Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Sin's Effects on Society
As I progress through my "histomatic theology" (historically systematic) I find myself at yet another central passage of scripture, one of controversy and great debate. Genesis Six is noted for its application to the whole subject of angels, their role in history, and their physical nature. Being a youthful, strong-willed person, I love taking positions. I do not want to say that this is healthy, however. The expression "sons of God" is used in the Bible in some passages to refer clearly to angels, in other passages clearly to men. I do not know who was marrying whom back in those days. I only know that men had built for themselves incredible societies and grand infrastructures. I have a little suspicion that they may have had some technologies that we to this day have not discovered. I will not go any farther there. Whether men and angels were mixing blood, whether men of the promised Seed line were mixing blood, we do know that "[t]here were giants in the earth in those days. And also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore to them, they were mighty men who existed of old, men of renown" (Gen 6:4 MKJV). We also know that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen 6:5 MKJV). Despite having all of that infrastructure, breeding, power, and prestige, these men were corrupt.
As an aside, note the non-racist ideas. These men were corrupt, not because of their breeding in the end, but because of their hearts. Noah was of the same breeding, yet his outcome was different.
As another aside, note the problem of sin and society. One item of interest in chapter five consists of the inventions of the men in the genealogy. Their creativity, intellect, and social interaction did not save them from the destructive power of sin. It only corrupted them more. The same is true today. That is why for all the good we can try to do through the government, it always fails us in the end.
Returning to the passage, note the depth of corruption. Every depth of the human being was, according to the record, completely corrupt so that even the very thoughts and intents of the heart were always evil continually. You may ask, "but surely they fed the poor?" Surely they did! "Surely families helped each other?" Surely they did! "Surely they helped the sick, the elderly, and the disabled?" Most assuredly they did! In fact, I have no doubt that they had a better system to take care of these puzzles that plague our modern society. "Are these things bad?" God called them evil! "Why?" Because the corruption of the heart was so deep that they very motivations of these deeds were corrupt and self-centered. In the end of the Bible's argument for history, we see this thing called "Zion." That "Zion" is a community of people who are only godly continually. However, that community is made completely by the hand of God's salvation through the promised Seed. In the mean time, all attempts to make that society are corrupted by the heart of sinful man. This is the ultimate corruption of man's heart. The desire to build, create, and act not according to God's purpose and plan, but as an alternative to it is the ultimate in rebellion and hatred for God.
Whether angels or men were the "sons of God" the essential problem remains that mankind and the individual men were so corrupt that God had to intervene and judge that sin.
As an aside, note the non-racist ideas. These men were corrupt, not because of their breeding in the end, but because of their hearts. Noah was of the same breeding, yet his outcome was different.
As another aside, note the problem of sin and society. One item of interest in chapter five consists of the inventions of the men in the genealogy. Their creativity, intellect, and social interaction did not save them from the destructive power of sin. It only corrupted them more. The same is true today. That is why for all the good we can try to do through the government, it always fails us in the end.
Returning to the passage, note the depth of corruption. Every depth of the human being was, according to the record, completely corrupt so that even the very thoughts and intents of the heart were always evil continually. You may ask, "but surely they fed the poor?" Surely they did! "Surely families helped each other?" Surely they did! "Surely they helped the sick, the elderly, and the disabled?" Most assuredly they did! In fact, I have no doubt that they had a better system to take care of these puzzles that plague our modern society. "Are these things bad?" God called them evil! "Why?" Because the corruption of the heart was so deep that they very motivations of these deeds were corrupt and self-centered. In the end of the Bible's argument for history, we see this thing called "Zion." That "Zion" is a community of people who are only godly continually. However, that community is made completely by the hand of God's salvation through the promised Seed. In the mean time, all attempts to make that society are corrupted by the heart of sinful man. This is the ultimate corruption of man's heart. The desire to build, create, and act not according to God's purpose and plan, but as an alternative to it is the ultimate in rebellion and hatred for God.
Whether angels or men were the "sons of God" the essential problem remains that mankind and the individual men were so corrupt that God had to intervene and judge that sin.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
My Food Is Staring At Me!
This past weekend, I was able to go on a church retreat. It was a good time to get to know the people at church better, be involved in the ministry, and test my Portuguese skills. There were no native English speakers, and maybe three out of the fifty really knew English well. I also got a crash course in Portuguese food culture. We had fish, lots of fish. One of the days, the fish was grilled whole and served whole. It was a little strange for this Nebraska boy to eat seafood while looking it in the eye. However, it was good. I am now writing English for the first time in five days, and I have only said maybe five sentences in English since I got back. This proves that I am coming along in the language fairly well. I was even able to speak publicly on the what it means to be a church. The whole weekend was a good time of fellowship, challenge, and growth. It makes the Bible seem all new again to be studying it and learning from it in a new language.
Please pray for continued progress in the language. Please pray for my upcoming summer plans as I return to the States. Please pray for my support to be there when I head to Mozambique next year. Please pray for the Mozambique team as they plan where to place those of us coming in the next several months. Praise the Lord for the progress already made in the language. Praise the Lord for the fact that Mozambique is getting closer and closer. Praise the Lord for the team in Mozambique and the works that have already been started over the last year and a half.
Please pray for continued progress in the language. Please pray for my upcoming summer plans as I return to the States. Please pray for my support to be there when I head to Mozambique next year. Please pray for the Mozambique team as they plan where to place those of us coming in the next several months. Praise the Lord for the progress already made in the language. Praise the Lord for the fact that Mozambique is getting closer and closer. Praise the Lord for the team in Mozambique and the works that have already been started over the last year and a half.
