The sky is blue right now, and sun is shining, but forecasters speak of cloudy and maybe some rainy weather, and also getting a bit colder. But, after all, it is January. Sort of birthday month in the family.
Tomorrow is Sunday, and I was thinking of the Bible stories we learned in Sunday School. Daniel in the lion’s den, David and Goliath, Samson, and so many others. We thought them just stories, but they are much more than that. They are there, as St. Paul reminded, “For our learning, on whom the end of the age has come”, 1 Cor. 10,11, and stand there “for examples, to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did”. V.6. He is talking of the experiences of the Israelites when and after they left Egypt. Moses had the task of weaning them from the many gods of Egypt, each with a priesthood to tell how best to take advantage of that particular god, to seeing Jehovah as GOD alone.
Moses at Mt. Horeb brought the commandment that said, “No other God” and “No graven images”. There must have been murmuring and “what’s this about us serving God, we learned that they served Us. Moses directed them to the God they couldn’t touch, manipulate, direct, or even decipher. Just obey. The name could not be an object. God was a presence among them, to be worshipped, and obeyed. GOD alone.
Bible history shows they learned this only after much trial and trouble. Again and again they were lured into worship of Baal, Dagon and other gods of people around them, and through whose lands they traveled.
The lesson needs repeating, because mankind is prone to make its own god. We make a god we can manipulate, control, and be what we wish. That is not the God of the bible at all.
He is the One who sent His Son “To save the world”. John 3,17. He claims exclusivity and supremacy. He shares with no one. He stands as GOD Alone. And that needs to be taught, it needs to be heard clearly. The Psalm once said, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come”.Ps. 71,18.
That is always the task, to pass the teachings along. Generation to generation teaches. St. Peter said as long as he was on this earth, he would press this knowledge, St. John said that as well. As does every caring and serious Christian, want to pass this saving knowledge along to the next generation. So it has ever been, pray God so it shall ever be.
GPD 1/23/10
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