The thing that bothers me, is that Scripture only addresses individuals who play a role of strategic significance in God's redemptive plan, or play a necessary role in illustrating an accurate picture of Divine Character. There is no book of Joe. Or Jane. Scripture does not address the Average Slob. We get no direct description of how such an individual can expect to be treated in a relationship with the Almighty. Everything is inferred, mostly from the wriring of David and Solomon, and this pop theology is presented to us from the pulpit. As for the Bible thumping "Gawd speaks to us throo his worduh!", Peter Lord reminds us in "Hearing God", that a huge number of Christians lived and died before Guttenberg's printing press, and never owned a Bible. Most of us would like to think that we have a 1-of-a-kind role to play in God's plan, but is this realistic? It feels empty, to me, this doctrine of intimacy with God, an Entity capable of 400 years of silence. How do I reconcile this with a man who claims that he stands at the door knocking, waiting to come in and interact with me? I cannot follow David's example, because I am not being groomed for Great things, and I am not nearly the man David was. I can sin with the best of 'em, but I cannot measure up to David's faith. From time to time, in his whining, David doubted God's concern or attention, but never his existence. It seems God only answers those who need to hear him for his purpose. What kind of a relationship is that? I have read my Bible, and listened desperately for a still, small voice. This merely puts me in touch with a lot of fleeting thoughts that may or may not come from Jesus. When I knock at your door, and you don't hear me, I knock louder, even though I don't love you near as much as Jesus does...
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Thursday, April 2, 2009
David...
The thing that bothers me, is that Scripture only addresses individuals who play a role of strategic significance in God's redemptive plan, or play a necessary role in illustrating an accurate picture of Divine Character. There is no book of Joe. Or Jane. Scripture does not address the Average Slob. We get no direct description of how such an individual can expect to be treated in a relationship with the Almighty. Everything is inferred, mostly from the wriring of David and Solomon, and this pop theology is presented to us from the pulpit. As for the Bible thumping "Gawd speaks to us throo his worduh!", Peter Lord reminds us in "Hearing God", that a huge number of Christians lived and died before Guttenberg's printing press, and never owned a Bible. Most of us would like to think that we have a 1-of-a-kind role to play in God's plan, but is this realistic? It feels empty, to me, this doctrine of intimacy with God, an Entity capable of 400 years of silence. How do I reconcile this with a man who claims that he stands at the door knocking, waiting to come in and interact with me? I cannot follow David's example, because I am not being groomed for Great things, and I am not nearly the man David was. I can sin with the best of 'em, but I cannot measure up to David's faith. From time to time, in his whining, David doubted God's concern or attention, but never his existence. It seems God only answers those who need to hear him for his purpose. What kind of a relationship is that? I have read my Bible, and listened desperately for a still, small voice. This merely puts me in touch with a lot of fleeting thoughts that may or may not come from Jesus. When I knock at your door, and you don't hear me, I knock louder, even though I don't love you near as much as Jesus does...
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Thanks for allowing me to hear your thoughts too!
ReplyDeleteI must say, though, that I struggled for a long time to hear God's voice and prompting but now hear it often. The longer I live in relationship with God the quicker I can tell if it's HIM! Maybe that's why David and the people of Israel had a prophet? That way, they could begin to learn what God would say and measure that character against what they felt Him speaking to them.
You see I disagree with the statement that God doesn't have grand plans for you! In Jeremiah it says that He has plans for you, to give you a hope and a future. I think David, Paul, Job, Esther and such are all used greatly by God BECUASE they were normal people. Not all of them became Kings either. . .Tamar was featured in the lineage of Jesus and was a girl who was raped. Rahab the prostitute made one grand gesture of faith. People throughout the new testament were written about who were just normal average "joes".
While I probably like to think that God has HUGE plans for me (hehe), I know I fit more in with the teacher Deborah or one of the disciples who gets to learn at His feet and be changed.
Keep writing about all of this! I'm praying for you. Thanks for letting me peek into your thoughts!
Brandi
Brandi, I love to drop by your blog from time to time, and I see the active role you play, working out your faith and using your power to make the world more closely resemble God's ideal. Ever since I read "on the move" my heart has been broken over Africa. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThe passage from jeremiah is beautiful, and I am from an unchurched background, but an old study bible I had stated that interpreting scripture was done by keeping in mind the cultural and historic context, as well as who was speaking, and who was being addressed. By this perspective, these verses don't apply to us, but given for insight into God dealing with the nation of Israel.
Tamar played a significant role in Davids punishment over the bathsheba fiasco (Which God used, granted) and Rahab I think was included to illustrate that rules were not enough to accomplish God's purpose...after all, being not jewish, it was illegal for Salmon to date her, lol. My point is that we know nothing about how the insignificant ones interact with God, or if the do. We have many details about a pregnant teenager...but what about the innkeeper who let them stay in the barn? What was his life like? How does God relate to people like that. What happened to the widow with 2 pennies?
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI'm not too sure I want to hear from God, he actual voice that is. Look at the folks God talked to in the Bible, they were not jumping for joy afterwards. Take Moses, we are told he stuttered, and he told God he didn't want the job of being his spokesman, yet he ended up going through a lot of crap. How would to like to deal with 2 million homeless Jews?
I think God puts feelings in my heart. To help others. I often find myself giving money to people on the corner with the work for food signs. Or giving money to people that approach me at the gas pump. Picking up the guy carrying a gas can along the highway..,
I believe for some of us the plan is simple. Perhaps just to be there to encourage someone or maybe help them see something a little differently. Maybe to bring God into someone's life. Heck, you may have done things as part of God's plan and don't even know about it.
By the way, I looked at your favorite 200. Are all of those pics yours?
Noticed you hike. Ever thought of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail? Looks like you've been on some of it.
TJG
TJC- An audible voice would kinda freak me out...but how can you have an intimate relationship without 2-way communication? I don't doubt that impulsive compassion may from time to time come from God, but silent nudging, indistinguishable from our own compassion, isn't really a relationship... It doesn't satisfy my thirst.
ReplyDeleteThe 200 set are actually my photos that Flckr has determined are the most interesting...we are not in complete agreement. Thank you so much for looking them over.
I would love to thru-hike the trail.
hmm, maybe you and I don't belong to God..,
ReplyDelete"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47
I cannot say that I have fully given my life to God or Jesus, I have lots of attachments like beer, money, etc.
Reckon these vices keep me from belonging to God?
TJG
TGJ-
ReplyDeleteSorry to be so long in replying... your comment has inspired a post that requires a little head scratchin'.... please, a little more time?
Ta da! http://www.christopherrauch.com/2009/05/belonging-to-god.html#links
ReplyDelete