Opus 2023-262: The Ultimate Eye Roll

Human beings are special.  We are created in the image of God.  The Bible tells us so.  Some humans are more special than others.  Abraham was one of those picked out by God.  In spite of that I think that Abraham tested God’s patience a bit.  I was reading about one of his moments in Genesis 18:22-33.  The Lord was on His way to Sodom to give His final judgement on them as a city.  He intended to destroy them.  Abraham starts to argue with Him about His decision.  If you don’t know the story, I will put it at the end of the post.

I don’t know about you but if God stopped by my tent on the way to destroy a city I am not sure that I would feel like that was the time to argue with Him.  Like I said, Abraham was more special than most.  He preceded to continually up the ante, or down the ante, until he moved God from needing 50 righteous to only needing ten.  As I read this it seemed to me that I could almost see God rolling His eyes as Abraham made his pitch.  After all, God knew where this was going.  I think there are time when He finds us amusing.  

Another irreverent thought I had was that maybe we do eye rolls because God did them.  Maybe things like that are part of the image of God.  I will put that on my list of questions I plan to ask during eternity.

Related Scripture

(Gen 18:22 KJV)  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
(Gen 18:23 KJV)  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
(Gen 18:24 KJV)  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
(Gen 18:25 KJV)  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
(Gen 18:26 KJV)  And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
(Gen 18:27 KJV)  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
(Gen 18:28 KJV)  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
(Gen 18:29 KJV)  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
(Gen 18:30 KJV)  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
(Gen 18:31 KJV)  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
(Gen 18:32 KJV)  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
(Gen 18:33 KJV)  And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-260 Fear Factored

It is so easy to drift into fear mode.  It could be the China Virus panic or the Election chaos but we have a tendency to succumb to fear.  

Intellectually I have no problem.  I accept that there is a virus but nothing I have seen makes me think it is any worse than the normal range of annual sickness.  What do I do in flu season?  Wash my hands, don’t visit people who are sick and get plenty of rest.  What do I do about the China Virus?  Samo-samo.  The recent experience of President Trump just reinforces that understanding.  And yet, emotionally the fear tactic keeps getting a foothold.  Just like my experience in talking with someone who is clever is deviant theology, I need to keep going back to what I know to be true and grab hold again.

Politically it is the same.  I listen to all the conspiracy theories.  I try to get an intelligent answer from a Democrat.  I hear the rumors.  I know they are going to cheat and violence is just a standard tactic.  I sometimes allow the fear tactic to get a foothold.  Then I have to remember how many people seem to understand and force myself to act like God is in control.  Does that mean Trump will be reelected?  No.  I can’t know the mind of God as He works in the politics of man.  What it does is remind me of the promises and those promises include providence in the time of trial as much as the time of celebration.

So, fear not if you have a genuine faith in God.  If you don’t then hope that the ones that do have a strong enough faith to carry the country through.  Remember that if Abraham could have found ten righteous men in Sodom then the fire would not have fallen.

(Gen 18:32 KJV) And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

So look around you and count.  We don’t have the same promise of ten but God still has some people.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-182: Last Flight from Sodom

Where do we go from here?  I continue to read headlines about pedophilia and the assault on children going on in the cultural elites.  Some of the headlines are exposes that act like criminal charges are going to be brought.  Others are statements that there are movements in government, education, entertainment and media to make sexual contact with children legal and mainstream.  It seems to be coming like a Mac truck.  I remember just a few years ago when we warned that accepting homosexuality would lead to child and animal sex being accepted and being told I was just an old Prude with sexual hang ups. 

It is knocking at the door.  Where do those of us who still have a shred of moral fiber go from here?

The question has already been asked politically.  I remember during the 2016 presidential campaign how Ted Cruz shared what his father had said.  To paraphrase, he had fled tyranny in Cuba and come to the United States.  If the United States falls and become another socialist workers paradise, where do we go from here?  There is no place left.

I have already left California.  So many leftists have fled that they are infecting the rest of the country.  I came to Texas.  Now I hear that Austin is talking about changing the name of the city because the man it is named after had slaves.  Really?  The crazies are alive and well in the Lone Star state. 

Where do I go from here?  I may not need to worry about it.  I am old enough that I may be dead by the time the fools completely take over.  I am worried more about my children and grandchildren.  I am worried about your decedents. 

I have hope though.  This is not the first time that perversion has been ascendent.  I think of the discussion between God and Abraham about the future of Sodom.  God was going to destroy it because of it evil.  Eventually Abraham brought his plea for mercy down to this.

(Genesis 18:32 KJV)  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

God agreed to spare Sodom if there were ten righteous in the city.  Sodom was destroyed. 

How many will it take for God to spare America?

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-244: Thinkers

The popular propaganda says different but, as Christians, we are to think and use our mind.  It is part of being created in the image of God. 

This is demonstrated many ways.  One example is seeing the patriarchs arguing with God.  Take the time when God was going to destroy Sodom for its sinful ways in Genesis 18.  Abraham starts to argue with God.

(Genesis 18:23 KJV)  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

He then proceeds to make a deal with God.  It starts with the hopes of finding 50 righteous in the city and Abraham bargains it down to 10.  God agrees that if there are 10 He will spare it.  Unfortunately for Sodom there were not even 10.  The point isn’t that God probably knew that when He agree.  The point is He let Abraham have his say and did not zap him for impertinence.

Then in Exodus 32 we see God planning on destroying Israel because they made the golden calf.  Moses argues Him out of it and we find this verse,

(Exodus 32:14 KJV)  And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

There is a lot of give and take between the God of the Bible and His people.

Other religions have a different rational.  One reason Muslims don’t argue with Allah is that they are not allowed to.  Allah is sovereign, which Christians and Jews would agree with about YHWH, but in Islam man is not created in Allah’s image.  I don’t think there is an equivalent to the patriarchs arguing with YHWH.  Allah is above logic and fair play.  He is above justice and righteousness.  Those terms mean whatever he wants them to mean and as the line in the small print says, “Subject to change without notice.”

Eastern religions do not argue with God because he is not a person and not necessarily powerful.  The Greek Gods were powerful and personal but lacked wisdom so either it did no good to argue or it was all you did.  They were really no more wise than humans.  Contrasting these views of God with the concept of a God who is personal, powerful and wise.

Religious leaders often don’t want you to speak your mind or think for yourself.  The masses who have not developed their minds and don’t think accept this kind of leadership but real Christians can’t get by with that because God expects more.

Happy thinking.

homo unius libri