Christians have forgotten the meaning of forever? Do you think because the Jews rejected Jesus, all of them will die and go to hell? If so, does that mean his throne "established like the moon" is doomed? I don't know. I'm just askin' questions.
Peace. Love, Linda
1 comment:
ALways enjoy your blog, Aunt Linda. And I like questions, too.
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