Re: daily lenten scripture readings: wednesday march 16, 2011. -- Mamusz' Restoration Forum

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Date Posted: 19:57:01 03/15/11 Tue
Author: George
Subject: Re: daily lenten scripture readings: wednesday march 16, 2011.
In reply to: john 's message, "daily lenten scripture readings: wednesday march 16, 2011." on 07:28:34 03/15/11 Tue

>daily lenten scripture readings: wednesday march 16,
>2011.
>
>
>Deuteronomy 9:13-21
>
>
>13 Furthermore the LORD said to me, "I have seen that
>this people is indeed a stubborn people. 14 Let me
>alone that I may destroy them and blot out their name
>from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation
>mightier and more numerous than they."
>
> 15 So I turned and went down from the mountain,
>while the mountain was ablaze; the two tablets of the
>covenant were in my two hands. 16 Then I saw that you
>had indeed sinned against the LORD your God, by
>casting for yourselves an image of a calf; you had
>been quick to turn from the way that the LORD had
>commanded you. 17 So I took hold of the two tablets
>and flung them from my two hands, smashing them before
>your eyes. 18 Then I lay prostrate before the LORD as
>before, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate
>bread nor drank water, because of all the sin you had
>committed, provoking the LORD by doing what was evil
>in his sight. 19 For I was afraid that the anger that
>the LORD bore against you was so fierce that he would
>destroy you. But the LORD listened to me that time
>also. 20 The LORD was so angry with Aaron that he was
>ready to destroy him, but I interceded also on behalf
>of Aaron at that same time. 21 Then I took the sinful
>thing you had made, the calf, and burned it with fire
>and crushed it, grinding it thoroughly, until it was
>reduced to dust; and I threw the dust of it into the
>stream that runs down the mountain.
>Deut 9:13-21 (NRSV)

John, the above scripture does not so much refer to idolatry as rejection of God, but idolatry in substituting other things in place of God. The golden bullock (mistranslated "calf") was intended to be a physical representation of God. God's name Elohim was plural. When Aaron said "These are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt," the correct translation is "This is your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." The fact that there was only one calf clearly indicates this. However, this mistranslation has persisted for ages, and is as ingrained in traditional belief as the notion that there were exactly three wise men, and that one was from Africa, despite the fact that Africa is not "in the east."

This passage does not bode well for anyone who tries to "reinterpret" who Jesus is, in order to "revision" a theology that is more accomodating and popular, as Aaron's was. You quote this scripture. Do you understand its implications for the Community of Christ?

>Psalm 119:49-72
>
>
>49 Remember what you said to me, your servant� I hang
>on to these words for dear life!
>50 These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your
>promises rejuvenate me.
>51 The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't
>budge from your revelation.
>52 I watch for your ancient landmark words, and know
>I'm on the right track.
>53 But when I see the wicked ignore your directions,
>I'm beside myself with anger.
>54 I set your instructions to music and sing them as I
>walk this pilgrim way.
>55 I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring
>your revelation, O God.
>56 Still, I walk through a rain of derision because I
>live by your Word and counsel.
>57 Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to do
>everything you say.
>58 I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be
>gracious to me just as you promised.
>59 When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I
>got my feet back on the trail you blazed.
>60 I was up at once, didn't drag my feet, was quick to
>follow your orders.
>61 The wicked hemmed me in�there was no way out� but
>not for a minute did I forget your plan for me.
>62 I get up in the middle of the night to thank you;
>your decisions are so right, so true�I can't wait till
>morning!
>63 I'm a friend and companion of all who fear you, of
>those committed to living by your rules.
>64 Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live
>by your counsel.
>65 Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your
>Word.
>
>66 Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly
>committed to living your way.
>67 Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over
>the place, but now I'm in step with your Word.
>68 You are good, and the source of good; train me in
>your goodness.
>69 The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my
>attention on what you are saying;
>70 They're bland as a bucket of lard, while I dance to
>the tune of your revelation.
>71 My troubles turned out all for the best� they
>forced me to learn from your textbook.
>72 Truth from your mouth means more to me than
>striking it rich in a gold mine.
>Psalms 119:49-72 (MSG)

I like this passage, too, John. Have you correctly applied it to your own situation, or are you reading it in reverse, as many a fundamentalist does when he supposes that the Book of Habakkuk is talking about his really "bad" next door neighbor?

>
>Hebrews 3:12-19
>
>
>12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you
>may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away
>from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every
>day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of
>you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14
>For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold
>our first confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is
>said,
>
>"Today, if you hear his voice,
>do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
>
> 16 Now who were they who heard and yet were
>rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under
>the leadership of Moses? 17 But with whom was he angry
>forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies
>fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear
>that they would not enter his rest, if not to those
>who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were
>unable to enter because of unbelief.
>Heb 3:12-19 (NRSV)
>
>
>John 2:23 - 3:15

John, I see some very good connections in this one, that have Freudian implications regarding the CofC's self-image, but I won't describe them unless you clearly indicate where you are coming from. I note that those who would not follow Jeffrey Lundgren's revelations telling them to give all their money to him, or to have sex with him while being "carnal, sensual and devilish" were considered by the faithful to have an "unbelieving heart" and were punished as if they were part of this crowd of Old Testament miscreants mentioned above in your passage. The faithful, of course, were those who believed that Jeffrey had a "clear understanding of the will of God for the church."

>
> 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover
>Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was
>doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not
>entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He
>did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew
>what was in a man.
>John 2:23-25 (NIV)
>
>Chapter 3
>Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
> 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
>Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He
>came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you
>are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could
>perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were
>not with him."
>
> 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth,
>no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born
>again. "
>
> 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?"
>Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time
>into his mother's womb to be born!"
>
> 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one
>can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of
>water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh,
>but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not
>be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8
>The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its
>sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or
>where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the
>Spirit."
>
> 9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
>
> 10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and
>do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the
>truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to
>what we have seen, but still you people do not accept
>our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly
>things and you do not believe; how then will you
>believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has
>ever gone into heaven except the one who came from
>heaven--the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the
>snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted
>up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have
>eternal life.
>John 3:1-15 (NIV)

I do like the last scripture -- satirizing a fundamentalist style literal interpretation. Sometimes the literal meaning is not the intended one, but sometimes it is. Not knowing when to interpret something literally and when to do it figuratively is a big problem in scripture. However, many who are well-educated enough to know which is which deliberately do it wrong in order to mislead those whom they are supposed to be guiding. That is not the blind leading the blind. That is the sighted putting out the eyes of their (formerly) sighted dependents.

George

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