Back on Track
It has been a few weeks since I posted a message. Between being extra busy, sick and lazy, along with less time on Sunday mornings before church, I paused writing.
That does not mean that I have not been studying and thinking about the scriptures. In fact, I have been possibly more involved with the scriptures and learning how to process them. The short of it is that my perspective is evolving, and I am beginning to be more aware of problems in the Biblical texts, and I am applying a more critical view. That does not mean that I disagree with any of the doctrines or teachings of the Bible, especially the words of Christ.
Last year’s study of the Doctrine and Covenants helps me appreciate the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith on a whole new level. It helps me navigate the Bible, and glean from its stories and teachings truth and testimony. Another blessing of the restoration, modern prophets and scripture, when it comes to biblical study, it is easier to see the missing pieces.
So this coming year will be intense. Navigating the Old Testament is daunting on its own, but now I will have to look for the missing pieces and biases of the editors to arrive at a coherent narrative. To accomplish this, I have obtained the NRSVue translation, and will use it in tandem with the KJV. I will also cross-reference with the Book of Mormon and the other standard works of the church, and throw in some Apocrypha and other commentaries. This will be a monumental undertaking, so I hope to set aside at least one hour a day in undistracted study. Wish me well.
Every time I study, I have plenty of questions. For example: in reading the accounts of the creation in the Book of Moses, it says, “and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep”. My questions on this phrase alone are:
Why would God cause darkness to come upon the face of the deep?
What is darkness in this instance? What is its function in the creation? If it had a specific purpose, which it must have, what is it? Is it dark matter, perhaps?
What is the face of the deep?
So then I look for answers in science, other theological contexts, other references, and most importantly, prayer and meditation.
As you can see, this is going to take significant effort. I do not know if you will have an interest in my thoughts and ideas, but that is secondary to my desire to help you to start thinking a little more.
My initial thoughts on God in the Old Testament
The God of the Old Testament is sometimes characterized as severe and harsh. Words like tribal, wrathful, jealous, and judgmental are used to describe Him. His penalties for disobedience are swift and final. Killing enemies and those who worship competing Gods, or happen to be in His way, seems to be the norm. On the other hand, He is loyal and faithful to those who follow Him and keep his commandments.
Conversely, in the New Testament we see Jesus teaching love and patience, praying for our enemies, and going out of our way to help others. There is no doubt that Jesus called out sin and hypocrisy when he saw it, but he didn’t call upon his followers to wipe them off the face of the earth either.
So, why such a difference, since Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus in the New Testament? This is important to understand; it is not God who changes, but is the different conditions that exist at the time. In the Old Testament, each nation had their gods. The way neighboring nations interacted was to conquer them. They killed and plundered, took slaves and wiped out the gods that that were not their own. They didn’t peacefully coexist. The times between conflicts and wars came because one side was utterly dominating another. If the Jesus of the New Testament came in those times and taught the gospel of love to the people of Israel, chances are Israel would cease to exist.
God keeps his promises by whatever means is most effective in the world as it exists in that time. He would rather not wipe out his children, but he will also not let wickedness prevail, as demonstrated in the great flood. His work and glory is to bring immortality and eternal life to His children. He will not let anything, good or bad, to get in the way of our agency. The way we use our agency will either bring us to eternal life with God or separate us from Him forever.
As I side note, I hope to use AI for some research but not to change my style of writing. I certainly need help with spelling and grammar, given that I was not a great student, but personality matters, regardless of how dry mine is.
Happy new year!